United Nations says rape is a war crime / News English materials on current affairs by the author Sean Banville

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The article

More than 60 nations met in the UN Security Council on Thursday to agree that sexual violence against women is a weapon of war. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced new measures to try to end what he called the "silent war against women and girls" in the world’s war zones. He called on UN bodies, national governments, aid organizations and rape survivors to help end sexual crimes against women in conflict areas. He said: "Violence against women has reached unspeakable…proportions in societies attempting to recover from conflict." He announced the creation of a UN Messenger of Peace, whose job will be to combat sexual crimes against women. He also promised there would be a "zero-tolerance policy against sexual…abuse” by UN workers.

Rape has been an ugly, but common feature of many armed conflicts around the world. Women are often rejected by their family or community because of the shame rape brings. Other women become infected with HIV and AIDS. Ban Ki-moon said these terrible wrongs make it difficult for a nation to heal and make peace with itself “after the guns fall silent". Condoleezza Rice said rape is a “security concern” that seriously affects “not only the health and safety of women, but the economic and social stability of their nations." She expressed concern about the widespread use of rape in Darfur. Aid groups there say it is used as a weapon of ethnic cleansing and has become a part of life for most women. Sudan’s government said: "There is no rape in Darfur," and that aid workers are just making up stories.

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