Attachments
I. Introduction
1 . The present report, which covers the period from January to December 2021, is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2467 (2019), in which the Council requested me to report annually on the implementation of resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013) and 2467 (2019), and to recommend strategic actions.
2 . In 2021, continued recourse to military rather than diplomatic and political means led to displacement on a significant scale, exposing civilians to heightened levels of sexual violence. Rising inequality, increased militarization, reduced civic space and the illicit flow of small arms and light weapons also contributed, among other factors, to fuelling widespread and systematic conflict-related sexual violence, even in the midst of a global pandemic. A series of coups d’état, including in several countries that appear in the present report, were another worrying development. Terrorist groups and transnational criminal networks continued to destabilize some of the most fragile contexts, including through the use of sexual violence as a tactic. In some situations, gender-based hate speech and incitement to violence were evident in public discourse, including on digital platforms. Women peacebuilders and human rights defenders were often specifically targeted, including through sexual violence and harassment as a form of reprisal, in order to exclude them from public life. Activists and advocates working to highlight the plight and defend the rights of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, and to support their access to justice and services, were also subjected to reprisals and intimidation. Sexual violence further impeded women’s livelihood activities, against the backdrop of economic shocks and poverty driven by protracted conflict and pandemic-related restrictions. These trends emerged at a time when the global public health crisis as a result of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had already diminished humanitarian access and diverted resources away from life-saving services to address gender-based violence and deeply affecting survivors, in particular displaced women and girls. Military spending outpaced investment in pandemic-related health care in fragile and conflict-affected countries (see S/2021/827).
3 . Intersecting humanitarian, security and political crises exacerbated the root causes of conflict-related sexual violence, including militarization, the proliferation of arms, impunity, institutional collapse, structural gender-based inequality and meaningful participation in political, social and economic processes, which is in turn critical to ending conflict-related sexual violence and preventing its recurrence. Indeed, women and girls must be able to safely participate in all peace and security decision-making processes, as outlined in my proposal in Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) to develop a new agenda for peace), which also calls for greater investment in prevention.
4 . The term “conflict-related sexual violence”, as used in the present report, refers to rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, enforced sterilization, forced marriage, and any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity perpetrated against women, men, girls or boys that is directly or indirectly linked to a conflict. This link may be evident in the profile of the perpetrator, who is often affiliated with a State or non-State armed group, including those designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations; the profile of the victim, who is frequently an actual or perceived member of a persecuted political, ethnic or religious minority, or targeted on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity; a climate of impunity, which is generally associated with State collapse; cross-border consequences, such as displacement or trafficking; and/or violations of the provisions of a ceasefire agreement. The term also encompasses trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual violence and/or exploitation, when committed in situations of conflict.
5 . While many communities are affected by the threat, occurrence or legacy of conflict-related sexual violence, the present report is focused on countries for which information verified by the United Nations exists. It should be read in conjunction with my 12 previous reports, which provide a cumulative basis for the listing of 49 parties (see annex). The majority of listed parties are non-State actors, with several having been designated as terrorist groups according to the sanctions list of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011), and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities. National military and police forces that are listed are required to adopt specific, time-bound commitments and action plans to address violations and are prohibited from participating in United Nations peace operations. Effective implementation of commitments, including the cessation of violations, is a key consideration for the delisting of parties. Non -State armed groups are also required to implement action plans to prevent and address sexual violence in compliance with international humanitarian law and relevant Security Council resolutions.
6 . The deployment of women’s protection advisers, who are responsible for convening the monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements on conflict-related sexual violence in the field, has ensured more timely, accurate and reliable information and helped to overcome the dearth of data that is often used as a pretext for inaction. Deepening the evidence base requires sustained political resolve and resources. To date, the Security Council has called for the deployment of women’s protection advisers in the mandate authorizations and renewals of nine peace operations. A total of four peacekeeping missions with mandates pertaining to conflict-related sexual violence have established monitoring arrangements and incorporated early warning indicators of conflict-related sexual violence into their protection frameworks. Four special political missions have also established such arrangements. While the timely deployment of women’s protection advisers is a widely endorsed priority, the level of human and budgetary resources is not yet equal to the scale of the challenge. Moreover, the deployment of women’s protection advisers to the offices of resident and humanitarian coordinators in situations of concern was mandated by the Security Council in its resolution 2467 (2019). Their deployment is also envisaged to relevant United Nations regional hubs, in response to cross-border dynamics. In November, the Informal Expert Group on Women and Peace and Security met with my Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and four senior women’s protection advisers to discuss strategies for advancing the implementation of the mandate. At this meeting, the United Nations recommended, inter alia, the integration of these positions into the annua l budgets of United Nations peace operations, particularly during transition processes, in line with Council resolution 2594 (2021), and that an annual meeting of the Informal Expert Group be convened, with a focus on conflict-related sexual violence (see S/2021/1012). A strategic retreat of women’s protection advisers was also convened in November, culminating in a new community of practice to strengthen capacity and information-sharing.
7 . In order to promote effective coordination, the United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict network unites efforts across 21 United Nations system entities with the goal of preventing conflict-related sexual violence, meeting the needs of survivors and enhancing accountability. The network is the primary forum through which my Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict promotes cooperation and coherence among relevant actors in accordance with the principle of “Delivering as one”. The network also provides strategic support at the country level through the conflict-related sexual violence multi-partner trust fund. Programming through this fund advances the survivor-centred approach outlined in Council resolution 2467 (2019). Between 2009 and 2021, 53 projects were supported in 17 conflict-affected countries, as well as a range of regional and global initiatives. In 2021, United Nations Action provided funding for service providers working to address sexual and gender-based violence in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon to address challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The network also initiated the development of a prevention framework to guide system-wide efforts. In addition, United Nations Action launched an assessment of the monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements mandated by the Security Council in its resolution 1960 (2010), with the goal of strengthening data collection and analysis to activate early warning and help inform survivor-centred programming. In September 2021, the network organized a donor round table attended by more than 20 Member States, which called for predictable and sustained funding. The network aims to raise $100 million for the multi-partner trust fund by 2026.
8 . In 2021, the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, in accordance with its mandate under Security Council resolution 1888 (2009), continued to assist national authorities in strengthening rule of law institutions to enhance accountability for conflict-related sexual violence. Since its establishment, the Team has engaged in 14 conflict-affected settings in follow-up to the high-level political engagements of my Special Representative and with the consent of affected States. Despite challenges relating to the pandemic, the Team continued to make progress in several settings. In the Central African Republic, in partnership with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), it finalized a diagnostic report on the judicial response to conflict-related sexual violence, identifying the remaining challenges for law enforcement, national courts and the Special Criminal Court in investigating and prosecuting these crimes. The report was endorsed by the authorities and will form the basis of a national road map on the fight against impunity. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Team deployed a technical mission focused on reparations for victims in support of efforts by the authorities to advance related legislation. The Team also deployed an expert to assess pending criminal cases and lessons learned regarding the trial of Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka with military, judicial and civil society representatives, as well as United Nations partners. Moreover, the Team and the police component of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) supported the Congolese National Police in implementing their action plan on fighting sexual violence and establishing 10 gender desks in police stations in the eastern provinces. Following the coup in Guinea, in September 2021, the Team continued to advocate for accountability regarding the events of 28 September 2009, specifically for trials to be expedited, perpetrators to be held accountable and victims to be able to obtain ju stice and reparations. In Iraq, the Team worked with partners to support the finalization of the Law on Support to Female Yazidi Survivors (2021) and associated by-laws by ensuring the integration of a more inclusive approach. In Mali, the Team organized a workshop focusing on accountability for violations allegedly committed by armed groups, including terrorist groups, during the 2012–2013 conflict, which brought together magistrates, senior judicial and political authorities, and civil society organizations representing victims. This led to the prioritization by national judicial authorities of three cases, representing over 140 victims. In South Sudan, the Team and the United Nations facilitated the finalization of an action plan for the armed forces on addressing conflict-related sexual violence, contributing to the Government’s efforts to undertake institutional reforms and improve the conduct of the armed forces. The Team, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and academia, co-hosted a course entitled, “Gender dimensions and women’s rights in terrorism”.
9 . While acknowledging that conflict-related sexual violence committed by parties to conflict is distinct from incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse that continue to be committed by United Nations personnel in complex operating environments, I reiterate my commitment to improve the way in which the Organization prevents and addresses such conduct. In my report on special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (A/76/702), I provided information on efforts to strengthen the system-wide response and ensure full implementation of the zero-tolerance policy.