INTERNATIONAL: UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Named

Date: 
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Source: 
Seattle Women's Issus Examiner
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
General Women, Peace and Security
Participation

In 2008, the United Nations unanimously adopted Resolution 1820 which calls for the, “immediate and complete cessation by all parties to armed conflict of all acts of sexual violence against civilians”. Acknowledging that sexual violence is most often targeted at women and girls, the UN pledged to promote gender equality as a main component of their future peacebuilding endeavors.

In line with this increase in attention toward ending sexual violence, the UN announced the formation of the the interagency network, the UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict. This was bred out of responses from various stakeholders including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), women's rights organizations, and rape survivors who demanded more focused attention on the issue of sexual violence against women in conflict zones.

The network, under the UN Peacebuilding Office, which currently has projects in Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR), Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau, will ensure women have a place in the peacebuilding efforts underway in these post-conflict countries. It will serve as a model for future UN programs focused on rebuilding war torn areas across the globe.

Yesterday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Margot Wallström of Sweden as the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, filling a role that was created last September to strengthen the effectiveness of this program. Ms. Wallström has previously served as Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders Ministerial Initiative and has a long history of promoting women's rights in Sweden as well as through her high-level positions in the European Union.

Ms. Wallström and the UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict will continue to draw attention to the role rape plays in contemporary warfare and address ways to combat this including bolstered training for UN security forces in preventing sexual violence and in recognizing and supporting victims of rape and targeted violence.