Angelina Jolie applauded by world leaders over war rape campaign
Hollywood star Angelina Jolie was applauded by world leaders on Thursday (11Apr13) as she called for a global fight against sex abuse in war zones.
The Tomb Raider star, who is a leading humanitarian campaigner and a United Nations (U.N.) Goodwill Ambassador, jetted in to London to attend a summit of G8 leaders during which the issue of rape in armed conflicts was addressed.
Leaders of the eight nations - the U.K., U.S., Canada, Russia,
Germany, France, Japan and Italy - including British Foreign
Secretary William Hague, announced a commitment to "work together
to end sexual violence in conflict".
Jolie then stood at the podium to deliver a two-minute speech in
which she thanked the G8 leaders for their support for the
campaign.
The actress said, "The perpetrators have learned that they can get
away with it and victims have been denied justice, but rape isn't
inevitable. This violence can be prevented and must be
confronted.
"I have heard survivors of rape from Bosnia to the DRC (Democratic
Republic of Congo) say that they feel that the world simply does
not care about them. And who could blame them? For too long, they
have been the forgotten victims of war, responsible for none of the
harm but bearing the worst of the pain, but today I believe their
voices have been heard and that we finally have some hope to
offer.
"I welcome the long overdue stand the G8 has taken and this
landmark declaration, and I want to thank the governments of the
countries that have made funding commitments... I welcome the
pledge by the G8 to regard rape and sexual violence in armed
conflict as grave breaches of the Geneva Convention and to give no
amnesty to those who commit these crimes."
Turning to the summit leaders, she added, "Millions of people have
been waiting for the commitments that you have just made and they
will be watching to see them implemented... Rape is not a women's
issue or a humanitarian issue, it is a global issue, and it belongs
here, at the top table of international decision-making, where
(Hague) has put it.
"So I look forward to campaigning with him at the U.N. and I call
on other governments to make this cause their priority. If they do,
this will be the start of a new global alliance against war zone
rape and sexual violence, and finally an end to impunity."