Many thanks, Madam President, and our sincere thanks to the DRC for convening this important discussion and to you for your personal leadership on this agenda.
I also extend my thanks to the briefers. To Ms Jocelyn, your briefing was a stark reminder of the devastating impact of ongoing gang violence on women and girls in Haiti.
And I thank Special Representative Patten. The UN plays a vital role in documenting and verifying these crimes, key to ensuring the international community has the evidence needed to drive accountability.
The UK is appalled by the rising rates of conflict-related sexual violence around the world and documented in the Secretary-General’s report.
It is not inevitable. It is preventable. It is prosecutable.
But too often, it is met with impunity.
And where perpetrators face no consequences, survivors are denied justice, and crimes are often repeated.
In Sudan, a war is being waged on women’s bodies.
And the UK is gravely concerned by the widespread and systematic use of sexual violence.
We support the Secretary-General’s calls for accountability and unimpeded humanitarian access.
The world failed the people of El-Fasher, but we cannot allow the same to happen to those in El-Obeid.
The UK remains committed to supporting survivors, and this includes a package of over $26 million of support to enable access to medical and psycho-social support.
We condemn the sexual violence committed by Russian forces against Ukraine’s civilians and prisoners of war documented in the Secretary-General’s report.
These crimes have been documented repeatedly over several years, and demonstrate a clear and persistent pattern.
Those responsible must be held to account.
The UK will continue to support Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors in pursuing justice in line with international standards and survivor-centred approaches.
We also condemn all Conflict Related Sexual Violence documented in the Secretary-General’s report in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
We remain appalled by the sexual violence committed by Hamas on 7 October and against hostages.
There must be accountability for these crimes.
We are gravely concerned by the documented sexual violence perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinian detainees documented in the Secretary-General’s report.
And we urge Israel to thoroughly investigate Conflict Related Sexual Violence, to hold perpetrators to account, and for detainees to be treated in line with international norms and standards.
President, let me underline the importance of accountability and support for survivors.
First, we must ensure survivors have a meaningful voice in the justice processes designed to serve them.
Accountability is possible where there is political will and sustained international support.
Second, we must ensure survivors, including children affected by, or born of, CRSV have access to the protection and support they need to rebuild their lives. Only this will break the cycle of harm being passed from one generation to the next.
President, addressing sexual violence has been a UK priority since the launching of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative more than a decade ago.
Through this initiative and others, the UK has supported more than 55,000 survivors over the past year alone.
And as my Foreign Secretary has said, CRSV must be confronted with renewed urgency and collective resolve.
The test for this Council to ensure these crimes are prevented, investigated, and prosecuted.
