The use of sexual violence in war is one of the great injustices of our lifetime. It is hard to document, let alone investigate. Perpetrators do not discriminate, because it’s not about sex, but violence, terror, power and control. When rape is committed during conflict, it has often been seen as an inevitable part of war, and so it has been allowed to go unpunished.
But even war has rules. So just as the world could agree that land mines have no place on the battlefield, the world must agree to end sexual violence in conflict. The government’s of Honduras and Guatemala agree and both signed up to the UN declaration last year.
In London between 10-13 June, the UK Foreign Secretary, William Hague, and UN Special Envoy, Angelina Jolie, co-hosted the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. More than 123 countries attended inclduing representatives of Guatemala: Ambassador Rosenthal and Guatemala’s youth Ambassador Mayra Coc Cacao from Coban.
To mark this commitment the Embassy placed a giant clock in Constitution Square and in front of the Obelisk in Guatemala City. It is now in the atrium of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and it reminds us all that it is time to act against sexual violence.
The results of the conference are available here. This includes a statement of action which Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carrera has signed up to. In reading the outcomes I was struck by the comments from the Foreign Secretary about the stigma that rape still has and how difficult it is for victims to talk about the past. As an Embassy we are proud to be supporting UNAMG in their work with women to break this taboo in communities in Guatemala decades after the conflict is over.
We hope the global conference will play a role in the prevention of sexual violence everywhere.
You can join the conversation on twitter @end_svc using #TimeToAct
