• I would like to thank Ambassador Velázquez and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate for the invitation.
• The developments over the past few years have demonstrated that the targeting of women, girls and boys with sexual violence that accompanies the rise of violent extremism is not ancillary or incidental, but widespread, systematic and integrally linked with the strategic objectives of violent extremist and terrorist groups.
• The OSRSG-SVC has clarified the nexus between sexual violence and terrorism considering this alarming development. Today, there is a global recognition and consensus that certain terrorist groups are using sexual violence as a tactic of terrorism to advance their strategic and ideological objectives.
• Our Office is monitoring conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) for several years under the Security Council framework on CRSV, composed of the Resolutions 1960, 2106, 1820 and 1888.
• In understanding the nexus of CRSV, terrorism and trafficking it has been necessary to adjust our analytical lenses. We must focus beyond the immediate horror of sexual violence crimes and the impact on the individual survivor and to also ask more precise and focused questions on the profile of the perpetrators and their motivations.
• In December 2016, our office submitted a special report to the Security Council Committee concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities which served as a substantive basis for key aspects of the Security Council Resolution 2331 as relates to the nexus of CRSV, trafficking and terrorist groups. The report essentially made the case that sexual violence is not only a tactic of war as it is stated in Resolution 1820, but also a tactic of terrorism, as a means to achieve some strategic objectives including displacing populations, gaining information through interrogations, advancing their ideology and establishing social norms and structures by terrorizing and intimidating women and girls, and marrying into communities.
• CRSV is also used as a recruitment tool by terrorist groups. One cannot underestimate the attraction of the promise of marriage, sex slaves and sexual access on young men with no social status.
• CRSV further pays an important role in terms of terrorism funding. Our special report put a spotlight on the open slave market in Raqqa, Syria. We uncovered price lists and so-called Fatwas which regulate the sale and transfer of sex slaves. This shows that sexual violence is not just incidental or opportunistic but systematic, institutionalized and strategic. We gained access to an online platform called Telegram and chat histories indicated that prices for women and girls range from $20 to $25,000. Indeed, the largest part of terrorism funding is raised by trading goods such as oil. However, one must also consider the personal economic implications of effecting the sale of a girl. A single terrorist may not have access to oil but to the sex slave market.
• Please consider the following recommendations: Arguments for a gender perspective, including the protection of women and girls from sexual violence should be a central consideration of global, regional, national counter-terrorism strategies. The monitoring, analysis and sharing of CRSV related information should be strengthened. This includes information sharing between security agencies and civilian protection actors. Furthermore, accountability for CRSV crimes should become a key aspect of deterrence and prevention strategies. This may also be effectuated through national accountability. With regards to Iraq, until now, no perpetrator has been prosecuted for CRSV crimes. If crimes are prosecuted, this often only happens under terrorism legislation which only requires the establishment of the affiliation to a certain terrorist group. This perpetuates the silence on CRSV but CRSV must be part of the historical record. Also, international judicial cooperation should be strengthened. For example, in Germany prosecutors are using universal war crimes jurisdiction. These are pilot cases for future cooperation. Moreover, the UN sanctions infrastructure including country-specific and thematic regimes should be used to address CRSV. I would like to note that in Resolution 2368 (2017) that extended the mandate of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities includes cross-references to Resolution 2331. Furthermore, the tracing of missing girls and the reunification of families should be another key consideration. As of today, it is estimated that more than 3000 girls and women, mainly Yezidi, are missing in Iraq and Syria, with information that they may be trafficked to Afghanistan and Libya. Tracing them requires cross-border cooperation and further resources. Further resources are needed to provide services including psycho-social interventions. Finally, it is important to ensure that survivors of CRSV are not treated as affiliates and mere intelligence access but are recognized as victims of terrorism for them to have access to reparations and other funds for victims of terrorism. This must explicitly be addressed in counter-terrorism legislation.
Thank you.