Writing in The Times newspaper, the British Foreign Secretary William Hague, asserted that "rape is a weapon of war" and "Britain will lead a global effort to end the culture of impunity that surrounds this monstrous crime."

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Extracts reproduced below:

From Bosnia to the Democratic Republic of Congo we have seen rape used as a terrifying weapon of war. Inflicted systematically and sometimes to order from the highest levels, it is as much a means of waging war as are bullets or tanks. And more often than not it is carried out not by invading armies but by one group against another: deliberately to destroy, degrade, humiliate and scar political opponents or entire ethnic and religious groups.

The number of victims involved is utterly chilling. In Rwanda alone, up to 400,000 women are estimated to have been raped in the 100-day genocide of 1994. The vast majority of victims are women and children, but men are often targeted too.
Guilt lies with those who commit these crimes, but the shame falls on the whole world. For we have failed to act in a concerted way against this problem and have allowed a culture of impunity to develop. The shocking truth is that very few perpetrators have ever been put on trial for rape in conflict and even fewer have gone to prison. In wartime Bosnia, up to 50,000 women were raped, but only 30 men have ever been convicted. Given this record, the government forces and militia committing rape in Syria today probably expect they will simply get away with it.

As a man I feel appalled by this, and as Foreign Secretary I believe that it is within our power to do something about it. Moreover, I am convinced that this is a cause that Britain must champion. Ours is one of the few countries in the world with the global reach, resources and diplomatic network to be able to set a lead and so it is our responsibility to do so.

I believe that the time has come for a concerted international effort to challenge the use of rape as a weapon of war and to shatter the culture of impunity.

So our Government has begun a major new initiative in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that I will lead. First, we are setting up a specialist team of experts that will be deployed to conflict areas to support efforts to prevent and investigate sexual violence in conflict. It will include police, lawyers, psychologists, doctors, forensic experts, experts in gender-based violence and in the care and protection of survivors and witnesses. It will support UN investigations and civil society organisations, and help other countries to develop their own capabilities. We have already recruited 65 members of the team, and their first pilot deployment will take place before the end of this year. We hope that by setting this example we can help to support successful prosecutions and encourage other countries to set up similar teams.

Second, we are significantly increasing our support to the UN. We are giving £1 million over the next three years to support the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence and urge other countries to do more too.
Third, when the UK takes on the presidency of the G8 in January, one of our objectives will be to secure new commitments from some of the world’s most powerful nations. We will urge G8 countries to enter into partnerships with conflict-affected nations. We will call for new financial commitments, and development assistance focused on legislative reforms, economic empowerment and support for survivors, which we hope to broaden beyond the G8 over time. And we are assessing if there is a need for a new international protocol on the investigation and prosecution of sexual violence in conflict and the protection of survivors.

I know that if the world can act more effectively against this problem we will not only prevent appalling injustices, but also help to break the cycle of instability and injustice in conflict-affected countries. That is our ambition and we are calling on governments, civil society and concerned citizens around the world to join us in making it a reality.