U.N.'s Ban: Wartime rape 'pandemic'

UNITED NATIONS, June 20 (UPI) -- Leaders at the United Nations called for greater efforts to combat wartime sexual violence against women and girls.

After a daylong debate on women, peace and security Thursday, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution that demands an end to sexual violence against civilians, and it calls for stronger measures to protect females.

"Violence against women has reached unspeakable and pandemic proportions in some societies attempting to recover from conflict," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said during the Security Council's debate.

The U.N. can act more forcefully when the Security Council adopts resolutions with strong language on sexual and gender-based violence, Ban said in a news release. He said future mandates on U.N. operations must contain explicit provisions to protect women and children in conflict.

Concerning accusations of sexual violence committed by U.N. personnel, Ban said, "Let me be clear: The United Nations and I personally are profoundly committed to a zero-tolerance policy against sexual exploitation or abuse by our own personnel."

China's U.N. Ambassador Liu Zhenmin backed the zero-tolerance policy against sexual exploitation of women and girls by U.N. peacekeepers, urging countries supplying U.N. troops to boost training and monitoring.