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In West Africa, OHCHR’s Regional Office, together with other UN entities and partners, supported the organization of a round-table of the Ministers of Women’s Affairs of the 16 ECOWAS Member States at the end of which a regional action plan was adopted. The plan has three main objectives: to improve participation of women in conflict prevention in the ECOWAS countries; to ensure effective protection of women and girls in pre-conflict, conflict and post-conflict periods; and to ensure fair participation of women and men in peace, security and reconstruction processes in post-conflict situations. Hide

OHCHR continued supporting the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, its causes and consequences: in supporting three country visits to Jordan (11-24 November 2011), Somalia (9 – 16 December 2011) and Italy (15-26 January 2012); in strengthening partnerships with other human rights mechanisms, including the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); and in convening an Expert Group Meeting on gender motivated killings of women. The Special Rapporteur also held a bilateral meeting with the CEDAW Committee with a view to strengthening partnerships between the two mandates and mutually benefit from their respective work. Hide

OHCHR has undertaken a joint initiative with UNFPA and the University “Centro Americana José Simeón Cañas” in El Salvador to create a certificated training course on “Attention and Investigation of Gender-based Violence” for professionals in the justice, security and health sectors. Hide

In Senegal, OHCHR has been involved in a government training directed at the police and the armed forces on Security Council resolution 1325. OHCHR is also actively involved in the training for women high-level mediators developed by UNOWA. Hide

The OHCHR continued to work closely with the SRSG on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SVC) to support her mandate through the provision of information and support in connection with country visits; support to staff fielded by the SRSG SVC for specific purposes and joint follow-up to SRSG SVC’s visit. OHCHR also provided secretariat support to Commissions of Inquiry created by the Human Rights Council. UN Women supported these Commissions by seconding a gender advisor to ensure adequate attention and treatment of violence against women, including appropriate collection and storage of evidence and protection of survivors’ confidentiality. Hide

In Afghanistan, OHCHR/UNAMA provided support to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and provincial Departments to establish commissions on the elimination of violence against women in different provinces. Hide

OHCHR conducted a training course for law enforcement officials from Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Russian Federation, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on the Commentary on the Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking with capacity building activities. Hide

OHCHR, UNFPA and other UN agencies participated in the work of the Standing Committee on Women, Peace and Security of INAGWE and in 2011 was closely involved in the development of the 1325 Strategic Framework and in the technical development of relevant 1325 indicators. Hide

In Uganda, OHCHR, in partnership with the Human Rights Commission, consulted women and girls who were victims of grave violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law on their views on remedy and reparation. This work was published in the report “The Dust Has Not Settled: Community reflections on reparations in northern Uganda.” In May 2011, an expert meeting on gender and witness and victim protection was organized. The discussions elaborated on specific challenges and demands with respect to witness and victim protection in proceedings and programmes relating to human rights violations disproportionately affecting women, such as sexual and gender-based violence, domestic violence, so-called honour crimes and trafficking, and will contribute to the development of the framework of a tool for use at national level. Hide

In 2011, together with UN Women, OHCHR supported the preparation of a study on reparations for victims of conflict-related sexual violence, which will inform a guidance note on this issue to be finalized in 2012. Hide