Women and children are seen in the al-Hol camp in Syria's Hasakeh province on January 28, 2021. (Photo: AFP/VNA)The victims should be assisted to access psychological, medical, training andlegal services, integrate into the community and seek livelihood sources, Quysaid while chairing an open debate of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on women,peace and security on April 14.
The virtual debate is one of the initiatives raised by Vietnam in its capacityas President of the UNSC in April.
Quy expressed his concern over sexual violence in conflict as well as its impacton victims, particularly women and children, emphasising the need to take acomprehensive approach to the problem.
Such an approach should not only include timely assistance for victims, butalso measures to address the root causes of sexual violence in conflict, hesaid.
Preventing such violence also requires the full and equal participation ofwomen in decision-making and peace processes, Quy went on.
While states bear primary responsibility to address sexual violence, theinternational community, and the UN system in particular, can providemuch-needed development assistance, capacity-building, technical support andtraining, he said.
In that regard, he called for sexual violence prevention and response to beincorporated in peacekeeping mandates and for more women to be deployed inpeacekeeping missions to work closely among communities on the ground.
Addressing the meeting, Pramila Patten, Special Representative on SexualViolence in Conflict, said there were over 2,500 UN-verified cases ofconflict-related sexual violence in 18 countries last year alone.
The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to new gender-based protection concerns,the Special Representative said.
She affirmed that now was the time to “take stock of both the persistent andentrenched, as well as new and emerging, challenges…to eradicate the scourge”.
“Prevention is the best and only cure” to stem the multiple, devastating andenduring consequences faced by survivors of sexual violence in conflict, especiallyas a brutal tactic of war.
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Denis Mukwege said humanity should feel a collectivesense of shame, for doing so little to draw a “red line” against those whocommit “odious” crimes of sexual violence.
And while some progress has been made in international law surrounding sexualviolence in war, abuses remain far too frequent and responses dramaticallyunder-funded.
Meanwhile, Caroline Atim, Director of South Sudan Women with DisabilitiesNetwork, highlighted the prevalence of sexual violence as a tool of subjugationand control, including for victims who are forced to marry their abusers.
She also spoke of the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women withdisabilities and the importance of “non-discriminatory” services for victims,including psychological services.
Other UNSC member countries thanked Vietnam for promoting dialogues on the humanitarianand urgent issue, and affirmed their commitments to preventing and putting anend to sexual violence in conflict./.
VNA
