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In July 2009, UNHCR held a seminar with the CEDAW Committee on promoting the use of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women to protect women affected by forced displacement and statelessness, focusing on sexual violence and discrimination against displaced women and girls. Hide

UNDP held its Global Conference on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Caracas, Venezuela, in order to better identify entry points for UNDP’s work on gender-based violence. Hide

OIOS recently commenced a thematic evaluation of the start-up phase of the Secretary-General’s Campaign “UNiTE to End Violence against Women”. The evaluation will also consider the broader framework in which the campaign is carried out, namely the UN’s work on gender mainstreaming and gender equality. The regional (ECLAC) working group for the Secretary-General’s UNiTE Campaign, in addition to UNIFEM, UNFPA and ECLAC, expanded to include the Interamerican Commission for Women (ICW), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), ILO, OHCHR, PAHO, UNAIDS, UNDP and WFP.As part of a review of the implementation of the mandate of OHCHR, OIOS surveyed 1,200 Colombians from different regions and socio-economic groups. Two thirds of all respondents indicated respect for human rights, as the most important issue to them, on a list that also included economic development, environmental protection and international relations. Women reported significantly higher levels of interest in human rights and significantly lower levels of knowledge concerning human rights mechanisms in Colombia than did men (A/64/203, Box, Knowledge of human rights among the population of Colombia, pp. 9-10). Seventy two per cent of respondents felt violence and civil unrest were definitely human rights issues. Staff of the OHCHR and its partners, from a wide range of stakeholders, were also interviewed, indicating that the OHCHR had contributed to increased protection of potential victims, reduction of human rights violations and more measures to improve access to human rights by marginalized and discriminated groups, including women.OIOS is providing support to the building of capacity and specialized skills for investigating SEA, including advanced training techniques involving victims of sex crimes. OIOS issues reports that request confirmation of follow-up by Member States contributing troops for peacekeeping operations, in order to ensure that allegations of SEA are not treated with impunity. Hide

An OHCHR consultant is implementing the pilot country gender strategy aimed at mainstreaming a gender approach in all of the Office’s programming and activities, including ways to identify and analyze cases of gender-based violence and women’s rights violations. Hide

On 3 June 2009, UN-HABITAT and UNIFEM signed a new Memorandum of Understanding regarding a global programme to tackle violence against women and girls in the world’s cities. This programme will focus on the development, testing and delivery of a new global model for safer cities, based on proven strategies and best practices that can be replicated in different cities around the world.UN-HABITAT, in partnership with the UNIFEM South Asia Sub-Regional Office and the NGO “Jagori”, has developed a framework for a Safer New Delhi, with women's safety being the entry point.The UN-HABITAT Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP) was adopted by the Governing Council in April 2009, focusing on the rolling out of the women's safety audit tool to other cities and training of local governments in adopting this approach; developing guidelines and a capacity building program for local authorities on women's safety in public spaces. Hide

In October 2008, UNHCR finalized a three-year Strategic Plan to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence. Hide

At global level, UNICEF co-led the gender-based violence area of responsibility of the Protection Cluster Working Group and participated in the ECHA/ECPS UN and NGO Task Force on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, and the working group on victims’ assistance developing a guide to support the implementation of the General Assembly Resolution “United Nations Comprehensive Strategy on Assistance and Support to Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by United Nations Staff and related Personnel”. Hide

OHCHR examined the feasibility of deploying gender advisors, including on violence against women, to regional offices, and completed a needs assessment mission to the Regional Office in Beirut in October 2008. OHCHR continued to develop a gender strategy for Colombia, including sub-strategies related to violence and a consultant was recruited for its implementation phase.In the Middle East and North Africa region, OHCHR worked to develop a strategy to combat crimes committed in the name of “honour”. Hide

In January 2009, UNRWA implemented its sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) policy "Prohibition of discrimination, harassment - including sexual harassment and abuse of power", supported by agency-wide training. The Agency researched initiatives to address violence against women within the region to determine best practices. Hide

Following the Fifteenth Meeting of Specialized Agencies and Other Bodies of the United Nations System on the Advancement of Women in Latin America and the Caribbean (Bogotá, 23 April 2008), a regional interagency working group has been established to define the strategy and ways to implement the Secretary-General’s campaign. ECLAC is acting as the link between the regional and global levels for the Secretary- General’s campaign to eliminate all forms of violence against women. Hide