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The Human Rights Section of MINUSTAH in Haiti participated in a workshop organized by the Direction départementale du Ministère à la condition feminine et aux droits de la femme, aimed at sensitizing the local population on sexual gender- based violence. The Human Rights Section together with the UNIFEM and IOM organized training for 20 UNPOL team leaders concerning the protection and response to the widespread occurrence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) within IDP camps. In light of the increased incidence of sexual and domestic violence, the Human Rights Section in Jacmel, together with the Ministry for Women, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (ONUSIDA), participated in a sensitization workshop at the Pinchinat Camp. The Human Rights Section stressed the importance of victims of sexual violence obtaining a medical certificate and denouncing the authors of these violations, in order to reduce their recurrence through accountability. Hide

UNFPA provides support to the Kofi Annan Peace Institute in Ghana to develop capacities of grassroots women to implement SCR 1325 components in select African countries. Hide

UNESCO continued its activities in post-conflict countries, including activities on women’s involvement in conflict resolution, peace-building, and reconstruction through better access to information. Hide

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, UNDP supported NGOs to establish eight paralegal centers at the community level; two in North Kivu and six in South Kivu. The paralegal centers have assisted with more than 183 cases by providing information and orientation to victims and ultimately positively influencing national peace processes and contributing to post-crisis recovery and peace-building. In partnership with Avocats Sans Frontieres, UNDP supported the South Kivu Bar Association to launch a pro bono office providing legal aid, now serving Bukavu. As a result of the collective efforts of the international community to support the strengthening of the rule of law in Eastern DRC to counter sexual gender-based violence and through the leading role of UNDP leading role in these efforts (training, mentoring, logistics and equipment to police, victims, paralegals and lawyers), two important investigations were conducted in Walikale territory following the large number of rapes which occurred in May and August 2010. Hide

Since October 2010, FAO is the new Chair of the Regional Inter-Agency working Group on HIV and gender-based violence in emergency settings. The Regional IAWG ensures that HIV and gender-based violence prevention and protection, AIDS treatment, care and impact mitigation are prioritized and scaled up in humanitarian emergency work in Eastern Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes Regions. Hide

In Sri Lanka, UNDP’s “Equal Access to Justice” project has undertaken a series of workshops targeting community-based organizations in plantation areas, in order to strengthen the support networks for survivors of gender-based violence at the local level. In these workshops several issues related sexual gender-based and domestic violence were discussed. Hide

UNFPA has developed a draft strategy on gender-based Violence for the Latin America and Caribbean region via a workshop held in Guatemala in September 2010. The sub-regional strategy – with a focus on sexual violence – will aim to provide guidance to UNFPA country offices and partners in the region to develop a comprehensive response to addressing sexual violence. Hide

UNICEF and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) launched a joint initiative to improve programs to address gender-based violence in emergencies and support child survivors. A course “Protecting Women and Child Survivors of Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies through Improved Coordination” has been developed and the first one will be provided in February, in New York. This course focuses on GBV coordinators’ role in their response for children, and in their work with other clusters, especially Child Protection Working Groups/Sub-clusters, to mitigate risk to women and girls in diverse emergency response settings. Hide

UNFPA in collaboration with UNIFEM and UNESCAP organised a capacity development workshop in Thailand in October 2010 aimed at helping 11 country offices in the Asia-Pacific region understand SCR 1325. This workshop also launched the Asia-Pacific technical platform on SCR 1325, the purpose of which is to provide technical assistance to countries in the region on the development of National Action Plans on SCR 1325. Hide

ESCWA Centre for Women organized several events on 25-26 October 2010 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the UN SCR 1325, including the launch of the publication entitled “Means to strengthen the role of women in conflict resolution and peace-building”, a round table discussion with the theme “Ten years 1325: Where are we now?”, and a workshop for Member States on drafting national action plans to impelement the UN SCR 1325. On the occasion of the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women and the 16 Days of Activism, ESCWA Centre for Women organized several events, including a discussion on violence against women in conflict settings in Arab countries, held on the International Human Rights Day. Hide