Mr President,
Norway welcomes the resolution on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse that has now been adopted.
From the outset of the process leading up to this resolution, Norway has supported the idea of a strong and comprehensive General Assembly resolution on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.
As we have expressed clearly in the negotiations, our delegation would have preferred that the timeline had been extended to allow for more thorough deliberations.
An extended timeline would have allowed for the consideration of the report of the Secretary-General on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse that was presented yesterday, allowing a strong and concerted effort to combat this scourge.
We believe that more time would have helped us in agreeing on a stronger text, with a clearer focus on prevention. For this reason, we have chosen not to co-sponsor the resolution.
Mr. President,
The time has now come to look forward and work together on the basis of the consensus that has been expressed today, and on the basis of the Secretary-General’s report that we have just received.
Only by standing together and overcoming our differences will we be able to make the zero tolerance policy concerning Sexual Exploitation and Abuse a reality on the ground, and uphold the rights and dignity of the most vulnerable people that the UN is mandated to protect.