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Foreign Minister Maas on combating sexual violence in conflicts
At a high-level conference on combating sexual violence in conflicts being hosted by the Norwegian Government in Oslo on 23 and 24 May 2019, the Federal Government is to pledge over 80 million euros. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas issued the following statement on this today (24 May):
A resolute approach to combating sexual violence in conflicts is a matter of great urgency and a focus of our work in the United Nations. Yesterday I spoke with Nobel laureate Nadia Murat about how we can make concrete progress on a survivor-centred approach. Together we must protect the victims and hold the perpetrators to account. In April the United Nations Security Council, under the German presidency, adopted Resolution 2467, which was an important step forwards. The German Government is now making an additional 80 million euros available to combat sexual violence.
Background information:
These funds, from the budgets of the Federal Foreign Office and Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, are being provided for projects designed solely or in part to combat sexual violence. They are to benefit a total of 18 organisations in more than 15 countries in 2019 and 2020. The funding will go to projects aimed at helping victims of sexual violence, for example in the field of primary healthcare, psychosocial support and other areas, but also to preventive measures such as awareness campaigns and dialogue platforms.
The conference is being organised by Norway, Iraq, Somalia and the United Arab Emirates in collaboration with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Participants in the conference include the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege. The aim is to gather far-reaching voluntary commitments, both political and financial, on combating sexual violence in conflicts.
As a partner in the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies, Germany is committed to a comprehensive preventive approach to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). As one element of this, the Federal Government calls for a fundamentally gender-sensitive approach to humanitarian assistance from its partners as well. The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2467 on sexual violence in conflicts in April, during the German presidency.
