December, 16 2010, 03:28pm EDT
UN Security Council: A Step Toward Justice for Women
Unanimous Decision to Shame Publicly Groups Responsible for Wartime Rape
NEW YORK
The UN Security Council's decision on December 16, 2010, to shame publicly the armed groups that target women for sexual abuse is a tremendous step toward ending this horrendous practice, Human Rights Watch said today.
As it started a day-long debate on rape in war, the council unanimously adopted a resolution that calls for annual publication of a list of armed groups proven to engage in deliberate campaigns of sexual violence. The resolution spells out steps the perpetrators must take to end the practice and avoid future shaming, and makes clear that using rape as a weapon of war can lead to sanctions.
"Victims of rape have waited a long time for the Security Council to take concrete action and call out persistent perpetrators," said Marianne Mollmann, women's rights advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "Today is a big day for women worldwide."
Over the past year, the Security Council has stepped up its attention to sexual violence in war, including creating a new senior post to lead the United Nations' response to rape in war, and authorizing the existing Security Council working group on children in armed conflict to gather and publish information about rape committed against children. The new resolution ensures that this concern applies to adult women too.
"Today's resolution eliminates an artificial divide between the Security Council's concern for rape victims who are under and over age 18," Mollmann said. "But more than that, it is providing the international community with an additional tool to offer justice to thousands of victims of wartime rape."
Experience shows that a Security Council resolution rarely is effective unless it is backed up with adequate funding and political will to ensure its implementation, Human Rights Watch said. In February, Margot Wallstrom of Sweden was appointed special representative to the secretary general on sexual violence in conflict, a post created by the Security Council in 2009. However, Wallstrom has been operating on a shoestring budget throughout 2010, borrowing staff from other parts of the UN system, and has told reporters that she at times received information critical to her mandate late.
"We certainly hope the system put in place today will be fully supported by all UN member states, both financially and politically," Mollmann said. "No country should want to stand out by saying that ending rape in war really isn't all that important."
Human Rights Watch is one of the world's leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. By focusing international attention where human rights are violated, we give voice to the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable for their crimes. Our rigorous, objective investigations and strategic, targeted advocacy build intense pressure for action and raise the cost of human rights abuse. For 30 years, Human Rights Watch has worked tenaciously to lay the legal and moral groundwork for deep-rooted change and has fought to bring greater justice and security to people around the world.
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Defeating 'MAGA Dark Money,' Summer Lee Wins Primary in Landslide
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Apr 24, 2024
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, a member of the progressive "Squad," won the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District on Tuesday, fending off an opponent whose campaign was backed by a billionaire Republican megadonor and ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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"Now that it's clear Summer won her primary, AIPAC's super PAC has already officially failed at their one goal for this cycle: taking out the entire Squad."
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We must be clear-eyed about what's next.@JamaalBowmanNY & @CoriBush are facing an existential threat from AIPAC, their GOP megadonors, and the politicians willing to compromise on core Democratic values to try to take a school principal & nurse out of Congress. #ProtectTheSquad
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