Photographs: Tamil Guardian

The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, reiterated US’ commitment to ensuring justice and accountability for victims of sexual violence in conflict, adding “we will not, we should not and we cannot tolerate peace agreements that provide amnesty to rape”. 

“We can and we will make it clear that we will not tolerate rape as a tactic of war,” he said, addressing delegates at the closing session of the global summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict today as key note speaker.

Stating the US would ensure those accused of perpetrators of war-time rape would be denied entry, Mr Kerry pledged the US would suspend visas, and ensure perpetrators “are not able to enter the US, not now, not ever,” and stressed that responsibility for the crime must go “straight to the top, even to military commanders who knew or should have known about sexual violence and failed to act.”

“Sexual violence is a war crime against humanity, it’s not just an inevitable consequence of war,” he said.

“We need to send a strong message that no matter who commits these crimes perpetrators will find no safe harbour anywhere,” he said, highlighting the importance of translating commitments made at the summit into action.

“Make no mistake we can end sexual warfare conducted against innocent people. We can hold those who commit these [crimes] to account and those who condone them, we can hold them all accountable,” he added.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague welcomes US Secretary of State John Kerry

Also addressing the event, Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda reiterated the need for justice.

“Rape and other forms of sexual violence was used as a weapon and as a trophy. We must expose it for what it really is, a despicable crime that must be met with full force of law,” she said.

Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who sent a video message, stressed that the world “must reject the excuse that rape in war is inevitable”, whilst stating that there was an international legal framework in place to ensure all those who commit such crimes will punished. .

The event which opened and ended with addresses from co-hosts UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and Special Envoy Angelina Jolie, included video messages of foreign ministers from across the 155 countries that have signed up to the declaration pledging to act against to end sexual violence in conflict.

The first video was from Julie Bishop the Foreign Minister of Australia, which has been heavily criticised by rights organisations for its on-going deportation of Tamil asylum seekers to Sri Lanka despite repeated accounts of deportees facing a rape and torture by the military.

Meanwhile, addressing the event in person, Lieutenant General David Morrison, Chief of Australian Army, condemned sexual violence in conflict and highlighted the military’s responsibility and role in ensuring the crime is wiped out.

Chief of Australian Army, Lieutenant General David Morrison

“Soldiers are a reflection of their societies as much as they are personification of any values they have been taught,” he said, adding “there are no bystanders, the standard you walk past is the standard you accept”.

UN Special Envoy Angelina Jolie accompanied by partner Brad Pitt

Speakers David Morrison and Fatou Bensouda upon arrival