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OSAGI, now part of UN Women, participates in the work of the task force responsible for preparation of the Secretary-General’s report on Security Council resolution 1820 (2008). Hide

OSAGI, now part of UN Women, continued to work on developing a common set of indicators for monitoring the implementation of resolution 1325 at the international and national levels, and participated in consultations with key United Nations system entities on the development of indicators on gender-based and sexual violence. Hide

In 2008, UNDP/Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery began the roll-out in 19 countries of the global programme Strengthening the Rule of Law in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations. In eight conflict/post-conflict countries (including Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guinea Bissau, Kosovo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Timor Leste), the programme has strong components on gender-based violence. Hide

In collaboration with the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), OSAGI , now part of UN Women, organized a virtual dialogue on best practices in national implementation of resolution 1325, in regard to violence against women in conflict and post-conflict situations. As part of its effort to create an online training course on development of national action plans on resolution 1325 for Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa, OSAGI carried out research and analysis of gender-based violence in the relevant regions. Hide

As a contribution to the Secretary-General’s Campaign “UNiTE to End Violence against Women”, OHCHR financially supported and participated in a conference organized by the NGO Medica Mondial, entitled “Women Seeking Justice - Getting Law”, in September 2008. Women from twenty-six mostly conflict or post conflict countries attended. The meeting took stock of challenges and achievements in terms of access to justice for women, victims of rape and other forms of sexual violence, and proposals in order to overcome women’s inequality. Hide

OSAGI, now part of UN Women, prepared the annual report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/622) to the Security Council in follow-up to Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). OSAGI continued to chair the Inter-Agency Task Force on women, peace and security, which supports the full implementation of resolution 1325. The Office serviced the open debate of the Security Council on 29 October 2008 and organized side events in partnership with other United Nations entities, Member States and NGOs. A photo exhibition “A Global Crescendo: Women’s Voices from Conflict Zones” at United Nations Headquarters addressed violence against women and girls during armed conflict. Hide

OHCHR’s home page featured a story focusing on Security Council resolution 1820. In December 2008, a story focused on the search for justice in post conflict situations. The story is based on two major OHCHR-commissioned studies on the effectiveness of international post-conflict accountability mechanisms in prosecuting sexual violence and on women’s economic, social and cultural rights. Hide

UNHCR continued to work on the development of an Information Management System to improve data collection and information sharing on sexual and gender-based violence (GBVIMS). UNHCR and UNFPA jointly conducted technical support missions to Uganda and Kenya. Hide

OCHA’s Policy Development and Studies Branch organized an experts meeting to review current research on, and identify gaps in relation to: 1) Sexual violence in armed conflict: understanding the motivations; and 2) The nature, scope and motivation for sexual violence against men and boys in conflict. Key outputs of the meeting were: 1) Identification of research priorities in order to design more effective strategies for preventing sexual violence in armed conflict; and 2) Identification and agreement on next steps to build on the current knowledge-base and establish communities of practice. Hide

In December 2008, a week-long consultation was convened that brought together staff from UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Legal Counsel to the Great Lakes Conference, MONUC and relevant units within the OHCHR, to develop a coherent strategy for 2009 to address sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hide