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Mr/Mdm President, Excellencies, Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, the potential candidate country Georgia, as well as Andorra, Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

We reaffirm our longstanding and unwavering commitment to eliminating sexual and gender-based violence in all of its forms, in times of peace and times of war. Conflict-related sexual violence is a war crime and a blatant violation of international law, a global threat that knows no borders.

We strongly support the work and mandate of SRSG Patten. The report presented today is crucial to shed light on the continued and escalated levels of CRSV, much of which remains underreported and unpunished.  

We acknowledge and applaud the work of women’s civil society organisations who are often the first responders in war and conflict. While under resourced and deplorably, targeted with reprisals, they deliver the support and services that the public and private sector often are not able to provide, including in response to sexual violence.

We note with deep concern the use of rape as a tool for oppression, repression and political intimidation across number of countries, and the widespread reported use of sexual violence by State actors, such as the Russian armed forces in Ukraine as well as the increasing trend of sexual violence used by mercenary and private military and security companies in countries like Mali, Myanmar, South Sudan and Ukraine.

These crimes must be punished and those responsible held accountable. It is the responsibility of all States to prevent and address CRSV and bring perpetrators to justice. The redress for this type of violence needs to be linked to transitional justice processes. At the same time, we need to resolutely implement the international framework that is in place to address these abhorrent crimes, and back up our political declarations with action.

EU support to eliminating and addressing sexual violence in conflict and emergencies is notable, projects incorporating response to CRSV amounting to over 100M Euros, and EU missions and operations continue to address SGBV, including CRSV within the scope of their mandates. This year, the EU also has imposed sanctions on individuals and entities in view of their role in committing serious human rights violations and abuses, particularly sexual and gender-based violence.

Sexual violence in conflict obliterates humanity.

We stand ready to work with the international community to end impunity of perpetrators, tackle the institutional culture that tolerates the use of sexual violence and to guarantee access to justice, reparations and redress for survivors as well as to reintegration and livelihoods. This includes provision of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health-care services and strengthening of sexual and reproductive health measures as an integral part of compliance with the CRSV frameworks by everyone, the UN and its agencies, but also governments.

Thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.