FIDH attends Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict

10/06/2014
Press release

The Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, which will take place in London from 10 to 13 June 2014, will gather over 150 states representatives, together with many non-governmental experts, including FIDH and its member organisations, women’s rights defenders and survivors of sexual and gender based violence in conflict around the world. This Summit is hosted by Great Britain within the framework of its Preventive Sexual Violence in Conflict Inititative, launched in May 2012.

"FIDH calls on all States to adopt concrete commitments to end sexual violence in conflict", said Karim Lahidji, FIDH President. "States have the opportunity to take advantage of the vast expertise of non governmental actors gathered in London, and to engage in strengthening the documentation and prosecution of sexual and gender based violence in conflict situatons around the world."

Through a wide range of investigations into cases of sexual violence in conflict and post conflict situations, FIDH has identified multiple factors explaining why sexual and gender based violence continue to be widely perpetrated in today’s conflicts: discrimination against women in law and practice, stigmatisation of survivors, generalised impunity for the perpetrators of these crimes, a lack of representation of women in peace negotiations and processes.

FIDH calls on all States participating in the Summit to adopt strong and long term commitments to reinforce the documentation of sexual and gender based violence in conflict, to investigate and prosecute these crimes at the national level, to facilitate international cooperation and assistance to end these crimes and to provide effective support and assistance to survivors. The Summit should also adopt an Internatonal Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict. FIDH welcomes the UK initiative and calls for its continuation and effective support by all States.

"The UK initiative has contributed to important developments in the training of experts, the adoption of international commitments and raising awareness on sexual violence. It is now time for all States to turn their commitments to ending these atrocities into practice", concluded Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH Honorary President.

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