Mar 2012 - Feb 2013

In the area of sexual violence in emergencies, WHO published several documents including:1. Sexual violence in emergencies: Setting a research agenda (2012)2. Do’s and don’ts in community-based psychosocial programming in regard to sexual violence in conflict-affected settings (August 2012)3. Mental health and psychosocial support for conflict-related sexual violence: 10 myths (August 2012)4. Mental health and psychosocial support for conflict-related sexual violence: principles and interventions (August 2012)

During the reporting period, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) has conducted three cources of Inter-institutional Training Course on Combating Illicit Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition and Explosives (IITC), which contributes to enhancing the capacity of law enforcement and legal practitioners to prevent armed violence, including against women. Participants came from across the Caribbean, as well as Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

In March 2012, the Asia-Pacific Regional Coordination Mechanism Thematic Working Group on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (TWG-GEEW), co-chaired by ESCAP and UN WOMEN, established a Working Group on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). The Working Group strengthens interagency cooperation and collaboration in support of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the region and provides a forum to address issues related to this agenda, including sexual violence in conflict situations.

ECLAC, with the support of the UNFPA, has finalized a proposal for a regional training curriculum on gender and security and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security. The proposal incorporates regional ECLAC research findings on the progress achieved in relation to the topic, as well as on the training needs of different governmental institutions. The proposal was presented in a workshop at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago (27-28 November 2012).

UNHCR headquarters staff conducted missions to emergency operations in order to strengthen SGBV response in conflict zones in Niger, Burkina Faso and Jordan. Remote support was also provided to operations in Mali, Lebanon, Turkey and Syria. UNHCR also conducted reporting and monitoring on sexual violence in conflict as part of its activities under the United Nations Security Council resolutions 1960,1820 and 1888. UNHCR also liaises with UN Country Team members and Gender Working Groups, where applicable, to consolidate data on SGBV.

UN Women has provided an array of support to implement laws and policies and improve access to services.

In Guinea Bissau, OHCHR supported and provided technical assistance to national NGO Djinopi in the organisation of the Islamic Conference on combatting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), where a Declaration by the Imams of Guinea Bissau on the Abandonment of FGM was adopted. Support to Djinop also resulted in the publishing of a “Golden Booklet” in English, French, Portuguese and Arabic containing short Islamic studies and statements against FGM.

In Togo and Chad, OHCHR supported activities on the implementation of UPR and CEDAW recommendations on violence against women.

The World Bank through its Health Sector Support and Multi-Sectorial Aids Project in Burkina Faso has proposed additional financing to support the training of professionals from the mass media, such as journalists from the main daily and weekly journals, national and local radios and television on HIV infection and prevention, including on issues of gender violence.

UNDP is also working to develop the capacity of service providers, including: integration of specialized and clear rules of conduct in cases of VAW into the General Protocol of Cooperation of relevant institutions, together with the Government in Serbia; technical assistance to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in Cambodia to pilot the recommendations identified in the One-Stop Service Centre (OSSC) feasibility study; and technical assistance to the Papua New Guinea Family Sexual Violence Action Committee to integrate GBV into the national training curriculum for civil servants in 2012.