Thank you Mr. President,
Italy thanks the Permanent Mission of Panama for convening this debate. We commend the SR Patten, for her insights and steadfast commitment to this topic, as well as the distinguished representatives of civil society for their briefings.
Italy aligns itself with the statements of the European Union and Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security (WPS), adding the following remarks in its national capacity.
Conflict-related sexual violence remains a deliberate and devastating tactic of war. In 2024, the UN documented over 4,500 cases, more than 90% of which affected women and girls. Addressing this issue demands coordinated, sustained action from this Council, the UN system, and Member States.
In light of this, Italy strongly believes that humanitarian access must be preserved.
We shall promote programs and policies aimed at ensuring that life-saving assistance — physical, psychological, and legal — is accessible and safe for victims and survivors, free from fear of social stigma, intimidation, or reprisal, and delivered without delay or discrimination. Multi-sectoral services remain vital. Italy supports partnerships between UN agencies, local authorities, and women-led organizations to provide medical care, psychosocial support, legal aid, and economic empowerment — especially in dynamic, high-risk settings.
We also believe that the protection of civilian infrastructure — particularly healthcare facilities — is equally critical. We condemn attacks on such facilities and urge full compliance with international humanitarian law to safeguard spaces that provide safety and vital assistance to survivors.
It is also important to invest in gender-responsive security and justice sector reforms. These principles should be embedded in the training of military personnel deployed nationally, as well as in UN peacekeeping and special political missions. We support survivor-centered, trauma-informed mechanisms for accountability. Italy also promotes the meaningful inclusion of women and girls in the design, implementation, and monitoring of conflict-related sexual violence strategies — as a cornerstone of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, also through its Fifth National Action Plan on WPS, released this month.
Conflict settings pose heightened vulnerabilities. Italy stresses the need for comprehensive approaches that combine protection and empowerment: creation of safe spaces, access to justice, livelihood support, and inclusion of displaced women in decisions affecting them. We will continue to work through diplomacy, development cooperation, peacekeeping training, and civil society partnerships to ensure that survivors receive protection, services, and justice — and that perpetrators are held to account.
Thank you.
