Your Excellency, Mr. Vice Foreign Minister, Mr. President, Honorable Members of the Security Council, Dear Colleagues,
Hungary aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union.
Let me first commend Uruguay for organizing today’s open debate on this issue. We also thank Ms. Zainab Bangura for her outstanding work as Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict, and welcome Ms. Pramila Patten in this important role.
Hungary is deeply concerned by the widespread and growing threat and use of sexual violence in armed conflict as a tactic of war and terrorism. The international community must not tolerate sexual violence in any form or context. Rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy or any other forms of sexual violence constitute war crimes, may amount to crimes against humanity and may constitute elements of genocide.
We are appalled to see that sexual violence is not only an integral part of the ideology of violent extremist and terrorist groups, but also a cold-blooded strategy for financing and recruitment through sex trafficking, sexual slavery, the extortion of ransoms, as well as forced displacement. These interrelated phenomena should be addressed together, including combatting trafficking in persons more effectively.
The impact of sexual violence in armed conflict is dramatic for survivors and detrimental for communities. Individuals do not only suffer serious and long-term physical and psychological harm, but they also face stigma, double victimization and traumatization, the risk of discrimination and social exclusion. For communities, sexual violence means a form of collective persecution of ethnic and religious minorities; the loss of their identity through forced conversion and indoctrination, and a destruction of their social fabric through forced marriage and stigmatization.
This complex and most serious issue must be tackled in a comprehensive way. There must be justice and accountability for these horrendous crimes, underpinned with efficient investigation, documentation and reporting mechanism to prevent impunity, deter future violence, and thus break the conflict cycle. We highly appreciate the work of the UN Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict in this regard. Moreover, Hungary is proud to contribute with 70.000 USD to the invaluable work of gender advisers deployed by UN Women and Justice Rapid Response, and to UN Women’s work on preventing violent extremism. We encourage fellow Member States to join in supporting these initiatives. We furthermore encourage the Security Council to use its mandate fully through including perpetrators in sanctions regimes and referring cases to the International Criminal Court, as adequate.
Survivors need immediate comprehensive victim and witness protection and support, including through a tailored approach in counter-terrorism measures; a prioritized humanitarian response identifying survivors, providing medical and psycho-social assistance, and legal aid. The human rights of the most vulnerable ones, children conceived as a result of rape, should be guaranteed through vital protection and legal status to avoid statelessness.
Survivors, women and men, girls and boys alike, should be given context-specific support for their socio-economic reintegration into their communities. For that, we need not only top-down policies but also bottom-up, community-driven responses and sensitization against stigma, in cooperation with traditional and community leaders, faith-based organisations and families alike. Ensuring women’s economic empowerment is key in ending the cycle of vulnerability. To achieve structural change, women’s meaningful participation and the inclusion of the gender perspective in peacebuilding efforts, peace negotiations is also vital.
To tackle conflict-related sexual violence on the long run, we should build a robust preventive architecture, including early-warning, strengthening national legal and policy frameworks and justice systems, gender-sensitivity training of the security sector and peacekeeping personnel, and assuring the presence of Women’s Protection Advisors in all peacekeeping operations.
Hungary is an active contributor to initiatives combatting sexual violence in conflict. The Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is organizing an awareness-raising workshop this summer on women, peace and security for experts of the relevant ministries, the army, the police, peacekeeping personnel and interested civil society organisations and academics. Sexual violence in armed conflicts will be one of the topics discussed.
With our concerted action, we can tackle the scourge of sexual violence in conflict.
Thank you for your attention.
