２０１０年

Statement by H.E. Mr. Tsuneo Nishida
Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
Open Debate on Women and Peace and Security
Security Council
16 December 2010

 

Thank you, Madam President,

 

       At the outset, I would like to express my gratitude to you, Madam President, Permanent Representative of the United States Susan Rice, for the strong initiatives you have continued to take to combat sexual violence in armed conflict, initiatives that have now produced another action-oriented resolution, which Japan gladly co-sponsored.

 

      I thank the Secretary-General, the SRSG on Sexual Violence in Conflict, the USG for Peacekeeping Operations and UN Military Advisor for their insightful briefings.

 

      We are encouraged by the Secretary-General’s clear commitment and his leadership in this area. We also commend SRSG Wallstrom for her vigorous efforts to confront sexual violence, such as the four country visits she has made in the last eight months, including two to the DRC.

 

(Monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements)
Firstly, Madam President,

 

    Japan supports the recent report of the Secretary-General, including the recommendations to strengthen efforts to end impunity on sexual violence as a tactic of war and terror. Of those recommendations, we strongly support the establishment of monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements and listing perpetrators in an annex to the SG’s annual reports. These are essential tools the Security Council can use to take action against perpetrators, including targeted measures.

 

    As most here know, a number of child soldiers have been released in the five years since the establishment of the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism on children and armed conflict as a result of resolution 1612. Monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements to be established under today’s resolution should build on this good practice. We expect that the arrangements and the Mechanism will exercise synergy with each other, and strengthen the response of the entire UN system to the challenge of how to protect women and children from sexual violence in conflict.

 

(A comprehensive approach)
Secondly, Madam President,

 

    A comprehensive approach is key, and it can be realized when the actors involved are proactive and engage in greater cooperation with each other.

 

   Under both international law and the resolutions of the Security Council, it is the responsibility of the government and army of a country in conflict to protect their people. To that end, the rule of law should be established by promoting security sector reform (SSR) and enhancing the capacity of the judicial system and law enforcement. Japan therefore welcomes the preparations being made by SRSG Wallstrom to rapidly deploy a team of experts to assist national authorities in strengthening the rule of law.

 

    It is critical to protect women from all forms of violence and empower them within their society. For this reason, Japan has decided to make a contribution of 4.5 million dollars to UN Women for its project in Afghanistan.

 

    It is also vital to strengthen the comprehensive response that is the responsibility of UN peacekeeping missions. We expect more Women Protection Advisors to be designated in the missions. And we welcome the Secretary-General’s efforts to provide peacekeepers with clearer guidance, in line with good practice, regarding the response to sexual violence. In general, the Security Council needs to further strengthen the comprehensive response of peacekeeping missions through its country-specific resolutions.

 

(Prevention and early warning)
Thirdly, Madam President,

 

    Sexual violence is never a by-product of conflict and it can be prevented. As the SG’s report underlines, we need to focus not only on collecting timely and reliable information but also on analysis of trends and patterns of sexual violence. Engaging all stakeholders in the process of such analysis, including national institutions, humanitarian actors and civil society, would contribute to the prevention of sexual violence.

 

    One of the lessons learned from the mass rape in the eastern DRC in July and August this year is the need for communication between UN missions and the local community. I would like to stress that such communication could also provide early warning of imminent problems.

 

    The set of indicators for the implementation of resolution 1325 will likewise be an important tool for providing early warning of sexual violence, and we hope that they will be operational at the earliest possible date. We also look forward to seeing an early warning matrix of risk factors developed by SRSG Wallstrom.

Finally, Madam President,

 

    In the two years that Japan has served its present term as a non-permanent member, the Security Council has adopted more resolutions and presidential statements on issues relating to women and children in conflict than it did all in the past. We welcome this trend as a clear sign of the commitment of the Council to addressing these issues. There are, however, many challenges that must be faced in translating this commitment into tangible results on the ground.

 

    For its part, Japan will continue to contribute to efforts to promote progress on the issue of women and peace and security, from the perspective of human security.

 

I thank you, Madam President.