Mr President,

Germany aligns itself with the statements delivered by the European Union and the Group of Friends of Women, Peace, and Security.

At the outset, like many delegations that have previously spoken, we want to thank SRSG Pramila Patten for her vital work against sexual violence in conflict and Mme Ikhlass Ahmed for her courageous briefing today.

We further wish to commend the Secretary General for this profound report. This is also a deeply worrying report. Yet again, conflict-related sexual violence has risen. And we all know too well; these figures only reflect a fraction of reality. Impunity for perpetrators remains widespread, and most survivors do not receive the support they need and deserve.

Conflict Related Sexual Violence, the report makes this very clear, is not a by-product of conflict, it is a deliberate strategic weapon in conflicts, a weapon used to destroy lives, to tear apart communities, and to instill lasting fear.

During our time as Security Council Member in 2019/2020, Germany initiated resolution 2467, putting survivor’s needs at the forefront.

We thank Panama for highlighting these needs by convening today’s Open Debate.

Mr President, allow me to raise three points in this regard:

First,

we, collectively, must do more for the victims of sexual and gender-based violence. This includes enhanced efforts to ensure that survivors have access to medical, psycho-social and essential support services. For many years, Germany has been supporting survivor networks and organizations worldwide and we will continue to do so.

Second,

we collectively must focus on accountability, accountability to ensure that more perpetrators are brought to justice. This includes for us, at its core, better legal services for victims.

Member States and the UN system should prioritize survivor-centered justice through witness protection, investigation, prosecution, and transitional justice mechanisms that uphold survivor’s rights.

Further, Germany will remain firmly committed to accountability, including through upholding the principle of universal jurisdiction.

We will also continue to strongly support SRSG Patten and the UN Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, including by providing financial support for their important work in Ukraine and Syria. We encourage other Member States to similarly provide sustained political and increased financial support for the Team of Experts.

Third, and finally,

we welcome that this year’s report addresses all parties responsible without taboos or exclusions. We see value in the novel approach of putting actors “on notice” for a listing in a subsequent report. However, we see the need for an open exchange in particular with regards to the definition of criteria employed for doing so.

This been said, with the clear and credible documentation, and here I echo what my Lithuanian colleague and numerous other delegations who spoke before him outlined persuasively, the clear evidence of sexual violence perpetrated by Russian armed forces against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war, we regret that the current report fails to list the Russian Federation among the parties responsible for patterns of conflict-related sexual violence.

Mr President, in conclusion,

Germany reiterates the call upon all parties to conflict, especially those assessed in the annual report, to immediately cease all forms of sexual violence, and urge them to engage with the Special Representative to adopt and implement time-bound commitments to prevent and address this curse.

Thank you.