Measures to Address Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations

In June 2008, UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, organized a workshop with representatives from Afghanistan, Haiti, Liberia, Rwanda, Timor-Leste and Uganda as part of a programme on Supporting Women’s Engagement in Peace-Building and Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict: Community-Led Approaches. Hide

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, advocated for the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1820 (2008) on sexual violence in conflict. As Chair of UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, UNDP/Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) advocated with Security Council members for the adoption of Security Council resolution 1820 (2008). Hide

In June 2008, UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, in cooperation with UNICEF, OHCHR, UNFPA and the UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, held a regional consultation towards the creation of the regional action plan to eradicate sexual violence and end impunity in the Great Lakes Region. Hide

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, facilitated the Wilton Park conference of May 2008 on the role of military peacekeepers in addressing sexual violence during armed conflict, and contributed to the dissemination of the results. Hide

The Gender-based Violence Information Management System (GBVIMS) in humanitarian and recovery settings, a joint effort of UNFPA, UNHCR and the IRC, is a first attempt to systematize management of reported data related to gender-based violence, with a focus on humanitarian and recovery contexts. A technical consultation was undertaken by the inter-agency team (UNFPA, the IRC and UNHCR) to pilot test the GBVIMS system in Uganda in May 2008. Hide

OHCHR contributed to the elaboration of a pilot project in the Democratic Republic of Congo to enhance access to justice for survivors of sexual violence. Hide

Under the United Nations System-wide Work Programme on Scaling-up HIV/AIDS Services for Populations of Humanitarian Concern (PHC), in 2008 FAO analyzed the results of the research undertaken in 2007 in Kenya on the linkages between HIV/AIDS, gender inequality, and sexual and gender-based violence among populations of humanitarian concern (PHC) and refined the research tools to undertake a similar assessment in two provinces in Northern Uganda. This assessment will concentrate specifically on understanding the impact of sexual and gender-based violence on people's livelihood options, particularly among PHC. Hide

UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector has undertaken a programme of research on women's rights for peace and security in post conflict democracies in Africa. Researchers from 11 countries of the Great Lake Region, Sierra Leone and South Africa submitted papers on violence against women and the relationship between women’s human rights, peace and security in post conflict context, as well as recommendations for the way forward to be addressed to policy- and decision-makers. Hide

In July 2008, the Executive Committee on Peace and Security (ECPS), chaired by DPA, discussed the issue of sexual violence in conflict and Security Council Resolution 1820 (2008). it was agreed that ECPS would continue to receive regular briefings. The Under-Secretary-General of DPA sent a note to all ECPS members and relevant field presences requesting them to include a paragraph on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1820 (2008) in their reporting to the Security Council. Hide

In June 2008, DPKO/DFS developed Guidelines for integrating gender perspectives into the work of United Nations Police in peacekeeping missions and a checklist of gender equality considerations in addressing sexual and gender-based violence. In August 2008, DPKO/DFS briefed Heads of military components of peace-keeping operations during their annual meeting on Security Council resolution 1820 (2008) and the role of the military in its implementation. Hide