Measures

UNFPA continued to be a key partner in the action research programme that has been rolled out in 4 select countries on ending sexual violence against girls and that is being co-led by the Centre for Diseases control, the Clinton Global Initiative and UNICEF. Hide

In collaboration with ECLAC, UNFPA hosted a multi-stakeholder workshop in Santiago, Chile, in September 2011. The workshop focused on strategies for developing a Women, Peace and Security Curriculum for the Latin American and Caribbean region over 2012, with a focus on gender-based violence. Hide

In its fifth year, the Ghent Gender-based Violence Course in humanitarian settings conducted by UNFPA in collaboration with Ghent University attracted 120 participants. The course was designed to improve knowledge, understanding, and communication skills to effectively prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV) in humanitarian settings, and to build capacity to coordinate multi-sectoral responses to GBV in humanitarian settings. A course curriculum has been drafted, tested, and revised over time, based on the evaluations and opinions of course team members, guest faculty, experts and the participants themselves. Hide

The development of an e-learning course to address gender-based violence issues in humanitarian settings was developed and rolled out; the course covers a broad swath of other issues under the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) agenda. To access the e-learning course, visit: https://extranet.unfpa.org/Apps/GBVinEmergencies/index.html Hide

UNFPA continued to provide support to the Kofi Annan Peace Institute in Ghana to develop capacities of grassroots women to implement Security Council resolution 1325 components in select African countries. The training curriculum on women, peace and security for the African region was developed over 2011 and will be rolled out over 2012. Hide

UNFPA supported the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders to develop capacities of grassroots women’s activists in Burundi and Nepal to enable them to monitor and advocate at the policy level on Security Council resolution 1325 implementation, with a special focus on sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence. Workshops were held over 2011 in both these countries and results of the monitoring and advocacy initiatives were presented at a high-level meeting held in New York in October 2011, along the sidelines of the 11th anniversary of the resolution. 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, 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 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 office in Brussels, together with the UN Country Team, actively participated in the elaboration and adoption of the European Union (EU) Directive on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and Protecting Its Victims. A commentary on implementing the Directive has been developed and submitted to the EU. This Commentary is aimed at assisting EU countries in interpreting the Directives in a more human rights-based approach. UNICEF also contributed to the Joint UN Commentary on EU Directive.OHCHR continued to promote the Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking through the organization of regional launchings of the Commentary of the Recommended Principles and Guidelines published at the beginning of 2011 with capacity building activities in Moldova (November 2011) and in the United Arab Emirates (December 2011). The Commentary is an in-depth analysis of the legal and policy frameworks on trafficking.The Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and Practice of the Human Rights Council was appointed in March 2011 and assumed its functions on 1 May 2011. During the reporting period, the Working Group held two sessions in Geneva, decided its working methods and thematic priorities. These relate to women’s right to equality in participating in public and political life including at times of political transitions (2012) and women’s right to equality in participating in economic and social life including at times of economic crisis (2013).More information can be found at:http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/WGWomen/Pages/WGWomenIndex.aspx Hide