76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
UN Security Council Open Debate on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence
Statement by the Permanent Representative of Estonia to the UN, Mr Sven Jürgenson
April 13, New York
Mr. President,
We thank the UK for convening today’s debate and the briefers for their interventions.
Estonia aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the European Union.
Today’s debate focuses on crimes that are abhorrent, cruel and inhumane. Yet, it also highlights the resilience, determination and humanity of the efforts to combat these crimes.
As we condemn the prevalence and impunity of conflict-related sexual violence, we support and stand with those around the world who work, day by day, to prevent and end it. Women’s rights and community activists, local organisations, medical workers, judges and lawyers, journalists and media workers, national, regional and international investigative and accountability mechanisms – all determined to break the cycle of conflict-related sexual violence.
And here, in the Security Council, we say – the Council and the UN at large must continue do its part. Estonia during its membership in the Council focused on addressing conflict-related sexual violence wherever it occurred, including Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Iraq, DRC, South Sudan and Yemen. We are continuing this work now.
Mr. President,
We have heard repeated accounts from the UN and the organisations on the ground of the pattern of horrifying conflict-related sexual violence by the armed forces of the Russian Federation in its unlawful military aggression against Ukraine. These reports are a reflection of how Russia wages war – through targeted, cruel retaliation against the civilians, women and children. But they are also a reflection of an ideology that sees those living in Ukraine as less than human, subject to inhumane treatment. We have seen this before, with results that we as UN member states have avowed never to let happen again.
In my country there are still those with a living memory of systematic violence brought about by aggression. As we did then, we need accountability and action to end the crimes in Ukraine now.
Estonia is determined to ensure that there will be accountability for violations of international law, including for those amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, in Ukraine. This includes holding accountable the perpetrators of these atrocity crimes. We fully support the UN Commission of Inquiry, the work under the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, and the efforts of the Prosecutor of the ICC. We have joined the referral of the situation in Ukraine to the ICC. Criminal proceedings have been initiated in Estonia under universal jurisdiction, within which evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed is collected.
We call for continued monitoring and reporting of conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine by established UN mechanisms, and for comprehensive survivor-centered services, including sexual and reproductive health services, to its survivors. Estonia continues to support the UN Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Mr. President,
We continue to support the standing recommendations to end and prevent conflict-related sexual violence, in particular through the inclusion of response to it in mandate renewals; the deployment and resourcing of women’s protection advisers; the designation of sexual violence as a stand-alone criterion for targeted sanctions and ensuring relevant expertise in the sanctions committees; referrals of situations to ICC in accordance with its Statute; and through addressing threats and reprisals against women’s rights and civil society representatives.
We note, however, that for these to be truly acted upon, the Council as a whole needs to start seeing confronting conflict-related sexual violence as an essential part of its work to maintain international peace and security.
Thank you.