Measures to Address Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations

Human Rights Sections of Peace Keeping Operations continue to implement activities related to sexual gender-based violence. Hide

The Human Rights Section of MINUSTAH in Haiti participated in a workshop organized by the Direction départementale du Ministère à la condition feminine et aux droits de la femme, aimed at sensitizing the local population on sexual gender- based violence. The Human Rights Section together with the UNIFEM and IOM organized training for 20 UNPOL team leaders concerning the protection and response to the widespread occurrence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) within IDP camps. In light of the increased incidence of sexual and domestic violence, the Human Rights Section in Jacmel, together with the Ministry for Women, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (ONUSIDA), participated in a sensitization workshop at the Pinchinat Camp. The Human Rights Section stressed the importance of victims of sexual violence obtaining a medical certificate and denouncing the authors of these violations, in order to reduce their recurrence through accountability. Hide

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, released Addressing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: An Analytical Inventory of Peacekeeping Practice, developed with DPKO as part of UN Action and supported emergency efforts in Kyrgyzstan related to gender-based violence. Hide

UNFPA is a key partner, along with the Centre for Diseases Control, the Clinton Global Initiative and UNICEF, in a research programme on ending sexual violence against girls, that has been rolled out in 4 countries. Hide

UNFPA organized the panel of the Commission on the Status of Women on “Women, Peace and Security”. Hide

In DRC,in order to strengthen assistance and support to victims of sexual violence, OHCHR has assembled a high-level panel of experts that will convene in the end of September 2010. The panel, led by the Deputy High Commissioner, will hold a series of hearings in various parts of the DRC with survivors of sexual violence as well as other actors. It will examine how victims perceive and evaluate institutional responses to the crimes committed against them. Ultimately, this project will provide a much needed advocacy tool not only for developing a reparations mechanism for all victims of sexual violence, but also for addressing the many weaknesses in the judicial system that affect prosecution of this crime in the DRC. Hide

The OHCHR/Human Rights and Transitional Justice Section in the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste worked on the Draft Laws on Reparations, through an OHCHR-funded consultant, tasked with producing the original draft laws, and the follow-up institution for the truth commissions, such as the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) and the Commission for Truth and Friendship (CTF), advocating for the inclusion of victims of sexual violence. Hide

OHCHR, along with the Office of the SRSG on Sexual Violence in Conflict, DPKO and UNDP, worked on the operationalization of the team of experts to be deployed to situations of particular concern with respect to sexual violence in armed conflict, in order to assist national authorities to strengthen the rule of law, as called for under Security Council Resolution 1888. At the headquarters level, UNDP and other UN entities have developed a joint programme document and secured seed funding from the UN Action Against Sexual Violence Multi-donor Trust Fund (MDTF) for an initial six month period to recruit and put in place the team of experts. Hide

UNHCR and the U.S.Center for Disease Control (CDC) continue to work together on a population based survey on the magnitude of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and the barriers to protection and other services among refugee populations. A feasibility mission was carried out in one refugee settlement and one urban site in Uganda. Hide

During its Standing Committee in June, UNHCR introduced the outline of its strategy for the next five years to address sexual and gender-based violence. Hide