Stop rape now
UN action against sexual violence in conflict
By Reecha Upadhyay, Gender Consultant, BCPR

During the week of International Women’s Day from 5 to 8 March 2007, UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict organized events in New York, Geneva and Nairobi. UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict is a joint initiative of 10 UN system entities (DPKO, OCHA, OHCHR, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIFEM, WFP and WHO), with the goal of ending and responding to sexual violence in crisis and recovery situations.  In concert with national governments and non-governmental organization (NGO) partners, UN Action aims to:

• Build upon and amplify existing UN efforts to end sexual violence in conflict
• Generate public and political outrage about the growing use of sexual violence as a means of conducting warfare
• End impunity for sexual violence in conflict
• Ensure a comprehensive range of services for survivors of sexual violence
• Address the longer term impacts of sexual violence on national and community recovery efforts

This initiative builds on existing UN coordination mechanisms, including the Gender Sub-Working Group, the Gender Based Violence Working Group of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), and the Brussels Call to Action of June 2006. It seeks to align the United Nation’s work more effectively behind national efforts and plans to address sexual violence and to deepen partnerships with the many NGOs and civil society agents already engaged in programming to end sexual violence in conflict.

For more information on this initiative, visit www.stoprapenow.org or contact reecha.upadhyay@undp.org.

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