Press Release
First International Symposium on Sexual Violence in Conflict and Beyond Opens Today in Brussels
21 June 2006
BRUSSELS, Belgium — More than 250 participants from 30 countries are meeting at the Palais d’Egmont in Brussels today for the first major international conference addressing sexual violence in war-affected countries.
The three-day International Symposium on Sexual Violence in Conflict and Beyond is being co-convened by UNFPA, the European Commission and the Government of Belgium.
Participants include heads of United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations, human rights activists and researchers, government ministers, doctors and other field-based humanitarian workers, parliamentarians, representatives from the International Criminal Court, military and police officers, war correspondents and other members of the media.
Although sexual violence in wartime is not new, a growing body of evidence suggests that it may be becoming more common. The trend towards more civil and regional conflicts means civilians are targeted more than ever before. Systematic rape has been a prominent feature of recent conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Timor-Leste, Haiti, and the ongoing conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan.
But sexual violence does not occur only during armed attacks. Women and young people also become highly vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation during flight, in displacement camps, and even during aid distribution. High levels of sexual violence may persist even after conflict has officially ended, due to a residual culture of violence and shattered legal systems that fail to protect survivors or prosecute perpetrators.
The Brussels meeting will examine the scope of the phenomenon, its social, cultural and development costs, the benefits of prevention and care, and success stories from the DRC, Liberia, and other war-affected countries that have adopted a “multi-sectoral model”, integrating actions and policies across the health, social, legal and security sectors.
A total of 14 conflict-affected nations are sending delegations to the symposium: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Central African Republic, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Indonesia, Liberia, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Uganda. The delegations will present national action plans for combating sexual and gender-based violence in their countries and territories and seek input and intensified support from international donors and humanitarian agencies.
The impact of sexual violence can be devastating – for survivors, their families and communities, and entire nations. Physical consequences may include injuries, unwanted pregnancies and HIV/AIDS. Damage to mental health may lead to anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and suicide. Failure to stem widespread sexual violence can also perpetuate a cycle of anxiety, fear and retribution that may impede peace-building, recovery and reconstruction.
The Brussels symposium comes at a time when sexual violence is increasingly being recognized as a significant public health, human rights and development issue in countries affected by conflict.
The United Nations has taken up the issue in the Security Council, in high-level reports on issues ranging from peacebuilding to United Nations reform, and in new frameworks and guidelines for humanitarian action. The International Criminal Court now recognizes systematic rape in conflict situations to be a war crime, and a growing number of post-conflict countries are taking steps to incorporate protection for survivors and tougher sentences for perpetrators into legal reform processes. In January, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf became the first Head of State to specifically mention the issue as a priority in an inaugural address.
The symposium will open officially at 1 p.m. today, with addresses by Belgian Minister of Development Cooperation, Armand De Decker, UNFPA Executive Director, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, and Lieve Fransen, Head of the European Commission Unit for Social, Human and Cultural Development. The forum is scheduled to conclude on Friday at 12 noon, with a call to action.
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The United Nations Population Fund is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.
Contact Information:
UNFPA Brussels: David Del Vecchio, tel. +32 (0) 498 62 45 09, delvecchio@unfpa.org; or Angela Walker, tel. +32 (0) 479 85 48 25, awalker@unfpa.org
UNFPA New York: Omar Gharzeddine, tel. +1 212-297-5028, gharzeddine@unfpa.org
European Commission: Norbert Sagstetter, tel. +32 (0) 2 299 2848, norbert.sagstetter@cec.eu.int
Government of Belgium: Erik Silance, tel. + 32 (0) 475 75 62 88, erik.silance@diplobel.fed.be
