Search
In 2019, UNODC provided technical legislative support/ services to six countries (Algeria, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, India, State of Palestine, Zambia) for drafting legislation on trafficking in persons. This included assessing legislative needs, providing substantive input on draft legislation, providing substantive and technical input and support during legislative drafting workshops and assessing compliance with existing domestic legislation. UNODC also collaborated with the Government of Uzbekistan to promote the rights of women within the framework of existing laws related to gender.
In Chile, Corporación Humanas implemented a UN Trust Fund-funded project that brought together groups of migrant women; lesbian, bisexual and transgender women; women living with disabilities; and women living with HIV/AIDS to advocate for a comprehensive law that ends violence against women and girls and under which such violence is recognized not only in the private sphere, but also outside the family context. The bill, which was presented to Congress at the end of the project, reflects the many manifestations of gender-based violence, incorporates provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women a and is aimed at encouraging institutions and regulations to take an intersectional approach to ending violence against women. More than 600 underrepresented women and girls participated in active discussions about what should be in the bill.
UNODC is the permanent coordinator and secretariat of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Trafficking in Persons (ICAT), established by the General Assembly. The principles of gender equality and the empowerment of women underpin the work of ICAT. For instance, in 2019, ICAT published a brief on the gender dimensions of human trafficking and UNODC coordinated the development of the ICAT submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to support the development of a general recommendation on trafficking in women and girls in the context of global migration.
UNODC is part of the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict (UN Action) and has implemented projects funded by the UN Action Multi-Partner Trust Fund.
The United Nations Trust Fund in support of actions to eliminate violence against women is a global, multilateral grant-making mechanism that supports efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls. The Trust Fund, which was established in 1996 by the General Assembly in its resolution 50/166, is administered by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) on behalf of the United Nations system. With the strong institutional support of UN Women and its regional, multi-country and country offices, and working closely with the rest of the United Nations system through its inter-agency Programme Advisory Committee, the Trust Fund plays a vital role in driving forward collective efforts to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls.
The OHCHR supported the work of the SRVAW who presented two thematic reports to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly in 2018 on online violence against women and violence against women in politic.
During the period under review, the OHCHR supported the SRVAW in producing a number of legal and policy recommendations in communications sent to over 50 Member States and recommendations issued after country visits to: Canada (11 to 23 April 2018); Nepal (19 to 29 November 2018).
The OHCHR supported the work of the SRVAW, and SUMEX along with other relevant mandates in issuing a statement calling for revocation of a bill to amend Guatemala’s National Reconciliation Law which has been the basis of trials involving human rights violations in the country since the peace accords of 1996, and would establish an automatic mechanism for extinguishing the criminal responsibility of all those responsible for serious violations of human rights committed during that period (22 February 2019).
The OHCHR supported the Working Group on the Issue of Discrimination Against Women in Law and in Practice (WGDAW) in formulating a series of recommendations aimed at supporting legislative development following its mission to Honduras (1-14 November 2018). It recommended to:
- Repeal laws prohibiting access to emergency contraception and liberalize abortion law so as to ensure access at least in cases where the pregnancy poses a threat to the life or health of the woman, where it is the result of sexual violence or in case of severe foetal impairment, as the first step;
- End the criminalization and judicial harassment of women human rights defenders, protect them from violence (including by private actors) and investigate crimes against them;
-Ensure that the media do not promote stereotypes and gender-based violence, and raise their awareness on violence against women and human rights defenders;
- Provide the necessary support to women candidates, address political violence against women and promote women’s participation in political life;
- Conduct sustainable awareness-raising campaigns to prevent violence against women in politics and effectively investigate cases;
- End the criminalization and judicial harassment of women human rights defenders, protect them from violence (including by private actors) and investigate crimes against them;
- Ensure that human rights education is taught in all public schools, covering women’s rights and gender equality, with a focus on prevention of gender-based violence;
- Regarding indigenous and Afro-Honduran women (including Garífuna) guarantee their access and full participation in decision-making; prevent and combat violence against them;
- Eliminate violence, discrimination and stigmatization against lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex women, women with disabilities, women engaged in sex work/prostitution and women living with HIV and ensure their effective participation in political, civil, economic and social life and access to quality health services.
In Uzbekistan, UNODC supported the Government in the development of a draft law on the prevention of domestic violence. In Egypt, UNODC is supporting the Government to develop fair and effective procedures to deal with cases of violence against women and girls, and thus to ensure a victim-centred approach as well as a fair and just prosecution of perpetrators.
Peace Operations regularly support national legal, judicial and correctional institutions in gender-sensitive reform processes, including legal and policy reform. Peacekeeping missions, in partnership with the UNCT and the women civil society actors have been supporting gender responsive legislative development, including addressing SGBV and VAW. Particular missions to mention – Haiti (MINUJUSTH), CAR (MINUSCA), DRC(MONUSCO), Mali(MINUSMA) and Sudan (with UNAMID)
IOM’s reparations programmes are supporting governments to identify and rehabilitate survivors through dedicated trainings for professionals and by promoting sensitive and non-stigmatizing services. These tools and services are embedded in a holistic mechanism that encompasses psychosocial, physical and social rehabilitation with transitional justice and memory preservation/validation. In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Colombia and Nepal, IOM has delivered training and capacity building to stakeholders to improve long-term access to justice and care for victims of CRSV; for example in BiH, progress towards harmonization of legal and administrative frameworks is enabling access to care and justice across the country; and in Nepal awareness of CRSV is rising across the spectrum of stakeholders. NGOs and victim associations have been trained on reparations and psychosocial support, and referral mechanisms have also been established.
View MoreIOM’s reparations programmes are supporting governments to identify and rehabilitate survivors through dedicated trainings for professionals and by promoting sensitive and non-stigmatizing services. These tools and services are embedded in a holistic mechanism that encompasses psychosocial, physical and social rehabilitation with transitional justice and memory preservation/validation. In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Colombia and Nepal, IOM has delivered training and capacity building to stakeholders to improve long-term access to justice and care for victims of CRSV; for example in BiH, progress towards harmonization of legal and administrative frameworks is enabling access to care and justice across the country; and in Nepal awareness of CRSV is rising across the spectrum of stakeholders. NGOs and victim associations have been trained on reparations and psychosocial support, and referral mechanisms have also been established.
In Cambodia, OHCHR provided technical assistance for the drafting of a Law on Surrogacy in line with international human rights standards.
In Ukraine, OHCHR report on conflict related violence influenced the content of the amended the Criminal Code considered in December 2017 by the Parliament. In particular, a gender sensitive definition and the criminalization of sexual violence.
In Serbia, OHCHR provided substantive and legal advice for the drafting of and amendments to the Law on Domestic Violence and the Criminal Code.
In Honduras, OHCHR jointly with UNWomen, through technical assistance contributed to the strengthening of the definition of the crime of rape – in relation to the concept of “consent” – it also provided support for drafting a proposal on decriminalizing abortion in line with HR standards.
In Guatemala, OHCHR provided technical assistance to Congress in relation to draft bills both to support rights of women in the context of violence (such as the recently adopted reforms to the Criminal Code to prevent child marriage under 18 years) and to ensure that there are not regressions in this regard (draft bill 5272 to criminalize abortion).
In Haiti, OHCHR helped national stakeholders in identifying and addressing discriminatory laws against women for revision of the draft SGBV law in relation to the draft criminal code and criminal procedure code, in accordance with international standards.