Statement by the Minister of Foreign and Worship of Argentina, Susana Malcorra
June 21, 2016
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.
It is an honour for me to be welcoming you to this event, together with such distinguished speakers, the President of the General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft, the Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Madame Zainab Hawa Bangura, and the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, Madame Leila Zerrougui.
Excellencies, distinguished colleagues and guests, thank you all very much for being here today.
It is a pleasure for us to be hosting this event that we have organized on the occasion of the first annual observance of the “International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict”, 19 June, which was established by the General Assembly last year, with an overwhelming support from Member States.
Our goal here today is to raise the awareness within the international community regarding the necessity to continue and redouble our efforts to put an end to the heinous crime of sexual violence in conflict.
This event will mark the first formal observance of the International Day, and we will hope to collaborate in achieving the objectives set forth in General Assembly resolution 69/293, adopted by consensus on 19 June of last year, which aimed towards raising awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence, to honour the victims and survivors of sexual violence around the world, and to pay tribute to all those who have courageously devoted their lives to and lost their lives in standing up for the eradication of these crimes.
The increasing crimes of sexual violence in conflict, perpetrated by different groups in conflict and post-conflict situations, constitute one of the most serious international crimes. International criminal tribunals have typified sexual violence in conflict as an act of torture, a war crime and a crime against humanity. This morning, in The Hague, the International Criminal Court has made public the sentencing of Jean-Pierre Bemba to 18 years in prison, after being found guilty of committing war crimes and sexual violence crimes, including two counts of crimes against humanity (murder and rape) and three counts of war crimes (murder, rape, and pillaging).
We, as the international community, should be seriously concerned and alarmed about the trend we are witnessing in recent times of the increasing use of crimes of sexual violence, perpetrated by State and non-State actors and violent extremist groups, as a tactic of war and as a strategy to terrorize, intimidate and stigmatize specific groups (women, girls and boys, men, religious minorities, LGBTI people and displaced persons, among others). It is an increasing and despicable trend of international crimes of the utmost gravity, which calls for swift, committed and urgent action by the international community, States and all relevant actors at every level.
In that sense, it is fundamental to continue raising awareness among the international community and all relevant actors on the necessity to scale up joined efforts towards preventing, combating and putting an end to the crime of sexual violence in conflict; to bring to justice and holding accountable those responsible for perpetrating such crimes; and to protect, assist, contain, and reinsert the survivors of such vile violations to the dignity and human rights.
It is unmistakably clear that sexual violence in conflict is one of the most basic and terrible violations of human dignity, which constitutes a clear and present threat to international peace and security and to the full and effective enjoyment of human rights. That challenge demands a swift, sustained and coordinated action of the international community and every single relevant actor in order to put an end to this unacceptable scourge.
In that framework, we will count today with an excellent panel, comprised by several individuals personally devoted and affected by this issue, ranging from survivors of sexual violence in conflict, high profile advocates working on services and accountability for victims of sexual violence in conflict, representatives of Governments which has faced the phenomenon and key stakeholders working to combat the scourge of sexual violence in conflict.
In that sense, we thank you all very much for being here today, and we hope that this first annual event would represent the starting point of an international sustained call for raising awareness on the issue and to putting an end to the crime of sexual violence in conflict. In the 21st century, we must join efforts and commit ourselves to ensure that human life and dignity cease being the spoils of war.