Enhanced Capacity of UN Entity in Relation to Violence Against Women

In partnership with Women Programme Centers (WPCs), UNRWA launched the “Campaign to Combat Violence Against Women”, throughout the region with events and training sessions on the sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) policy and workshops for field staff. UNRWA held workshops on domestic violence, including for Gaza staff and in the West Bank for regional staff. Protection clusters in North Lebanon were set up to train frontline staff on gender-based violence. Hide

In 2008, UNHCR allocated an additional USD 1.5 million for prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence. Projects include: creating a manager post on sexual and gender-based violence and community outreach teams in the Central African Republic; hiring an expert in Chad; signing agreements with implementing partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hide

In West Africa, DPKO Gender Advisers from missions in Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Liberia (ONUCI, UNIOSIL and UNMIL) have attended a regional meeting to share best practices and lessons learnt for addressing SGBV. Hide

At the global level, UNICEF is actively involved in efforts to develop policies aimed at the protection of women and girls from sexual abuse and exploitation by United Nations staff and related personnel. Hide

In 2007, UNFPA developed a draft corporate strategy on gender-based violence to identify priority areas of focus for investing its resources strategically at country, regional and global levels, based on its comparative advantages and experience. The draft strategy also lays out the organization’s capacity development initiatives, resources and partnerships for an effective approach to addressing gender-based violence. Hide

In order to ensure gender mainstreaming, OHCHR works directly with a range of UN partners in the areas of development cooperation, humanitarian affairs, and peace and security to ensure that human rights principles, norms and standards relating to gender equality and women’s rights are integrated into their work, including as it relates to violence against women. OHCHR is contributing to various UN initiatives to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel with a view to placing such acts within the framework of violations of human rights, trying to push specifically for UN accountability in this area. Hide

WFP contributed to the development of the guidelines for the Secretary-General's Bulletin on special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13). Hide

UNHCR organizes training on SGBV to enable the organization to meet standards in prevention and response.UNHCR’s system for measuring progress in operations includes standards and indicators on SGBV, and offices are required to report on their performance in relation to meeting the standards. In addition, the UNHCR’s global strategic objectives and measurable targets include a requirement that all UNHCR operations will have in place standard operating procedures for SGBV prevention and response by the end of 2007. Hide

UNHCR has assigned country-level focal points in each of its offices to carry out the recommendations of the Secretary-General’s Bulletin on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13). The Office continues to promote and report on the implementation of the Bulletin and provides annual refresher sessions for staff on its Code of Conduct. UNHCR’s Code of Conduct includes a section on sexual exploitation and abuse by humanitarian workers. All agreements with implementing partners include a mandatory appendix (2) on “Standards of Conduct – Ensuring protection from sexual exploitation and abuse”. Hide

Several DPKO missions have supported, or implemented training activities for mission personnel and other stakeholders on gender-based violence against women, as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and Timor-Leste. Hide