Sexual violence can be a crime of international concern, especially if it is ...

Sexual violence can be a crime of international concern, especially if it is part of a widespread or systematic campaign and can therefore constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity or even an act of genocide. The need to ensure accountability for such crimes is self-evident.

International tribunals have long been at the forefront of the fight against impunity for such crimes. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, for example, recognized rape as an act of genocide for the first time in history in 1998. The Rome Statute, adopted earlier that very year, represented a tremendous step forward by incorporating, for the first time and explicitly in an international legal framework, sexual violence such as rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution and forced pregnancy. It did so in a way that makes their prosecution a practical possibility. The importance of implementing those provisions is further illustrated by the obligation of the Prosecutor to take into account the nature of a crime, in particular where it involves sexual violence, gender violence or violence against children.