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WHO organized and hosted a meeting on data and data collection methodologies on sexual violence in conflict on behalf of UN Action in December 2008. In January 2009, WHO co-organized a workshop for humanitarian actions in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, to introduce existing guidelines and initiate the integration of gender-based violence prevention and response actions. Hide

OCHA is the co-chair of the Executive Committees on Humanitarian Affairs and Peace and Security (ECHC/ECPS) UN and NGO Taskforce on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse. It led the development of field-guidance for the implementation of a victim’s assistance programme in accordance with GA resolution 62/214. Since 2008, 25 OCHA advisors have been deployed through GenCap to 18 humanitarian emergencies. Hide

OSAGI, now part of UN Women, in collaboration with UNIFEM, UNFPA, UNIDO, UNICEF and UNDP, participates in the organization and support of the “International Colloquium on Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security”, scheduled to take place in Monrovia, in Liberia, from 7 to 8 March 2009. OSAGI provided substantive contributions to the consultations organized by Member States and United Nations entities on the situation in Democratic Republic of Congo regarding the increase of sexual violence. Hide

UNFPA, in collaboration with World Education, held an expert workshop to develop a curriculum to address gender-based violence and violence against women in humanitarian/conflict/post-conflict settings. Hide

OSAGI, now part of UN Women, participates in the work of the task force responsible for preparation of the Secretary-General’s report on Security Council resolution 1820 (2008). Hide

OSAGI, now part of UN Women, continued to work on developing a common set of indicators for monitoring the implementation of resolution 1325 at the international and national levels, and participated in consultations with key United Nations system entities on the development of indicators on gender-based and sexual violence. Hide

In 2008, UNDP/Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery began the roll-out in 19 countries of the global programme Strengthening the Rule of Law in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations. In eight conflict/post-conflict countries (including Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guinea Bissau, Kosovo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Timor Leste), the programme has strong components on gender-based violence. Hide

In collaboration with the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), OSAGI , now part of UN Women, organized a virtual dialogue on best practices in national implementation of resolution 1325, in regard to violence against women in conflict and post-conflict situations. As part of its effort to create an online training course on development of national action plans on resolution 1325 for Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa, OSAGI carried out research and analysis of gender-based violence in the relevant regions. Hide

As a contribution to the Secretary-General’s Campaign “UNiTE to End Violence against Women”, OHCHR financially supported and participated in a conference organized by the NGO Medica Mondial, entitled “Women Seeking Justice - Getting Law”, in September 2008. Women from twenty-six mostly conflict or post conflict countries attended. The meeting took stock of challenges and achievements in terms of access to justice for women, victims of rape and other forms of sexual violence, and proposals in order to overcome women’s inequality. Hide

OSAGI, now part of UN Women, prepared the annual report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/622) to the Security Council in follow-up to Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). OSAGI continued to chair the Inter-Agency Task Force on women, peace and security, which supports the full implementation of resolution 1325. The Office serviced the open debate of the Security Council on 29 October 2008 and organized side events in partnership with other United Nations entities, Member States and NGOs. A photo exhibition “A Global Crescendo: Women’s Voices from Conflict Zones” at United Nations Headquarters addressed violence against women and girls during armed conflict. Hide