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STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF ITALY TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AMBASSADOR SEBASTIANO CARDI, AT THE SECURITY COUNCIL OPEN DEBATE ON “SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT” (April 15, 2015) 

 Madam President,


 




I wish to thank you for organizing this open debate, and the Secretary-General for providing his thorough Report, which documents the situation on the ground and on the current state of one of the most heinous aspects of war: conflict-related sexual violence. The main but not the only victims of this phenomenon are women and girls.


Italy aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and makes the following remarks in a national capacity.


Today no Country denies the fact that conflict-related sexual violence is a crime against humanity and not an inevitable, legitimate spoil of war – which was the widespread perception less than 20 years ago. Remarkable progress has been made. We have many SC Resolutions, beginning from SCR 1325 (2000) which is at the core of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. This debate is a further step towards its implementation. We need to keep the international community focused on this issue and urge greater engagement and action.





Madam President,


As the SG’s Report shows, all forms of sexual violence, especially in conflict and post-conflict situations or in fragile contexts, exacerbate instability and jeopardize the restoration of peace and security, rule of law and respect for human rights. Conflict-related sexual violence causes physical and psychological damage and has a tremendous socio-economic impact on affected societies. This is why we believe it is critical to address its root causes, and to explore alarming new trends such as the rise of violent extremism and the increasing use of SVC as a tactic not only of war but also of terror. At the same time, we must continue to strive to strengthen the participation, representation and leadership of women. We advocate in particular a stronger Security Council focus on four main areas.


First, prevention. As past experience has shown, a focus on healing and reparation will never be a winning strategy. We have to invest in prevention because prevention IS the solution. Italy is deeply committed to early-warning initiatives, including the Framework of analysis, that sound the alarm when there is a risk of a situation degenerating. We strongly encourage all willing MS to make a more decisive shift to the “prevention mode.”


Second, participation. We believe that all actions to increase the role of women in peace-building and peace-keeping depend on empowerment. We need a holistic approach. Participation means increasing the number of women in political bodies, entities, and processes. But it also means empowering women and girls to seize their opportunities themselves, in order to impact more significantly on conflict prevention and post-conflict governance. We need to give them the means to build their self-confidence and potentialities, so as to become the drivers of their sustainable advancement.




Third, rehabilitation of the survivors. To address the specific needs and priorities of women and girls in relief, transitional justice and economic recovery, we need to better complement our efforts with development cooperation and emergency aid activities. Multisectoral, integrated, coordinated and synergic approaches are to be enhanced.


Fourth, accountability. We must not underestimate the preventive power of justice. The necessary social changes also require a more effective fight against impunity at all levels, including increased referrals, when appropriate, to the International Criminal Court.



Madam President,




In sum, this is how we interpret the four recommendations of the SG’s report – which we fully share – that highlight the need to:

–                       address the root-causes of CRSV also by promoting women empowerment and gender equality;

–                       Transform harmful social norms and counter the rise of extremism;

–                       Safeguard the rights and protection needs of survivors through the delivery of multi-sectoral assistance and   reintegration measures;

–                       Systematically address all elements of resolution 1325 in the work of the Security Council.


Madam President,


The international community should provide critical support by scaling up integrated actions, by increasingly supporting UN Action and engaging in cooperation with all stakeholders, including from the private sector. It is high time to enhance synergies, in an integrated and holistic approach, for the lives of million of women and men, girls and boys, around the world.



Thank you, Madam President.