SGBV

Extract: 

At a time when the number of victims of sexual violence targeted by parties to armed conflicts and terrorists is on the rise, this debate could not be more appropriate and relevant in the endeavour to mobilize efforts for concerted and effective international action aimed at preventing and responding to this growing problem.

 

The annual report (S/2017/249) of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence, which was issued last month, with its thorough analysis of current trends and emerging concerns regarding sexual violence in conflict as a tactic of war and terrorism, certainly provides a useful framework for our discussion. Sexual exploitation and abuse have indeed become rampant in various conflict and post-conflict operations and are often linked to other grave crimes, such as killings and the recruitment and use of child soldiers. It has also been used as a tactic of war by armed groups, particularly extremist and terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab, to terrorize the civilian population and achieve strategic objectives.

Moreover, as the Deputy Secretary-General stressed, in our efforts to ensure success in the fight against sexual exploitation and violence, we must never overlook what takes place at the family and societal levels, since that lays the foundation for what takes place, in a more egregious manner, during times of violence.

PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence