Search
OHCHR provided conceptual and policy support, legal advice, technical assistance and capacity building for the establishment of gender sensitive and participatory transitional justice processes. For instance, in 2014, OHCHR assisted in facilitating consultations with survivors of sexual and gender based violence in the DRC, Nepal, Uganda and Kosovo. In the DRC, OHCHR implemented projects to strengthen victims’ access to justice, including through mobile courts, legal clinics and pilot initiatives to inform broader reparations efforts. One such pilot initiative included providing support to survivors of sexual violence in the areas of Bukavu and Shabunda. In Uganda, OHCHR provided technical advice to the International Crimes Division of the High Court to facilitate compliance with good practices in handling cases of sexual and gender-based violence. OHCHR support focused on ensuring victims and witnesses’ access to justice and protection, especially for children and victims of sexual and gender-based violence. In 2015, OHCHR and the Human Rights Division of the United Nations Mission in Liberia assisted national counterparts established centres that provided comprehensive services to survivors of sexual gender-based violence. Additionally in 2015, OHCHR finalized a guidance tool on witness and victims protection, with specific focus on victims of sexual and gender-based violence.
OHCHR supported the Special Rapporteur on violence against women in producing legal and policy recommendations through the country visit reports: United Kingdom—2014 (A/HRC/29/27/Add.2); Honduras—2014 (A/HRC/29/27/Add.1); Afghanistan—2014 (A/HRC/29/27/Add.3) ; Sudan—2015; South Africa—2015; (6) Georgia—2016.
OHCHR provided technical assistance and capacity-development to states and civil society groups on using a human rights-based approach to address trafficking in persons in Belarus, Thailand and other countries in South East Asia.
In August 2014, OHCHR and UN Women launched the Latin American Protocol for the investigation of Gender-Motivated Killings of women, which provides guidance for investigations to comply with due diligence standards (promoted in Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, and Peru).
OHCHR advised states on reforming laws and supported the formulation and implementation of laws to ensure compliance with international human rights standards. In 2015, OHCHR supported the elaboration and implementation of laws on sexual violence (in Afghanistan, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Nigeria), promoting victims’ and witnesses’ participation in peace processes and reconciliation (in Sudan, Darfur and the Central African Republic), and assisting victims of sexual violence (in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Sudan, Tunisia). In Moldova, OHCHR assisted in the development and implementation of a project seeking to revise the prosecutorial guidance for rape investigations to ensure they are free from harmful stereotypes and in line with international standards.Through joint United Nations programming, OHCHR supported the development of a draft regulation in Kosovo on the verification of status of victims of sexual violence that occurred during the conflict. Also, technical advice was provided in Guatemala on reparations for victims of sexual violence with a view to influence the new national reparation scheme.OHCHR further assisted States in developing or revising family laws and legislation on issues such as violence against women (in Belarus, the Gambia, Myanmar, Senegal, Tunisia and Yemen).
UNODC was involved in the work of the global focal point for police, justice and corrections in post-conflict and other crisis situations, in relation to joint field missions, planning and programming, and in strategic and operational discussions at headquarters. Led by UNDP and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, in partnership with Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UN-Women and UNODC, the global focal point supports UN country presences in mission and non-mission settings.
In 2014, OHCHR continued to undertake efforts to strengthen capacities of human rights components of peace missions and fact-finding bodies to investigate sexual and gender-based violence. OHCHR's three-day training on investigating conflict-related sexual violence was delivered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan (Darfur), and Mali.
OHCHR continued strengthening national capacities to investigate sexual gender-based violence in Afghanistan, the DRC, Liberia, and Sudan.
In 2014-2015, OHCHR continued supporting the mandate of the Rapporteur on violence against women, in its active engagement with civil society organizations, including through participation in regional consultations. She participated in three regional consultations, held in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, on the topic of “closing the normative gap” in addressing violence against women at the international level.