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Remarks by H.E. Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the General Assembly<\/span><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n at the Commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n [As Delivered]<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n 22 November 2023<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Excellencies,<\/i><\/p>\n Distinguished Participants,<\/i><\/p>\n Ladies and gentlemen,<\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I consider it a privilege to join you today for this important event.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Violence against women is one of the most\u00a0pervasive and pernicious<\/b>\u00a0human rights violations around the world \u2013 a devastating experience visited upon\u00a0one in every three women<\/b>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Who are these women, whose dignity and rights we men so whimsically deny and treat dishonourably, in some situations, as if they are mere possessions, inanimate and so easily replaceable?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n They are our mothers. Our sisters. Our daughters. Our beloved grand -daughters, Our cherished loved ones, the overwhelming majority of whom guide, nurture and support us as we advance, sometimes with great success that commands the admiration and respect of the community, through our lives.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I commend the\u00a0Secretary-General and UN-Women for spearheading the UNiTE campaign, spurring political will \u2013 and critically, the availability of resources \u2013 to prevent and to end this heinous scourge, in\u00a0all\u00a0<\/b>its forms, in\u00a0all<\/b>\u00a0parts of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The history behind the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women \u2013 and the designation of 25th<\/sup>\u00a0of November to commemorate it \u2013 is not a celebratory one.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Rather, it recalls the assassination of the Mirabal sisters, who displayed exemplary bravery in the fight against political oppression.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Today, 63 years later, the dangers facing women and girls still loom large.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Globally,<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n These statistics say nothing of the increased risks women face in conflict settings, and amid compounding stressors such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I therefore could not agree more with the UNiTE theme chosen this year.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n We know that investments are crucial for the advancement of gender equality.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n And yet, global investments to prevent gender-based violence are\u00a0still far too low<\/b>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Aside from being a flagrant their human rights violation, violence against women results in significant costs that are borne by\u00a0everyone<\/b>:\u00a0 most prominently \u2013 by victims and survivors themselves \u2013 but also to communities, Governments, employers and the society at large.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Everyone, everywhere<\/b>\u00a0therefore has a role \u2013 and indeed a responsibility \u2013 to repudiate this abuse, and to commit to working to prevent it.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n For their part, Governments have a multi-dimensional duty to take robust measures to prevent violence and to protect women from it, among other things, by enforcing laws, allocating adequate resources through gender-sensitive budgeting, and fostering strategic partnerships \u2013 especially with the private sector to fill the funding gaps, which impede effective interventions.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n And we must certainly do more to bolster international cooperation to match our commitments.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The paltry 0.2 per cent of total aid and development spending allocated to prevention stands as a stark \u2013\u00a0I repeat, stark<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 negative signal about what and who we value.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Surely, we can elevate our ambitions. The pervasiveness of the problem demands it, if we are to achieve the desired results.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Surely, we can find the wherewithal to \u201cinvest smarter\u201d in efforts that tackle the root causes and structural inequalities fueling gender-based violence, today.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Let us do this first and foremost, by<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Excellencies,<\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n As a gender champion, I am committed to the UN\u2019s zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment and the promotion of an equal, inclusive work environment.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n And I am investing in women\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n As you may know, I have the privilege of being advised by my Special Envoy, who also serves as my Special Adviser on Gender Equality and Women\u2019s Empowerment.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Within my office, 57 per cent \u2013 that is, 23 of our 40 staff members \u2013 are women and we have achieved gender balance among the senior leadership.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In this spirit, I am pleased to announce that, together with UN-Women, I am launching the\u00a0second phase<\/b>\u00a0of the gender equality and prevention of sexual harassment training campaign for Permanent Missions at all UNHQ locations.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n We aim to augment our numbers \u2013 from 44 at present to all 193 Missions in New York, as well as Missions in Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n As well, I plan to use my platform during the\u00a016 Days of Activism<\/b>\u00a0against Gender Based Violence<\/b>\u00a0to raise public awareness, inside and outside this house, about this critical issue that has the potential to undermine so much of what we are seeking to achieve in the context of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Perhaps the single most important partnership of strategic value in the successful implementation of the SDG\u2019s is the partnership between men and women as equal partners and co-leaders in shaping our societies to reflect a rights-based approach. That will guarantee a win -win result in which we can all take pride in the formation of balanced, stable, economically vibrant, well- functioning societies, based on reciprocal respect and appreciation between men and women.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n To be clear, I am not advocating that we achieve that milestone in 2030. No we need to work with determination to achieve it as soon as possible and we have the means to do it NOW.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n You can be sure that I will continue to call for long-term investments to create a truly \u201corange world\u201d that is free from violence against women and girls and frees women from fear of victimization by violence.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n You\u2019ve heard me say before: gender equality is not an option. It is a moral, ethical and practical imperative.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n It is time to act.\u00a0 So let us join hands and act with vision and commitment.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I thank you.<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Remarks of the President of the General Assembly<\/p>\r\n H.E Dennis Francis<\/p>\r\n GA plenary meeting on the Monday, 30 October 2023<\/p>\r\n As Delivered<\/i><\/i><\/p>\r\nPresident of the International Criminal Court, Judge Piotr Hofmanski,<\/i><\/i>\r\n\r\nExcellencies,<\/i>\r\n\r\nDistinguished Delegates,<\/i>\r\n\r\n\u00a0<\/i>\r\n\r\nToday we gather to consider the annual report of the\u00a0International Criminal Court (ICC) \u2013 a\u00a0 critical pillar of the international legal order.\r\n\r\nThe ICC stands as a perennial symbol of our shared commitment to justice and humanity\u2019s greatest aspirations.\r\n\r\nIt serves as an emphatic reminder that\u00a0no one \u2013 I repeat, no one \u2013 should be exempt from accountability for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community,\u00a0and that regardless of their status, position or location, perpetrators of such crimes will invariably face the weight of justice.\r\n\r\nIndeed, when it comes to the most egregious crimes against humanity,\u00a0 accountability knows no exceptions and justifiably so.\r\n\r\nIn those grave and heinous cases \u2013 when national legal systems prove unable or unwilling to bring perpetrators to justice \u2013 the ICC must step in.\r\n\r\nAccordingly, the ICC stands as a testament to our unshakeable resolve to end impunity, and moreover, to deter others from the commission of such crimes in the future.\r\n\r\nThe Court is indeed a truly unique embodiment of our collective resolution to upholding the principles of justice and accountability.\r\n\r\nI express my\u00a0 fulsome appreciation to the Court for its diligent efforts,\u00a0 as indeed to its judges and its prosecutor, as well as to the dedicated staff who have laudibly committed themselves to the pursuit of justice \u2013 and indeed, to what is\u00a0right<\/i>.\r\n\r\nThe report highlights both the progress and the challenges faced by the ICC this year, specifically as regards the prevention and punishment of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.\r\n\r\nThese principles are fundamental to our global vision of peace and are integral to our mission of maintaining international peace and security, promoting respect for human rights, and delivering justice to those who have suffered the gravest injustices.\r\n\r\nLadies and Gentlemen,<\/i>\r\n\r\nWe must acknowledge that the Court operates in a multifaceted international landscape.\r\n\r\nIts jurisdiction spans cases where state parties have brought situations to the attention of the Court, including situations referred by the United Nations Security Council.\r\n\r\nWhile it may present a unique set of challenges \u2013this duality in referral mechanisms underscores the importance of international cooperation.\r\n\r\nDespite these challenges, the hope for universal ratification of the Rome Statute, and the Kampala amendments, serve as a profound affirmation of the ICC's enduring commitment to justice.\r\n\r\nAs more countries join and support the ICC, the bold ambition of ending impunity for the most serious crimes becomes increasingly realistic to achieve.\r\n\r\nAs we engage in this discussion, let us remember the voices of the victims, whose suffering must compel us to take meaningful action.\r\n\r\nI underscore the\u00a0need for universal cooperation with the court among UN Member States in our common pursuit of a more just and peaceful world.\r\n\r\nI call upon States to support the ICC where it faces constraints in its pursuit of justice, including predictable funding to effectively undertake its investigations and prosecutions.\r\n\r\nIn line with the fundamental principle of complementarity, States should cooperate\u00a0with the ICC and with each other in investigations and prosecutions, including by sharing information and evidence to uphold the rule of law and ensuring accountability for the most serious crimes.\r\n\r\nLet us remain committed to strengthening the international legal framework and ensuring that the ICC continues to fulfill its essential role in our global efforts to prevent impunity and injustice and to promote lasting peace.\r\n\r\nI thank you and look forward to a fruitful discussion on this important matter.","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-274420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-speeches","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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Report of the International Criminal Court,<\/p>\r\n