(Возобновленное) Выполнение обязательств, предусмотренных международным правом, в интересах лиц, переживших сексуальное насилие в связи с конфликтом - Совет Безопасности, 10190-e заседание Совет Безопасности Date: 10 July 2026 Language: English Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/ru/sc/10190/3?lang=en Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- Democratic Republic of the Congo · President [0:03]: The 10,190th meeting of the Security Council is resumed. I wish to remind all speakers to limit their statements to no more than 3 minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. The flashing light on the microphone I will prompt speakers to bring their remarks to a close after 3 minutes. I now give the floor to the representative of Paraguay. Paraguay [0:39]: Thank you very much, Madam President. The delegation of the Republic of Paraguay is grateful for the convening of this open debate, and we congratulate the presidency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for placing at the heart of our discussions a fundamental issue, the distance that continues to exist between the commitments made by states and the reality of thousands of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. International law has made significant progress. We now have institutions, norms, and mechanisms to prevent these crimes, to protect victims, and to demand accountability. However, for too many women and girls, this protection continues to be an unmet promise. The persistence of these crimes means that we have to ask We need to ask ourselves not only what new laws we need, but also why we haven't been able to fully apply those that already exist. Paraguay believes that sexual violence related to conflict cannot be seen as an inevitable consequence of war. It is a grave violation of international law, and in many situations it is deliberately used to terrorize populations, destroy communities, to cause displacement, and to prolong the effect of conflicts long after the cessation of hostilities. For this reason, prevention calls for institutions that are able to identify risks, early warning systems, capacity building, and the political will to act in the light of signs. Preventing also means preventing impunity, because those— wherever those who commit crimes do not go unpunished, it just further fuels these crimes. At the international level and the national level, Paraguay recognizes the protection of the population and the promotion of a culture of peace. Some of the main drivers of our state policy. This reaffirms that security is not only there to respond to threats once they emerge, but also to strengthen institutions to anticipate risks and to establish the conditions that contribute to preventing risk and protecting people. Therefore, the international community's response cannot conclude with convicting those perpetrators. For the survivors, justice should have a concrete meaning— access to psychosocial and medical support, support, possibilities to rebuild their lives, effective access to justice, and reparations. Madam President, last year we commemorated the 25th anniversary of Resolution 1735, and a quarter of a century later, we have to recognize that the meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding processes and rebuilding societies remains insufficient. It is not enough to protect women during conflict; it's essential to recognize them as protagonists of peace. Their effective participation should be incorporated from the beginning of mediation and peacebuilding and sustaining peace, not as a formality, but as a way to address the root causes of conflicts, address the needs of communities, and to reduce the risk of recurrence of violence. This has taught us as Paraguay that the consequences of war are not merely the silencing of arms. We need to support entire communities. We need to also ensure that women can continue to build their lives within our nation. This is not, therefore, solely a normative issue. It is also a belief borne out of our national experience. Societies that include women in peacebuilding reduce their abilities to repeat the errors of the past. In— when justice substitutes impunity and when women are fully involved in decisions, then we know that we have prevailed in this area. This is a responsibility that we cannot continue to delay. Thank you. Democratic Republic of the Congo · President [4:47]: I thank the representative of Paraguay for that statement, and I now give the floor to the representative of the Maldives. Maldives [4:54]: Thank you, Madam President. I thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict Thank you, Mr. President, for the briefing. Sexual violence in conflicts is not an accident of war. It is a weapon used to terrorize, displace, and destroy dignity. The Maldives condemns in the strongest terms all of— all forms of conflict-related sexual violence. The Secretary-General's report is clear. Verified cases rose sharply in 2025. Thank you. Women and girls were overwhelmingly targeted. Yet fear, stigma, and lack of access still keep many survivors silent. The Council has built a strong normative framework through Resolutions 1820, 1888, 1960, 2106, and 2467. And the international humanitarian law prohibits rape and other forms of sexual violence. The task now is to turn these obligations into protection and deterrence. The Maldives therefore makes 3 practical recommendations. First, the Council must enforce compliance. Every relevant Council mandate should include a built-in mechanism to monitor violations, report on non-compliance, and trigger consequences. The Maldives should— the mandate should require parties to to cease conflict-related sexual violence, release abducted women and children, end sexual slavery and forced marriage, and allow unhindered humanitarian access. Second, accountability must create deterrence. The Council should make conflict-related sexual violence a criterion in all relevant sanctions regimes. Targeted measures should apply to commanders armed groups, officials, and enablers responsible for these crimes. Member States must investigate, prosecute, and exclude these crimes from amnesties. These processes must survive— must be survivor-centered. Survivors must have access to legal aid, safe reporting channels, witness protection, reparations, and reintegration. Perpetrators must know that these crimes are not cost-free. Third, protection must be sustained. UN must close women protection advisor gap, including during transitions and drawdowns. Frontline responders and women-led organizations need safe access, predictable funding, and protection from reprisal. Madam President, these calls are not abstract. The urgency of strong action is clear in the Secretary-General's documented findings concerning Israel. The report documents continuing patterns of sexual violence against Palestinians detained by Israel. It verifies incidents affecting 14 men, 7 women, 9 boys, and 1 girl. These include rape, gang rape, attempted rape, violence to genitals, forced nudity, strip and search, cavity searches, and, and the threat of rape. Over 9,000 Palestinians remain in Israel detention, including over 4,000 without charge or trial. The Maldives calls on Israel to immediately cease all acts of sexual violence. Israel must implement time-bound commitments under Security Council Resolutions 1960, 2106 and 2467. Israel must grant unfettered access to relevant UN bodies to investigate all allegations. Israel must investigate, prosecute, and punish all perpetrators of sexual violence against Palestinians. These violations do not occur in vacuum— in a vacuum. They are inseparable from Israel's prolonged occupation, denials of rights, and impunity. Accountability must therefore go hand in hand with the realization that Palestinian people's inalienable right to self-determination and an independent and sovereign Palestinian state. Survivors need protection. They need justice. They need services and reparations. And they need this Council to act with consistency. I thank you. Democratic Republic of the Congo · President [9:24]: I thank the representative of the Maldives for that statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Iraq. Iraq [9:32]: Madam President, I'm delighted to be taking part in this Security Council open debate honoring the promise of international law to survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, CRSV. At the outset, I'd like to congratulate the Democratic Republic of the Congo on its Security Council presidency in the month of July. I should also like to thank the presidency for convening this meeting, and I'd like to thank SRSG Pramila Patten dealing with the CRSV. I thank the other briefers as well. CRSV is not only a serious violation of human rights, it is also a threat to international peace and security. Speaker 7 [10:21]: Thank you. Iraq [10:22]: This is a dangerous instrument wielded by terrorist and extremist groups so as to sow fear, tear apart communities, and undermine the dignity of women, girls, and entire societies. This is why honoring the promise of international law calls for moving from legal commitments to concrete measures aimed at prevention, accountability, and rehabilitation. Madam President, Iraq was hit hard by the vile crimes perpetrated by Daesh, in particular sexual violence, slavery, and human trafficking crimes— crimes which targeted women and girls from various sectors of society. This very painful experience showed us that doing justice for victims doesn't just boil down to legal prosecution. It requires a comprehensive approach which places survivors at the heart of the entire effort, respecting their dignity, protecting survivors from stigmatization and reprisals, as well as guaranteeing access to support for survivors. It is important to strengthen legislative frameworks and national institutions in addition to accountability mechanisms, and this in accordance with international law. At the same time, we must uphold national sovereignty and the legal and social specificities of each state. We must bolster social reintegration of survivors and to help children affected by such violence and born of such sexual violence, especially addressing the stigmatization which they're subjected to. Madam President, protecting women and girls, guaranteeing their empowerment is a national priority for Iraq. We seek to bolster women's and girls' participation in public life, guaranteeing their access to education, health, and employment. Women should actively participate in the crafting of prevention and protection policies. Furthermore, we must strengthen international cooperation, bolster national capacity, and guarantee specialized services are made available to survivors. Iraq has taken important steps so as to translate these principles into concrete deeds, because we're cognizant that doing justice for survivors doesn't boil down to legal accountability. It also means recognizing their suffering and repairing the damage done to them. A law on Yazidi female survivors adopted in 2021— well, this law was adopted to do justice for survivors through compensation and help with social reintegration. This attests to our national efforts aimed at mounting a humanitarian response underpinned by the principles of justice and reparations. We are very much committed to continuing our cooperation with the United Nations with a view to protecting survivors and ensuring that international law is an instrument for building more prosperous, fairer societies. I thank you. Democratic Republic of the Congo · President [13:44]: I thank the representative of Iraq for his statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Sudan. Sudan [13:50]: At the outset, we thank the Democratic Republic of the Congo in its capacity as the President of the Security Council for the month of July for convening this vital debate. Mr.— Ms. President, today I speak on behalf of millions of Sudanese women, the Kandakat, who have shown extraordinary strength, resilience, and unwavering commitment to their families, societies, and communities throughout this difficult chapter in our nation's history. Madam President, since the outbreak of the war of aggression in my home, conflict-related sexual violence has been used systematically as a weapon of war by the rebel militia. This is not incidental violence. It is deliberate, strategic, and designed to terrorize, humiliate, and destroy the social fabric of Sudanese communities. The numbers speak for themselves. 2,250 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence had been documented since the war began. Among identified survivors, 2,200 are children, a devastating indicator of how this war has targeted the most vulnerable among us. A further 190 documented cases involved sexual slavery. underscoring the severity and organized nature of these crimes. We must also be clear-eyed. These figures capture only a fraction of the true scale. Stigma, fear of retaliation, and lack of access in militia-controlled areas continue to suppress reporting, meaning the real toll on Sudanese women and girls is almost certainly far greater. Madam President, this war of aggression persists and intensifies for one central reason: the sustained flow of arms, weapons, financing, and political cover provided by its foreign backers, most notably the United Arab Emirates. This external support prolongs the suffering of Sudanese women, and children and enables the continued commission of grave violations against them. On behalf of my countrywomen, we call on this Council to firmly condemn these violations, to hold accountable those states and actors enabling them, and to list the militia as a terrorist group. Madam President, Sudan remains committed to its National Comprehensive Plan for the protection of women and girls through strengthening prevention and early warning mechanisms, ensuring dignified survivor center services, expanding access to justice, and advancing gender-responsive security sector reform in line with this Council's Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Therefore, we call this Council once again to support our national efforts to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence, and to support child protection and reintegration. Madam President, in conclusion, there can be no sustainable peace without the protection of women and children. There can be no genuine recovery without justice and accountability. And there must be no place for immunity for the crimes of conflict-related sexual violence. Sudan looks to this council collective commitment to the women peace and security agenda to help ensure that protection, justice, and accountability are not aspirations but realities for Sudanese survivors. I thank you. Democratic Republic of the Congo · President [17:46]: Je remercie la représentante. I thank the representative of Sudan for the statement, and I now give the floor to the representative of Canada. Canada · Group of Friends for Women, Peace and Security [17:56]: Canada has the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of 66 members of the group of friends. for Women, Peace and Security, representing all 5 regional groups of the UN and the European Union. We thank the Democratic Republic of the Congo for convening this important debate and express our appreciation to the briefers. We also thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and her office for their continued leadership. The group takes note of the Secretary-General's report on conflict-related sexual violence violence, which provides a stark and concerning warning. Confirmed cases of CRSV rose sharply in 2025 amid escalating and protracted conflicts, restricted humanitarian access, attacks against frontline responders, and severe funding cuts that have reduced life-saving support for victims and survivors. We know that behind the confirmed cases there are many unreported due to stigma, fear of violation, violence, retaliation, impunity, and lack of services and information. There continues to be a persistent gap between commitments and compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights law. The Group of Friends reaffirms 5 points. First, we strongly condemn all all use of conflict-related sexual violence by state and non-state actors, including its use as a tactic of war, terror, torture, political repression, and control over communities and resources. Such acts violate international law and may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide. They are neither inevitable nor beyond prevention. Prevention requires deliberately addressing the conditions that enable their perpetration to break the cycle of impunity and ensure accountability. States must investigate reported violations and prosecute the suspects. Second, as established with a survivor-centered approach in UN Security Resolution 2467, survivors must receive urgent comprehensive, and trauma-informed support. This includes clinical care, sexual and reproductive healthcare services, mental health and psychosocial support, legal assistance, socioeconomic reintegration, and access to justice and reparations. Often overlooked, children born of CSRV face statelessness, stigma, abandonment, and risk of recruitment. They require dedicated protection and support, including legal recognition and psychosocial services. We are deeply concerned that this year's report found that funding cuts in 2025 shuttered women and girls' safe spaces and women-led humanitarian organizations on the ground. The cuts reduced gender-based violence services and weakened national response capacity. This, in turn, erodes victims' and survivors' ability to seek support. We call on Member States to provide predictable, flexible, and sustainable funding to victim and women-led organizations, survivor networks, and the United Nations Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict Network. Protecting these services is not only essential, but reflects States' obligations to ensure non-discriminatory access to healthcare, justice, assistance, and remedy for victims. Third, humanitarian access and protection are indispensable. Victims and survivors cannot be reached when humanitarian personnel, healthcare workers are threatened, attacked, or denied access. We call on all parties to conflict to respect and protect humanitarian and UN personnel, and to provide safe, rapid, and unhindered access to conflict-affected, occupied, and detention settings. Arbitrary denial of humanitarian access and attacks against medical and personnel violate international law and has a severe impact on the affected population. Fourth, impunity must end. The Secretary-General's report underscores that more than 65% of listed parties are repeatedly committing violations without facing any consequences. We urge all states to investigate and prosecute these crimes promptly, independently, and impartially, regardless of the perpetrator's rank, or affiliation. We further urge the Security Council to list— to use the listing mechanism more systematically and to enforce delisting conditionalities rigorously, including through targeted sanctions, mandate language, monitoring, reporting, referrals where appropriate, and sustained engagement through the Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace and Security. Speaker 13 [23:20]: Thank you. Canada · Group of Friends for Women, Peace and Security [23:21]: Fifth, we support women's full, equal, safe, and meaningful participation and leadership at all levels of peace and security decision-making. We must emphasize the particular value of victim and survivor leadership in shaping effective prevention, accountability, and reparations. This includes ceasefire negotiations, peace agreements, electoral processes, and transitional justice. Women should participate in the design of transformative reparation frameworks, security sector reform, disarmament, demobilization, reintegration processes, and peace operation transitions. We also stress the importance of maintaining dedicated expertise, including for continued forensic documentation. Women's Protection Advisers remain essential to monitoring, analysis, early warning engagement with parties to conflict, and victim- and survivor-centered response. Yet, Advisers are deployed in very few of the settings covered in the report. The Security Council should ensure that mandates and transition plans include the timely deployment and retention of Women Protection Advisers. including in peace operations, special political missions, and offices of resident and humanitarian coordinators. Finally, as we mark more than 2 decades of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, we recall that addressing conflict-related sexual violence is not only a protection imperative. It is central to conflict prevention, stabilization, and accountability, and durable peacebuilding, and the credibility of this Council. The Group of Friends calls on all parties to immediately cease violations. We call on member states to strengthen prevention and survivor-centered response, and on the Security Council to act with unity and resolve. Thank you. Democratic Republic of the Congo · President [25:32]: I thank the representative of Canada for her statement. I now give the floor to Mr. Cherine Alemharifo, Permanent Observer of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. IGAD · Permanent Observer · Cherine Alemharifo [25:46]: Merci, Madame la Présidente. Thank you, Madam President. Distinguished members of the Security Council, allow me at the outset to recognize the presidency of the Security Council for the month of July under the Democratic Republic of Congo and to thank you for convening this important debate. I also wish to express appreciation to Colombia for its stewardship of the Council during the month of June, and I also would like further to thank the briefers for the important and sobering contribution. Madam President, for IGAL and its member states, this issue is immediate, painful, and deeply political. Conflict-related sexual violence continues to scar our continent and wider world in ways that are devastating and intimate, and enduring. It destroys bodies, fractures families, humiliates communities, and leaves behind injuries that do not disappear when the sound of weapons subsides. It is used to terrorize, to punish, to force displacement, to deepen division, and to assert power through fear. These— the cases before us are grave, but they are not the full picture. The numbers in our hands are never the true numbers. Many cases remain hidden behind stigma, trauma, fear of reprisal, lack of trust in institutions and social exclusion, and the collapse of a weakness of reporting and response system. In conflict settings, silence is too often imposed on survivors long before justice ever reaches them. The reality places a profound responsibility on the states regional institutions, and the international community. Our member states know that where these crimes are left unaddressed, the damage runs far beyond the individual survivor. Entire communities lose confidence in the rule of law, social trust erodes, reconciliation becomes harder, peace agreements become shallower, and impunity becomes its own language of power. Madam President, IGAD's position is clear. Justice must be at the center of the response. Accountability cannot remain selective. Investigation cannot remain weak. Prosecution cannot remain dependent on political convenience. Where conflict-related sexual violence is committed, there must be consequences. At the same time, justice must be accompanied by care. Survivors need rehabilitation, counseling, Medicare, psychological social support, legal aid, livelihood recovery, and safe pathways back into community life. These services must be funded, strengthened, and treated as part of the peace and security agenda itself. At the present, the gap remains severe. In too many settings, the need is rising while support remains fragmented, under-resourced, or absent altogether. Our view is equally firm that the response of this nature must be nationally owned and nationally anchored, with strong and sustained support from the international community. Durable process is achieved when national institutions are strengthened, national legal and protection systems are supported, and regional frameworks are allowed to reinforce local and national effort. This is where partnership matters the most. Across IGAD member states, important efforts are being made through the Women Lead Peace Initiative, national plans, community-based structures, and local mediation efforts. At the regional level, through the IGAD Gender Department, through our Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, and through support to member states and grassroots actors, we are working to strengthen implementation and to move from commitment to practice. Women's participation is indispensable in this effort. Women must be present where peace is negotiated, where agreements are shaped, where recovery is designed, and where institutions are built. Their participation is not procedural decoration. It is a condition for legitimacy, responsiveness, and lasting peace. Political settlements that exclude women leave critical realities outside the room. including the realities of sexual violence, trauma, and social repair. Madam President, the Council must also look inward. On issues of this nature, the Security Council has too often appeared paralyzed. That paralysis has exacted a human cost. Delayed division, selective outrage, and inconsistencies have weakened confidence in the international system and have emboldened those who assume that power will shield them from accountability. That must end. Accountability— a Council that bears responsibility for international peace and security must be able to act with credibility, seriousness, and moral consistency, especially when confronted with crimes that strike at the dignity of humanity itself. This also leads us to a broader truth: a Security Council that does not reflect the full political and historical reality of the world will too often fail to see the world fully. Africa continues to be denied its rightful place in the permanent category of this Council. That injustice has lasted far too long. It weakens legitimacy, distorts representation, and diminishes the authority of decisions taken on matters that affect our continent so profoundly. Madam President, our message is firm: justice must be key agenda. Survival support must be real, funded, and sustained. Women's participation must be across peace and political processes. Nationally owned effort must be backed by serious international support, and this council must reform, act, and reflect the world as it is. I thank you. Democratic Republic of the Congo · President [31:47]: Je vous remercie, monsieur. I thank Mr. Harifu for his statement. I now give the the floor to the representative of the United Arab Emirates. United Arab Emirates [32:00]: Madam President, I thank Prime Minister Toluca for convening the open debate, and I thank Special Representative Patton and her office for their important contributions. The UAE aligns itself with the statement delivered by Canada on behalf the Group Friends for Women, Peace and Security. Madam President, the Secretary-General's report presents a deeply alarming picture. Verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence continue to rise alongside deeply concerning pattern of violence in a range of actors implicated, including actors with clear obligations to protect civilians. The UAE strongly condemns these crimes as well as all forms of sexual and gender-based violence. This alarming trend demands a strong response from the Security Council, particularly as restricted humanitarian access, limited funding, and peacekeeping transitions risk weakening protection and accountability for survivors. In this regard, I would like to offer 3 recommendations. First, we must strengthen the resilience of women and girls through survivor-centered responses. This means safe and timely access to healthcare, psychosocial support, legal assistance, and sustainable reintegration opportunities. Survivors must be included in the design and implementation of gender-responsive strategies. Second, accountability must remain central to prevention and deterrence. The UAE continues to call for the inclusion of conflict-related sexual violence as a standalone designation criterion in the relevant UN Security Council sanctions regimes. Existing criteria in sanction regime covering violation of international humanitarian law may also be applied to designate those who commit conflict-related sexual violence. These tools must be used consistently, particularly against persistent perpetrators. This can be— there can be no justice for the survivors without accountability and no credible prevention without consequences. Third, we must remain vigilant that the drawdown and the transition of peacekeeping operations do not create protection gaps that may reverse gains made so far. The UAE emphasizes the need to integrate conflict-related sexual violence considerations into transition planning. This includes maintaining monitoring and reporting mechanisms and ensuring that the survivor-centered services continue without interruption. Transitions should therefore include clear handover arrangement, continued deployment of women protection advisors, where needed, and sustained support for frontline service providers. Madam President, before I conclude, I strongly reject the baseless allegation against the UAE made by the Sudanese representative who represents the views of the Port Sudan Authority, a party implicated in shameful atrocities in the civil war in Sudan, including conflict-related sexual violence, as documented in the SG report. The UAE has consistently condemned all acts of sexual violence by all warring parties. The Port Sudan Authority should stop deflecting responsibility for the war and engage in good faith efforts to end it. The suffering of the Sudanese people demands it. I thank you. Democratic Republic of the Congo · President [36:25]: I thank the representative of the United Arab Emirates for her statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Namibia. Namibia [36:35]: Thank you, Madam President. Your Excellencies, the convening of this debate It's a reminder that our commitments to the WPS agenda remains unfinished and continue to demand the urgent and sustained attention. And we thank the Democratic Republic of Congo for this initiative. I also thank Ms. Pramila Patil, Special Representative for the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence and Conflict and express our full support for her work. Let me also thank Ms. Karine Jocelyne, founder and director of Haitian Women's Collective, for her brief as well. Last year, the international community marked 25 years since the adoption of the Security Council Resolution 1325. Which codified the vision that sustainable peace requires the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women alongside their protection in armed conflict and from violence. Yet at the moment when we should be celebrating progress, the briefer's and the Secretary-General's report on conflict-related sexual violence present a deeply troubling picture. Verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence rose sharply in 2025, characterized by extreme brutality and overwhelming— affecting thousands of women and girls, as well as men and boys. The consequences inflicted on individuals families and communities are devastating and long-lasting. Madam President, consistent with the Windhoek Plus 25 Declaration adopted in October 2025, Namibia reaffirms that there can be no durable peace without accountability and reintegration of survivors. They deserve credible investigations independent judicial processes, and meaningful reparations. We therefore urge the Council to make fuller use of the tools at its disposal, including sanctions regimes. For my delegation, honoring the promise of international law requires more than prosecuting perpetrators. It requires ensuring that survivors have access to medical care, trauma counseling, legal assistance, education, and livelihoods. It also means addressing the needs of children born of conflict-related rape who continue to face discrimination, exclusion, and barriers to essential services. At the national level, Namibia has consistently translated principle into practice. We have strengthened national legal frameworks, expanded survivor-centered services, and integrated approaches responsive to women's needs across our peacebuilding and security institutions. Namibia's National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security prioritizes prevention, protection, and accountability including through enhanced training and security personnel— of security personnel, community-based support mechanisms, and partnerships. We remain steadfast in championing the rights and dignity of survivors, advocating for justice, reparations, and the full participation of women in peace processes. Madam President, conflict-related sexual violence is not an inevitable byproduct of war. It is a preventive crime. Nor is it evidence of a failure of international law. Rather, it is evidence of a failure— of failure to fully implement it. Our collective responsibility is not to craft new promises, but to deliver on those already made. Prevention is our most effective strategy. Requires political will, strong institutions, adequate resources, survivor-centered responses, and unwavering commitment to international law. Allow me to emphasize a simple but powerful truth: survivors are not asking for sympathy. They are demanding that the law works for them. They are demanding justice, protection, and recognition, and the opportunity to rebuild their lives in dignity. Our full statement will be circulated via e-statement. I thank you, Madam President. Democratic Republic of the Congo · President [41:43]: I thank the representative of Namibia for his statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Thailand. Thailand [41:50]: Thank you, Madam President. Thailand wishes to express its appreciation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo for convening this very important open debate. We also thank the Secretary-General for his report and the SRHC, Patten, and the briefer for their valuable insights. The report reminds us that despite the comprehensive framework established through relevant Security Council resolutions, conflict-related sexual violence, or CSV, remains widespread. With disproportionate and devastating impact on women and girls. We firmly believe that sexual violence must never be used as a tactic of war. Thailand urges all parties to conflicts to immediately cease all acts of sexual violence and fully comply with international law, including international humanitarian laws and international human rights laws. In order to protect civilians, particularly women and girls during armed conflict. It is also crucial to ensure accountability and justice for the victims. To contribute to today's discussion, Thailand wishes to highlight 3 key points. First, prevention must remain our utmost priority. Thailand is convinced that the most effective way to eradicate CRSV is to prevent conflict from taking place. Thailand underscores the need to address the underlying causes and structural drivers for conflict and instability, such as poverty and a lack of opportunity, and trusts that early warning mechanism and preventive diplomacy can serve as an effective tool for conflict prevention. As part of our participation in UN peacekeeping operations, Thailand advocates for the inclusion of sustainable development initiatives in an effort to prevent relapse into conflict and ensure sustained peace. Second, protection and assistance for survivors must be strengthened. Thailand supports the important work of UN peacekeeping operations in monitoring and reporting CRSV, including through the timely deployment of women's protection advisors in all UN peacekeeping operations. And special political missions to engage with communities and parties to conflict, and to ensure that all protection and assistance efforts are gender-sensitive and cater to the specific needs of women and girls. A survivor-centered approach must be at the heart of our response. We must ensure that survivors have timely access to relief and rehabilitation services, and are protected throughout judicial proceedings. They should be able to recover in safety and dignity, free from stigma and discrimination, and have the support needed to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into their communities. Third, participation of women is key to addressing CRSV. Thailand recognizes the role of women in strengthening civilian protection and survivor support, in order to ensure that gender perspectives are integrated into such efforts. In line with the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, Thailand supports increasing the deployment of women in peacekeeping operations to help ensure that CSW are effectively addressed. Thailand also calls for full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in peace and security processes. When women are included in negotiations, peace agreements are far more comprehensive and durable, and also reducing the likelihood of renewed conflict and consequently the risk of CRSV. Madam President, ending CRSV requires sustained commitment and meaningful cooperation from all stakeholders. We must work together to fulfill the promise of international law. including relevant Security Council resolutions, and translate our collective commitment into concrete action on the ground. Thank you, Madam President. Democratic Republic of the Congo · President [46:12]: I thank the representative of Thailand for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Uruguay. Uruguay [46:21]: Thank you, Madam President. Uruguay aligns itself with the statement delivered by the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security, and we'd like to make the following comments in our national capacity. We'd like to thank the Democratic Republic of the Congo for convening this important debate and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Ms. Pramila Patten, for her briefing and leadership. We express our concern not only at the considerable rise seen in 2025 in cases of conflict-related sexual violence verified by the UN, but also by the extreme brutality with which they were perpetrated, disproportionately affecting women and girls, and even including persons with disabilities, and covering a heartbreaking age range from just 1 year of age up to 70 years old. We are particularly concerned that the The real number of cases is probably much higher than this, given that the fear of stigma and reprisals, insecurity and impunity, which prevent many victims reporting these crimes. This represents a grave violation of international humanitarian law and human rights, as well as— and is used as a tactic of war, terrorism, political repression, forced displacement, or a way to control communities. It further represents a threat to international peace and security. Uruguay strongly condemns sexual and gender-based violence in the context of armed conflicts and the impunity with which the perpetrators act, both in the case of state and non-state actors, and we appeal for their investigation and accountability in the light of these international crimes, not only through the International Criminal Court. Victims and survivors must be at the heart of all responses and should receive necessary comprehensive assistance including medical attention, sexual and reproductive health services, psychosocial— psychological support, legal assistance, and reintegration measures. In this context, it's concerning that UN funding cuts have led to a reduction of essential services and have had a serious impact on the assistance available for victims and survivors, heightening their vulnerability and weakening their trust in institutions. It's vital to guarantee their access to these services to combat impunity and ensure the investigation and prosecution of those responsible regardless of their rank or affiliation. It's alarming to note with regard to the parties included in the report's annex that a large In a large part of these cases, no investigation or corrective measures were taken. We appeal on all parties to conflict to immediately halt the conflict-related sexual violence, to make commitments, and to adopt concrete plans of action to prevent it, to guarantee safe, rapid, unimpeded humanitarian access, to provide assistance— to enable assistance to the victims, and to provide an adequate response— response. Uruguay also supports the recommendation to maintain and include the deployment of Women's Protection Advisers in peace operations and UN offices wherever necessary. We recognize that such deployments should be supported by sufficient, predictable, sustainable resources to strengthen their work, and they should provide support to national authorities, women's-led organizations, survivors' networks, and community-based It is particularly concerning that despite being expressly provided by this Council, such specialists are currently only deployed in 9 out of the more than 20 critical settings analyzed in the report. Finally, Uruguay understands that there can be no effective prevention without training. While my country is currently not in the midst of conflict or a post-conflict situation, As a troop-contributing country to the UN and with an unstinting commitment to civilian protection, Uruguay has stepped up the training for its Blue Helmets so as to improve their ability to protect local populations, particularly women and children. In addition, education in human rights at all levels is another preventive tool. Uruguay reaffirms its commitment to continue promoting collective measures to guarantee the protection of women and children affected affected by armed conflicts and to provide them with a chance to rebuild their lives free of the horrors of war. In addition, we call on the Security Council and member states, particularly those that are a party to armed conflicts, to take firm and decisive steps to prevent, punish, and eradicate conflict-related sexual violence. Thank you very much. Democratic Republic of the Congo · President [51:25]: I thank the representative of Uruguay for that statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Georgia. Georgia [51:34]: Madam President, Excellencies, I would like to express our appreciation to the DRC presidency for the leadership in bringing this important issue at the forefront of today's discussion, and we thank the Secretary-General for his report on this important topic. Excellencies, sexual violence continues to be used as a strategy of warfare and tactic of terror. While this horrendous crime affects all people, it disproportionately impacts women and girls. Eliminating sexual violence during conflict must be a priority for the international community. With this in mind, Georgia joined over 50 states in endorsing the Declaration of the London Conference, which aims to urgently accelerate action to end conflict-related sexual violence and shatter the existing culture of impunity. At the national level, Georgia protects the rights of women, the rights of women and girls affected by conflict, including internally displaced women and those living in the occupied regions. Since 2012, Georgia has been developing national action plans for the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security. Our overarching objective is to ensure women's meaningful participation in peace and security and to enhance protection and support for women affected by conflict. We have achieved significant progress in 3 priority areas. First, we have significantly increased women's engagement in the peace and security sector. Second, we have heavily focused on the eradication of violence by conducting preventive campaigns and provide specialized training on women, peace and security principles to defense personnel, prosecutors and legal professionals. And third, we have significantly expanded access to state services and commercial grants for conflict-affected women and girls, including those residing near the occupation line and inside the occupied territories. Despite our efforts, the illegal occupation of Georgia's indivisible parts, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, remains the main obstacle to implementing our human rights protection framework for the women and girls on the other side of the illegal occupation line. Adding to the severity, even after 18 years of its illegal military presence and occupation of Georgia's regions, Russia continues violation of the international law, ethnic-based discrimination, and abuses against Georgians. This includes severe violations of their rights related to freedom of movement, education, residence, and property. The dire human rights situation on the ground is further exacerbated by the worrying pattern of targeting young Georgian women by the Russian occupation regime in Sochumi. There were several cases of detention of young Georgian women with fictional and absurd charges. Despite targeting female— deliberate targeting of female citizens of Georgia is a dangerous trend containing a strong gender dimension aimed at pressuring and humiliating most vulnerable part of the ethnic Georgian population in the occupied regions who are already victims of constant discrimination. The Georgian delegation constantly raises these protection, security, and socioeconomic needs of IDPs and conflict-affected women directly to the Geneva International discussions and incident prevention and response mechanisms. Moreover, Georgia has formally submitted a proposal to the GID co-chairs to establish a dedicated sub-working group on women, peace, and security within the GID structure. This initiative aims to promote adopting a gender-sensitive approach to ensure an inclusive peace process. However, there is no reciprocity from the Russian Federation. Excellencies, international engagement and monitoring of the situation inside the conflict-affected and Russian-occupied regions of Georgia is paramount to ensuring substantive peace and prevent sexual violence against women. I thank you. Democratic Republic of the Congo · President [55:28]: I thank the representative of Georgia for that statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Burundi. Burundi [55:37]: Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, my delegation would like to thank you for convening this open debate on the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, an open debate on honoring the promise of international law to survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. We'd also like to thank the SRSG on sexual violence in conflict, as well as the other briefers for their presentations. Burundi unequivocally condemns all forms of sexual violence committed in conflict situations. These actions constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights. Put a dent in human dignity, and significantly compromise the prospects of peace, reconciliation, and development. My country reiterates its commitment to relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular Resolutions 1325 of 2000, 1820 of 2008, 1888 of 2009, and 2467 of 2019. They form the normative foundation of The fight against CRSV. Madam President, Burundi stands convinced that prevention is the best possible means of eradicating this scourge. This requires promoting robust national institutions, respecting the rule of law, protecting civilians, and also calls for full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention, mediation, peacebuilding, as well as post-conflict reconstruction. We believe that the fight against impunity is an imperative. The perpetrators of sexual violence must be brought to justice in full respect for fair trial guarantees. On this note, above all, it's necessary to strengthen national judicial systems in keeping with the principle of complementarity and in full respect for the sovereignty of states. Strengthening capacity, technical assistance, as well as international cooperation are vital if we are to allow the states concerned to effectively uphold their responsibilities. Burundi would also like to underscore the need for a genuinely survivor-centered approach. Survivors should enjoy, without discrimination, access to medical care, psychosocial support, legal assistance, as well as socio-economic reintegration measures. And once conditions are ripe, they should also be able to access appropriate reparations. Particular attention should be placed on children born of CRSV, children who are still confronting multiple forms of stigmatization and exclusion. We'd like to commend the decisive role played by local organizations, in particular women-led organizations who are often working under very difficult conditions, extremely difficult conditions, so as to assist survivors. Their action deserves heightened support underpinned by States set priorities and in full respect for national contexts. Turning now to peace operations. Burundi believes that transitions and drawdowns of UN missions should be meticulously planned so as to avoid creating security vacuums which could increase the risks of violence against civilians. Building national capacity should go hand in hand with this process so as to ensure that what's been achieved is locked in, that it lasts. Speaker 29 [59:29]: Thank you. Burundi [59:30]: And this in particular on protection. Lastly, given current financial constraints, it's worth safeguarding the resources being spent on prevention related to CRSV as well as providing assistance to survivors. Heightened international cooperation underpinned by partnerships, solidarity, and respect for national priorities remains absolutely vital if we are to achieve this objective. Madam President, Burundi stands convinced that it is only through collective action rooted in respect for international law, national capacity building, the fight against impunity and international impunity— it is only this that will allow us to guarantee CRSV survivors get justice, protection and dignity, as well as the hope that they are entitled to. I thank you. Democratic Republic of the Congo · President [1:00:21]: I thank the representative of Burundi for his statement. There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. The meeting is adjourned.