International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict high-level meeting: Chair’s statement
Published 31 October 2023
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The inaugural high-level meeting of the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict (PSVI) took place in New York on 27 October. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Prime’s Special Representative for Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict and Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was the United Kingdom’s chair of the Alliance in 2023, with vice chairs the Colombian Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs, Elizabeth Taylor Jay and the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna.
The Alliance brings together diverse actors around the ambition to drive global action on preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). The United Kingdom announced the International Alliance at the PSVI Conference in London in November 2022 and launched it in New York in March 2023.
At the high-level meeting, the Alliance was resolute in its commitment to tackling CRSV, an abhorrent crime that shatters lives and leaves lasting scars on individual and communities. The Alliance agreed on the need to ensure that survivors can meaningfully engage in decisions that affect them, to champion innovative and survivor-centred approaches to tackling CRSV, to strengthen support to survivors and children born of CRSV, and to work together to coordinate action over the coming year. The Chair welcomed Malta and Switzerland, the most recent additions to the Alliance’s membership, taking the total members of the Alliance to 25.
The situation on the ground in CRSV-affected countries
The Alliance was grateful to United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten, who briefed on the global context, including in Ukraine, Sudan, Colombia and the DRC. Special Representative Patten reflected on how the Alliance can maintain momentum on tackling CRSV and deliver greater country-level impact, including by ensuring programmes to tackle CRSV receive sufficient funding.
The Alliance heard from the Ukrainian government and a representative of a survivor group in Ukraine. Ukraine provided an update on their survivor-centred policy approach, for example including survivors’ perspectives in the development of their national reparations mechanism. Ukraine expressed its readiness to share knowledge and experience with others, its practical implementation of a survivor-centred approach, and its willingness to work towards extending and strengthening the Alliance. The Alliance expressed deep concern at incidences of CRSV and underlined the importance of supporting Ukraine in its determination to ensure justice and accountability for these crimes and provide holistic support for survivors.
Providing a platform for survivor advocates and promoting survivor engagement in policymaking
The Alliance heard from 5 survivor representatives of the Survivor Advisory Group on the importance of meaningfully engaging survivors and children born of CRSV in decision-making. The Survivor Advisory Group members made recommendations for the Alliance and wider international community including strong collaboration between governments and civil society organisations and dedicated funding for survivor networks. Members of the Alliance thanked the survivor advocates for their invaluable perspectives and committed to working in a survivor-centred way. Members were appreciative of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Edinburgh’s message to the Alliance, in which she praised the survivor-centred approach of the forum.
All members of the Alliance in attendance agreed a statement of solidarity with survivors of CRSV. The statement highlights members’ commitment to a survivor-centred approach and putting survivors at the heart of efforts to address CRSV. It outlines the importance of engaging survivors in decisions that affect them, and of promoting survivor leadership, where survivors are empowered to set the agenda and advocate for their priorities. It seeks to send a powerful message to survivors, validating their experiences and demonstrating that the international community stands with them.
Sharing best practice on tools and innovation to tackle CRSV
The Alliance discussed tools for addressing CRSV including the Murad Code (a set of minimum standards for documenting survivors’ experiences), the Guidebook on State Obligations for CRSV (which brings together relevant international law) and a joint UK-International Criminal Court project to use virtual reality to help prepare survivors for testifying.
The Alliance heard from Nadia Murad, the Nobel Peace Prize Winner and CRSV survivor, who explained that the Murad Code is a globally owned project. The code is a set of minimum standards for those collecting information from survivors of systematic and conflict-related sexual violence. Members were encouraged to engage with the Code and ensure that their government departments implement a survivor-centred policy approach.
On the Guidebook, the Alliance heard that this is a powerful tool for helping states understand and comply with their international obligations, and for civil society and survivors to hold states to account.
Horizon scanning and coordination ahead of multilateral events
The Alliance considered key opportunities for future collaboration. This included submitting proposals for strong CRSV and gender equality language on the draft Crimes Against Humanity Convention. It is important for efforts to tackle CRSV to be coordinated with wider work on atrocity crimes and atrocity prevention, as well as those addressing gender-based violence. The 16 Days of Activism (25 November to 10 December 2023) and the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict (19 June 2024) present further opportunities for collective action and strategic communications.
Alliance raised opportunities for potential future collaboration including sanctions, implementing national survivor advisory groups, and supporting children born of CRSV. UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous, highlighted the importance of the Alliance working together to bring survivors closer to truth, justice and reparations.
Next steps
The Alliance heard from Colombia on its priorities as Alliance Chair in 2024: focusing on strengthening justice systems, scaling up the work of survivor advocates, developing the Alliance’s work with civil society organisations and awareness raising about CRSV crimes.
The Alliance agreed on the importance of ambitious and coordinated efforts to promote justice, support survivors and prevent sexual violence in conflict. Only with determined, united action can we promote a world where justice prevails, survivors are empowered to rebuild their lives, and CRSV is consigned to the history books.
Members in attendance at the high-level meeting on 27 October: Australia, Colombia, France, Japan, Kosovo, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malta, Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, UN Women, Survivor Advisory Group, Global Survivors Fund, Mukwege Foundation, Nadia Murad. Observer of the Alliance: United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten also attended the meeting.