Event
Conflict Related Sexual Violence in Peace Negotiations: Implementing Security Council Resolution 1820
Event Type: Conference, Meeting or Symposium
Date: 22.06.09 – 24.06.09
Location: United States – New York
Details
The following were a series of events that took place as part of the high-level colloquium Conflict Related Sexual Violence in Peace Negotiations: Implementing Security Council Resolution 1820 (22-24 June). [Concept Note]
EVENTS
Briefing for UNCA Members
16:00, Thursday, 18 June
S-326, UNCA Club, United Nations Secretariat Building
The colloquium was held to coincide with the first anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1820 and addressed one of the most neglected aspects of conflict resolution: how to address conflict related sexual violence in peace processes and peace negotiations (background information below). It aimed to generate practical guidance for mediators to encourage parties to peace talks to address sexual violence. The meeting convened high-level experts, including Jan Egeland, Ian Martin, Major General Patrick Cammaert Leila Zerrougui, Luz Mendez, Denis Mukwege, Shobha Gautam, Leymah Gbowee and others. Read more...
Press Conference
11:15, Wednesday, 24 June
S-226, United Nations Secretariat Building
For women in today’s civil wars, often the war is not over when it is over. Sexual violence has become a method of fighting in modern war, with devastating impact on women and their communities. Failure to address sexual violence in the peace processes, to treat it as a war crime and prosecute it means that it spills over into peace time, with countries like Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo currently seeing an epidemic of rape. Addressing sexual violence in peace processes is a way of signaling that sexual violence is unacceptable in the post-conflict era. Yet it has been absent from peace accords for a number of reasons, not least because so few women participate in peace talks. In 2008, the UN Security Council acknowledged the use of sexual violence in conflict as a deliberate tactic of war. The challenges of addressing this issue in peace processes will be discussed at the Colloquium of high-level mediators, experts, and peace activists. The meeting was timed to contribute to discussions on the upcoming Secretary-General’s Report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1820. Read more...
A webcast was available for the press conference.
NOTE: Interviews with peace negotiators and experts are available.
Arria Formula on Peace Negotiations & SCR 1820
13:15-14:45, Wednesday, 24 June
Conference Room 4, United Nations Headquarters
Contact:
Oisika Chakrabarti, Media Specialist
Tel: +1 212 906-6506
