File Photo: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a speech during the High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen at Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, April 3, 2018. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)
UNITED NATIONS, June 19 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that sexual violence in conflict is a threat to our collective security and a stain on our common humanity.
Its effects can echo across generations, through trauma, stigma, poverty, poor health and unwanted pregnancy, he said in a message on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, which falls on June 19.
Children conceived through wartime rape often struggle with issues of identity and belonging for decades after the guns have fallen silent, said Guterres. They may be left in a legal limbo, or at risk of becoming stateless. They are vulnerable to recruitment, trafficking and exploitation, with broad implications for peace and security, as well as human rights.
Their mothers may be marginalized and shunned by their own families and communities. These women and children are sometimes seen as affiliates of armed and violent extremist groups, rather than as victims and survivors, said the UN chief.
"On the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, we amplify the voices of these forgotten victims of war, who suffer stigma, shame and exclusion in societies polarized by armed conflict."
He said the United Nations stands ready to work with governments, civil society, traditional and religious leaders, and all partners to support children born of rape in wartime and their mothers, and those working on the front lines to support them.
"Let us reaffirm our global commitment to eliminate the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence and to provide justice, services and support to all those affected."