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The United Nations has raised serious concerns regarding the alarming increase in conflict-related sexual violence throughout 2024. According to a report by the UN Secretary-General, more than 4,600 survivors have endured such abuses, which are often employed as weapons of war, mechanisms of torture, terrorism, and political repression. In response, the UN has called for all involved parties to adopt stringent measures prohibiting sexual violence and to ensure accountability for perpetrators.
UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, highlighted the dire consequences of the widespread violence, noting that the unprecedented severity and scope of attacks on healthcare facilities and frontline service providers have severely hindered survivors’ access to essential assistance. The report pointed to both state and non-state actors as being responsible for sexual violence in 21 countries, with the largest figures noted in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Somalia, and South Sudan.
The UN’s findings have placed 63 state and non-state actors under scrutiny, including new groups such as Résistance pour un Etat de Droit (RED) Tabara in the DRC and the Deterrence Agency for Combatting Organized Crime and Terrorism (DACOT) in Libya. The list also places Israel and Russia “on notice” for possible inclusion in next year’s report. Despite these findings, the organization has faced challenges in determining definitive patterns of sexual violence in areas like Ukraine and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as access for UN monitors has been denied.
The implications of this report are further underscored by the ongoing advocacy of the UN special rapporteur on torture, Alice Edwards, who has been pushing for the recognition of sexual violence as a form of torture. Edwards emphasized that the Convention Against Torture provides a robust framework for protection, as it bypasses questions of consent and applies inclusively across all genders and roles, recognizing the inherent severity of such acts. This perspective aligns with the Convention’s status as a jus cogens norm, offering absolute protection without exception.
As the UN continues to urge global accountability, organizations and governments alike are called upon to strengthen their commitment to ending the use of sexual violence in conflicts. For more on the UN’s recent findings and appeals, further details can be explored here.
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