Quote by Zainab Bangura: “Impunity is the greatest enemy of justice and lasting peace.”

This quote means that when people can commit crimes without facing punishment, it completely undermines fairness and prevents any real, stable peace from being established. Accountability is essential for a just society.

During a period of heightened international focus on human rights abuses, Bangura often addressed the Human Rights Council. She consistently argued that allowing perpetrators of violence to go unpunished was a fundamental barrier to establishing justice and sustainable peace in fragile regions.

Sierra Leonean diplomat and politician who served as the United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict from 2012 to 2017. Before her UN role she served as Sierra Leone's Minister of Foreign Affairs and was a key figure in the country's post-civil war reconstruction. She is one of the foremost international voices on conflict-related sexual violence.