Sexual Violence in Emergencies

Sexual Violence in Conflict and Emergencies in 2013 (Continuation)

United States views on international law [1] in relation to Sexual Violence in Conflict and Emergencies: As alluded to by Ambassador DiCarlo in her remarks above, the Security Council considered a new resolution on women, peace, and security in 2013 that focuses specifically on the problem of sexual violence in conflict. U.N. Doc. S/RES/2106. Ambassador DiCarlo welcomed the adoption of the resolution on June 24, 2013 in a statement, excerpted below, and available at (link resource) usun.state.gov/briefing/statements/211047.htm.

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The United States welcomes this opportunity to reaffirm the indispensable role of women in bringing peace and security to countries embroiled in conflict or emerging from it. Women's active—indeed integral—involvement in peace processes and transitional justice mechanisms, including to address sexual violence, is critical to laying the foundation for lasting peace. The resolution that we have adopted today reinforces our collective efforts to prevent conflict-related sexual violence, hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes, and provide support and justice to the survivors. It also recognizes that national governments have primary responsibility for addressing this issue. We see signs of progress, as some national governments are making justice systems more responsive and accessible to survivors of sexual violence. For example, Sierra Leone's new Sexual Offense Law gives stiff minimum sentences to perpetrators. Sri Lanka's Women's Protection Units provide female staff at police stations and privacy for women to report crimes. And this May, Somalia committed to ensuring the protection of victims, witnesses, journalists, and others who report on sexual violence—a necessity for strengthening legal cases and bringing these issues into the public sphere. Special Representative Bangura deserves special thanks for her significant work with authorities to reduce sexual violence in Somalia, Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Development

Mr. President, we applaud and appreciate the critical role that civil society, especially local women's groups, play in assisting survivors by providing them with medical care, counseling, and a political voice, and by facilitating their access to justice. The United States is proud to support Congolese organizations that provide free legal aid for survivors as well as training to provide provincial lawyers and mobile courts—courts that heard almost 3,000 cases in the DRC last year. The efforts of local civil society remain vital and deserve even greater support from national authorities and the international community. We also commend international initiatives that bolster national capacity on this issue. The United Kingdom and Foreign Secretary Hague, in particular, deserves praise for leading the G8's development of an international protocol on the investigation and documentation of rape and other forms of sexual violence in conflict. Through efforts like Justice Rapid Response, UN Women and others have provided valuable technical support to promote accountability by helping to document evidence for judicial processes. And the Security Council has adopted targeted sanctions against those who commit, command or condone sexual violence in places like the DRC. We strongly encourage UN sanctions committees to expand their use of this tool to fight impunity.

Details

Indeed, we have made strides in addressing sexual violence in conflict, but there is still a long way to go. More countries should criminalize conflict-related sexual violence. Provisions that prohibit amnesty for perpetrators must be put into cease-fire and mediation agreements. And it is imperative that the international community and senior UN officials, at headquarters and in the field, support the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on sexual violence in conflict. Mr. President, the Security Council must continue to treat this threat to international peace and security with utmost gravity. Sexual violence in conflict cannot and must not be viewed narrowly as just a “women's issue,” as sexual violence remains a horrific weapon of war that destroys individuals, devastates communities, and even destabilizes countries. Above all, let us remember, sexual violence is not cultural, it is criminal.

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(2) U.S. “Safe from the Start” Initiative

On September 23, 2013, Secretary Kerry announced the launch of a new U.S. initiative, “Safe from the Start,” to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies worldwide. The State Department media note announcing the initiative is available at (Secretary of State website) state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/09/214552.htm, and is excerpted in Chapter 17. The United States initially committed $10 million to the initiative, to be used to fund the hiring of specialized staff and the development of programs and methods by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (“UNHCR”), the International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”), and other humanitarian agencies and organizations. The initiative builds on the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally.

Resources

Notes

1. Sexual Violence in Conflict and Emergencies in the Digest of United States Practice in International Law