UN ACTION

United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict

Item ID
{B0759D6C-AF33-42AA-84E5-ACC0D833D676}
UNAgency ID
{E12EE429-DC7D-422B-9BDF-092F43EB2A9C}
Policy Framework

In  June  2007,  the  Secretary-General’s Policy Committee endorsed UN Action as “a critical joint UN system- wide initiative to guide advocacy, knowledge- building, resource mobilization, and joint programming around sexual violence in conflict”.  Security Council resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) 1960 (2010) and 2106 (2013) have shaped UN Action’s bi-annual Strategic Framework, which sets goals for the network. 

Background

UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict (UN Action) STOP RAPE NOW unites the work of 13 UN system entities with the goal of ending sexual violence during and in the wake of conflict. Launched in 2007, it is a  concerted  effort  by  the  UN system  to  improve  coordination and  accountability,  amplify programming and advocacy, and support national efforts to prevent sexual violence and respond effectively  to  the  needs  of survivors. UN Action is chaired by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SRSG-SVC), a post currently held by Zainab Hawa Bangura, who assumed the post in September 2012. UN Action structures its  planning and activities around three pillars: (i) Country-Level Action, which includes strategic support to UN Missions and UN Country Teams to help design Comprehensive Strategies to combat conflict-related sexual violence; incorporate early-warning indicators of sexual violence into their existing monitoring systems; and build systems to monitor, analyse and report on patterns and trends in conflict-related sexual violence as a means to target perpetrator impunity and improve service provision for survivors; (ii) Advocacy for Action by raising public awareness through the Stop Rape Now Campaign and the Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence Against Women campaign; generating political will on this issue, including by contributing to and shaping messaging for the Secretary-General’s annual report, which serves as a global advocacy instrument; and supporting the public engagements, statements and missions of the SRSG-SVC; and (iii) Knowledge-Building, through research and the development of tools to improve data collection and analysis, enhanced provision of services, and training to improve protection and prevention.

Mail Address

UN ACTION can be contacted at "martinl@un.org"

Title
United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict
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UN ACTION

Oct 2010 - Feb 2011 | UN ACTION

The UN Action Secretariat organized the consultative process with the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security and Member States and drafted the Secretary-General’s 2nd report on the implementation of Security Council Resolutions 1820 and 1888.The UN Action Secretariat worked with UN Women to organize the consultative process and drafting of the Paper for the Secretary General’s Policy Committee on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence.

Oct 2009 - Feb 2010 | UN ACTION

UN Action presented seminars on Security Council resolutions 1820/1888 and on sexual violence for UNHCR and WHO staff, in Geneva. A briefing for a range of donors and civil society partners on the UN response to the new Security Council frameworks was presented in December 2009 in Geneva, hosted by the Norwegian Mission. In October 2009, UN Action presented a “webinar” on Security Council resolutions 1820 and 1888, hosted by UNFPA, for UNFPA field staff. A briefing for Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) staff was held in January 2010.

Oct 2008 - Feb 2009 | UN ACTION

In December 2008, UN Action created a Multi-Donor Trust Fund to pool resources, tightening accountability for joint UN system action against sexual violence in conflict.UN Action supported the recruitment of a Programme Manager to coordinate the Joint Government-UN Programme on Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Liberia. UN Action also provided financial support to UNFPA for two UN system-wide gender-based violence coordinators in Darfur, Sudan.

Feb 2008 - Sept 2008 | UN ACTION

A Senior Advisor on Sexual Violence was posted to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).In June 2008, UN Action hired an Advocacy and Women’s Rights Specialist to lead its advocacy efforts under the banner “Stop Rape Now” (see www.stoprapenow.org).In May 2008, UN Action co-sponsored a high-level conference at Wilton Park entitled, “Women targeted or affected by armed conflict: What role for military peacekeepers?”.