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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.
On 20 July 2018, CEDAW signed a framework of cooperation with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Under this framework of cooperation, CEDAW and the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict seek to advance the rights of women and girls by combating conflict-related sexual violence and supporting the implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security and CEDAW’s General Recommendation No. 30 (2013) on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations. Based on the framework of implementation, CEDAW and the SRSG-SVC have exchanged information on countries of concern that the two entities have been seized of under their respective mandates. In 2018 OHCHR supported the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, on her thematic report to the General Assembly on the gender dimension of trafficking in persons and on integrating a human rights- based approach to trafficking in persons in the women, peace and security agenda of the Security Council, where she strengthened the link between trafficking in persons and conflict-related sexual violence(A/73/171)
In Peru, the organization Red Nacional de Promoción de la Mujer is implementing a project in the regions of Ayacucho and Huánuco aimed at reducing gender-based violence against older women who were victims of conflict-related violence in the 1980s and 1990s. The project has empowered more than 487 women, of whom 44 per cent were over 60 years of age, by increasing their awareness of their rights. Through peer-to-peer exchange workshops, the grantee reached more than 210 older women from various organizations and 286 men and other women, including students and youth groups. The grantee adopted a holistic approach to developing participatory needs assessments, awareness-raising and training workshops and communications campaigns, all focusing on rights, interculturality, gender and aging. The project was also aimed at raising awareness among local officials and advocating for gender- and age-sensitive public policies. As a direct result of the project’s implementation, older women are now part of community surveillance committees and the municipalities’ round table on poverty reduction. In addition, four emblematic cases of violations of women’s rights were reviewed and, to date, one case has been decided in favour of the survivor; the remaining three are pending decisions.
In Myanmar, UNODC strengthened the capacity of the police to provide survivor-centered responses, effective investigation and inter-agency coordination among the criminal justice system to better respond to gender-based violence. The Office supported the Union Attorney General’s Office in the prosecution of cases involving violence against women and children through a training curriculum and accompanying materials piloted at two initial trainings of trainers.
In Nepal, UNODC undertook a study about women in the criminal justice system, with a focus on women criminal justice professionals, violence against women and women alleged offenders and prisoners.
In the State of Palestine, UNODC and other UN agencies launched a joint project to support the forensic science laboratory in analyzing evidence on sexual and gender-based violence cases, to sensitize criminal justice personnel and improve cooperation among the stakeholders involved in handling SGBV cases.
Half of the projects funded by the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in 2018 explicitly provided direct protection and assistance to victims trafficked in a situation of armed conflict or fleeing conflict identified within mass refugee and migration movements.
UNODC published a thematic paper on countering trafficking in persons, including the exploitation of women and girls, in conflict situations.
South Sudan Country Office
Monitoring &Evaluation and Emergency team held a GBV workshop on how WFP can adapt its work to address issues raised by the 16-days campaign.
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.
CRSV: During the reporting period, the Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support (DPKO-DFS) rolled-out the Integrated Training Materials on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (ITM-CRSV) for newly deployed Military, Police and Civilian Focal Points who are responsible for CRSV mainstreaming and mandate implementation. These Integrated Training Materials (ITM) will strengthen the response of peacekeepers to CRSV, with particular emphasis on the protection of women and girls, within the frameworks of Women, Peace, and Security, Human Rights, Rule of Law, Protection of Civilians, and Child Protection.
The Departments of Peacekeeping and Field Supports (DPKO/DFS), the Department of Political Affairs, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights(OHCHR) and the Office of my Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict (OSRSG-SVC) have developed the first Policy on the Prevention and Response to CRSV by UN Peace Operations with an aim to ensure that the forthcoming policy is a useful reference in support of the effective delivery by complex UN peace operations of their CRSV mandate.
DPKO-DFS is leading the drafting, through consultation with UN peace operations, Member States, key departments and divisions of the UN Secretariat, UN Agencies, and other relevant partners, the Handbook on the Prevention and Response to CRSV by UN Peace Operations which will be co-signed by DPKO-DSF, DPA, OHCHR and OSRSG-SVC. The handbook aims, inter alia, at translating the forthcoming DPKO-DFS Policy on Prevention and Response to CRSV into day-to-day operations and activities; assisting Senior Mission Leadership, Women’s Protection Advisers and civilian, police and military components in UN peace operations in leveraging resources within and outside the mission; better utilizing the unique, comparative advantage of respective mission components and other partners in enhancing prevention and response to CRSV; and strengthen the synergy and complementarity with the implementation of the other key mandates and strategic priorities of respective missions.
Senior Women’s Protection Advisers implemented a significant number of CRSV capacity-building activities with key partners, including national security forces as well as parties to the conflict. The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali(MINUSMA) engagement with the Coordination des Mouvements de l’Azawad (CMA) culminated in the signing of a Unilateral Communique on preventing and combatting CRSV supported by a plan of action drafted by CRSV focal points. In South Sudan, although little to no progress was achieved by both parties to the conflict to implement the commitments made to address CRSV in 2014, following the outbreak of the conflict in July 2016, the Joint Technical Working Group, the joint UN- government mechanism set up in 2015 to oversee the implementation of the Joint Communique, resumed its activities after the 2016 outbreak of violence and with the support of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), is currently assisting the Government with the validation of the final implementation plan of the Joint Communique. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, MONUSCO supported the Government to prosecute two emblematic cases of conflict-related sexual violence in 2017. Firstly, a colonel of the FARDC was convicted for the war crimes of rape and pillage affecting 150 civilians in Musenyi, South Kivu; secondly, a Member of Parliament in South Kivu was convicted for his role in the abduction and rape of 39 children in Kavumu as a crime against humanity.
The Department of Peacekeeping Operations is also developing the capability to include Female Engagement Teams in community patrols, so peacekeepers can better interact with all of the local population to target our assistance to help protect the community from conflict- related sexual violence.
Justice and Corrections Support:
- In the Central African Republic (CAR), MINUSCA supports the Special Criminal Court, a national court composed of both national and international magistrates, to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes. The operationalization of the Court reached a new milestone this year with the appointment of nine of the 11 international and national magistrates, including the international Special Prosecutor and the Deputy Prosecutor. A witness protection strategy has also been adopted. In a further effort to reduce the threat of spoilers and armed groups, MINUSCA is supporting the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes, including SGBV, by other national courts. As a result, to date, 73 high profile individuals from various armed groups are being prosecuted for crimes including war crimes, rebellion and conspiracy, 61 of whom have been detained and are awaiting trial.
- In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), MONUSCO established Prosecution Support Cells to support military justice authorities to investigate and prosecute members of the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) and armed groups for serious crimes committed against civilians, including crimes of sexual violence. This initiative, which has included joint projects with UNDP, the European Union and other partners, has resulted in the conviction of 832 perpetrators, including 22 command level officers, in the eastern DRC where courts scarcely function or exist.
- In Darfur, with UNAMID assistance, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has tripled its capacity to 16 prosecutors, resulting in increased prosecutions and convictions of serious crimes committed by members of armed groups, including crimes of sexual violence.