Security Council debate on “Women, Peace and Security”

25 June, 2013

On June 24, around sixty UN members states including Armenia participated in the Security Council open debate entitled “Sexual violence in Conflicts". The discussions were presided over by the United Kingdom Foreign Secretary William Hague and attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Bangura, and the Special Envoy of UN High Commissioner for Refugees Angelina Jolie.

Before the members states deliver their statements on the mentioned theme, the Security Council adopted a resolution that ‘[n]otes that sexual violence can constitute a crime against humanity or a constitutive act with respect to genocide ... and encourages States to include the full range of crimes of sexual violence in national penal legislation to enable prosecutions for such acts; recognizes that effective investigation of sexual violence in armed conflict is instrumental both in bringing perpetrators to justice and ensuring access to justice for survivors’.

In his remarks Ambassador Garen Nazarian, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN has mentioned that “We cannot address sexual violence, however, by simply naming and punishing offenders. More fundamental changes are needed on institutional and societal levels as well”. In that context Ambassador has noted that sexual violence against women will never be adequately addressed without focusing on the empowerment of women and their participation in political, social and economic spheres. Nazarian has emphasised that women need to be present to discuss genocide, impunity and security if a just and enduring peace is to be built. He also has reiterated that since women pay the price when peace is absent, they are important stakeholders in peacebuilding.

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