| Security Council: Intervention by Deputy Permanent Representative Piet de Klerk during the Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict |  |
Intervention of the Netherlands
during Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict
by
Mr. Piet de Klerk
Deputy Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Security Council
New York, 30 April 2009
during Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict
by
Mr. Piet de Klerk
Deputy Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Security Council
New York, 30 April 2009
Mr. President,
The Netherlands fully aligns itself with the statement made by the Czech Republic on behalf of the EU. I would like to make some additional remarks on the expansion of the trigger-mechanism for monitoring and reporting and on impunity. I also would like to thank you, Mr President, for organizing this open debate on Children and Armed Conflict and for the work Mexico is doing in this area.
It is a sad reality that as we speak, many children around the world are being harmed for life by armed conflicts. Sometimes, they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. More often than not, they are a tool or a target of shameless violence. Whatever the case, we all have an urgent obligation to do whatever we can to protect children from armed conflict. This is a political and a moral imperative for all of us. With the integrity of our children, the integrity of this organisation and everything it stands for is at stake. In children we see our future and in their suffering during armed conflict we see the dark side of mankind. We heard impressive testimony to that effect earlier in the debate.
The Netherlands strongly supports the valuable work of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict, mrs. Coomaraswamy, and that of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. We thank the Secretary-General for his most recent report.
We commend the Security Council for the important progress on its children and armed conflict agenda, in particular with regard to the use and recruitment of child soldiers, but it should take further action to ensure that children caught in armed conflicts are protected from violence and related threats to their security and well-being. To that end, the Council should expand its focus to include also the other grave violations against children in armed conflict, as they affect much larger numbers of children and result in terrible and long-lasting consequences.
Mr. President,
The Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism has shown its value. Effective monitoring and reporting helps to reveal the extent and severity of the violations, increases the accountability of those who target, abuse or exploit children, and last but not least, it strengthens programmes to assist and protect children in situations of armed conflict. One step the Security Council should take is to extend the applicability of the monitoring and reporting mechanism to other situations where grave violations against children in armed conflict occur, to begin with rape and other grave sexual violence.
Why ?
Over the past 20 years, rape and other sexual violence has been documented in at least 50 conflicts, affecting millions of individuals, predominantly girls and women. Like the recruitment and use of child soldiers, rape and other sexual violence are intentional acts committed by individual perpetrators. Parties to armed conflict can take action to hold such perpetrators accountable for their actions. Progress in ending such violations can be measured, allowing for de-listing, an incentive for change.
In dozens of ongoing armed conflicts, sexual violence continues to threaten the safety of women and girls on a daily basis. In some armed conflicts, boys also become victims of sexual violence, even though in smaller numbers than girls. Rape and sexual violence against children may have long-term and long-lasting consequences, and their impact may affect future generations as well. Think for instance of the situation of children born out of rape and their trauma’s which may damage them, and again others, for life.
In its resolution 1820, this Council already stressed that sexual violence can significantly exacerbate situations of armed conflict and may impede the restoration of international peace and security, and it expressed its readiness to adopt appropriate steps to address widespread or systematic sexual violence. The expansion of the trigger mechanism with the crime of rape and other grave sexual violence against children, should be seen as such an appropriate step.
Mr. President,
In most cases, the Security Council has not taken strong steps to address accountability and end impunity for perpetrators of violations against children, especially not with regard to “persistent violators.”
As stated before in this Council, abuse really only stops when perpetrators have been brought to justice. Anything short of that means a continuation of the violation of victims’ integrity. This is why ending impunity is a critical element in ending violations and abuses against children. Member States concerned should take effective action to bring to justice individuals responsible for violations of children’s rights. Those who recruit or use child soldiers, those who rape or commit other grave sexual violence against children, they all should be held to account. We therefore stress the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the investigation and prosecution of such crimes that fall within its jurisdiction. Where national systems of justice fail, either because of unwillingness or inability to genuinely prosecute such violations against children in armed conflict, the situation should be referred to the ICC.
Thank you, mr. President.
The Netherlands fully aligns itself with the statement made by the Czech Republic on behalf of the EU. I would like to make some additional remarks on the expansion of the trigger-mechanism for monitoring and reporting and on impunity. I also would like to thank you, Mr President, for organizing this open debate on Children and Armed Conflict and for the work Mexico is doing in this area.
It is a sad reality that as we speak, many children around the world are being harmed for life by armed conflicts. Sometimes, they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. More often than not, they are a tool or a target of shameless violence. Whatever the case, we all have an urgent obligation to do whatever we can to protect children from armed conflict. This is a political and a moral imperative for all of us. With the integrity of our children, the integrity of this organisation and everything it stands for is at stake. In children we see our future and in their suffering during armed conflict we see the dark side of mankind. We heard impressive testimony to that effect earlier in the debate.
The Netherlands strongly supports the valuable work of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict, mrs. Coomaraswamy, and that of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. We thank the Secretary-General for his most recent report.
We commend the Security Council for the important progress on its children and armed conflict agenda, in particular with regard to the use and recruitment of child soldiers, but it should take further action to ensure that children caught in armed conflicts are protected from violence and related threats to their security and well-being. To that end, the Council should expand its focus to include also the other grave violations against children in armed conflict, as they affect much larger numbers of children and result in terrible and long-lasting consequences.
Mr. President,
The Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism has shown its value. Effective monitoring and reporting helps to reveal the extent and severity of the violations, increases the accountability of those who target, abuse or exploit children, and last but not least, it strengthens programmes to assist and protect children in situations of armed conflict. One step the Security Council should take is to extend the applicability of the monitoring and reporting mechanism to other situations where grave violations against children in armed conflict occur, to begin with rape and other grave sexual violence.
Why ?
Over the past 20 years, rape and other sexual violence has been documented in at least 50 conflicts, affecting millions of individuals, predominantly girls and women. Like the recruitment and use of child soldiers, rape and other sexual violence are intentional acts committed by individual perpetrators. Parties to armed conflict can take action to hold such perpetrators accountable for their actions. Progress in ending such violations can be measured, allowing for de-listing, an incentive for change.
In dozens of ongoing armed conflicts, sexual violence continues to threaten the safety of women and girls on a daily basis. In some armed conflicts, boys also become victims of sexual violence, even though in smaller numbers than girls. Rape and sexual violence against children may have long-term and long-lasting consequences, and their impact may affect future generations as well. Think for instance of the situation of children born out of rape and their trauma’s which may damage them, and again others, for life.
In its resolution 1820, this Council already stressed that sexual violence can significantly exacerbate situations of armed conflict and may impede the restoration of international peace and security, and it expressed its readiness to adopt appropriate steps to address widespread or systematic sexual violence. The expansion of the trigger mechanism with the crime of rape and other grave sexual violence against children, should be seen as such an appropriate step.
Mr. President,
In most cases, the Security Council has not taken strong steps to address accountability and end impunity for perpetrators of violations against children, especially not with regard to “persistent violators.”
As stated before in this Council, abuse really only stops when perpetrators have been brought to justice. Anything short of that means a continuation of the violation of victims’ integrity. This is why ending impunity is a critical element in ending violations and abuses against children. Member States concerned should take effective action to bring to justice individuals responsible for violations of children’s rights. Those who recruit or use child soldiers, those who rape or commit other grave sexual violence against children, they all should be held to account. We therefore stress the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the investigation and prosecution of such crimes that fall within its jurisdiction. Where national systems of justice fail, either because of unwillingness or inability to genuinely prosecute such violations against children in armed conflict, the situation should be referred to the ICC.
Thank you, mr. President.
