Support to the Office of the SRSG on Sexual Violence in Conflict

This grant represents Canada’s institutional support to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SRSG-SVC). The SRSG-SVC uses these funds along with other donors’ funding to achieve its mandate.The SRSG-SVC serves as the United Nations’ spokesperson and political advocate on conflict-related sexual violence. The SRSG-SVC works to catalyse political will and transform it into concrete actions to address and prevent conflict-related sexual violence at the country level. The six priorities of the SRSG-SVC are: (1) to end impunity for sexual violence in conflict by assisting national authorities to strengthen criminal accountability responsiveness to survivors and judicial capacity; (2) the protection and empowerment of civilians who face sexual violence in conflict in particular women and girls who are targeted disproportionately by this crime; (3) to mobilize political ownership by fostering government engagement in developing and implementing strategies to combat sexual violence; (4) to increase recognition of rape as a tactic and consequence of war through awareness-raising activities at the international and country levels; (5) to harmonise the UN’s response by leading UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict a network of focal points from 13 UN agencies that amplify programming and advocacy on this issue in the wider UN agenda; and (6) to emphasize greater national ownership.

The expected outcomes as stated by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict include: (1) increased ability of national authorities to strengthen criminal accountability responsiveness to survivors and judicial capacity; (2) enhanced political ownership by national governments to address sexual violence in conflict; (3) increased recognition of rape as a tactic of war; and (4) strengthened coordination and effectiveness of the UN’s response to protect and empower civilians who face sexual violence in conflict particularly women and girls.