The UN Security Council Thursday demanded an end to persistent sexual violence during armed conflict, calling it a war crime and a component of genocide. Approved by all 15 members, Council Resolution 1820 “demands the immediate and complete cessation by all parties to armed conflict of all acts of sexual violence against civilians with immediate effect.” It also urged that “all parties to armed conflict immediately take appropriate measures to protect civilians, including women and girls, from all forms of sexual violence.” Chaired by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Council said “rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity, or a constitutive act with respect to genocide.” It indirectly threatened suspected war-time rapists with prosecution before The Hague-based International Criminal Court. The resolution was quickly welcomed by Human Rights Watch. “The UN Security Council's new resolution on sexual violence is a historic achievement for a body that has all too often ignored the plight of women and girls in conflict,” the rights group said in a statement. “Human Rights Watch applauds the council for setting out in the resolution a clear path to systematic information-gathering on sexual violence.” Before the vote, in the day-long debate called by the United States, this month's council chairman, Rice spoke strongly against war-time rape. “Rape is a crime that can never be condoned. Yet women and girls in conflict situations around the world have been subjected to widespread and deliberate acts of sexual violence,” she said. “Today's resolution establishes a mechanism for bringing those atrocities to light,” the US chief diplomat said. She stressed the resolution directs the UN secretary general to prepare an action plan for collecting data on the use of sexual violence in armed conflict and then reporting that information to the council. Rice cited the example of Myanmar where she said “soldiers have regularly raped women and girls even as young as eight years old. The US diplomat highlighted acts of sexual violence perpetrated by UN peacekeepers in several countries.
