The Interagency Working Group on Combating Sexual Violence Related to Russia’s Armed Aggression Coordinated Priorities for Further Work
25.07.2024
On Wednesday, July 24, a meeting of the Interagency Working Group on Countering Sexual Violence Related to Russia’s Armed Aggression against Ukraine and Assistance to Victims (IWG) was held.
The results of the IWG’s work over the past six months and new projects aimed at implementing the Framework Agreement on Cooperation between the Government of Ukraine and the UN on the Prevention of CRSV adopted in 2022 were presented.
The meeting, chaired by the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy, was joined by experts from the technical mission of the Office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, who are currently on a working visit to Ukraine; representatives of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, ministries, international and non-governmental organizations.
Among the important results of the IWG’s work is the implementation of the Pilot Project on Immediate Interim Reparations to Victims of the CRSV in Ukraine. As of July 2024, 88 people have already received compensation under the project.
A new project “Strengthening national and local mechanisms for preventing and responding to CRSV in Ukraine through a multi-sectoral, victim-centered approach / Joint Action to strengthen the capacities of victims of CRSV” was also presented during the meeting.
This is an inter-agency UN project involving 6 agencies (UNFPA), the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine, UN Women in Ukraine, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Ukraine (UNODC), the World Health Organization in Ukraine (WHO), the United Nations Development Program in Ukraine (UNDP) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM)).
The project aims in particular to strengthen the coordination of actions aimed at providing assistance and support to victims, as well as to promote effective investigation of crimes related to CRSV.
It is expected to:
- Strengthening cooperation to implement effective victim-centered solutions;
- Ensure effective investigation and prosecution of crimes related to CRSV by the criminal justice system;
- Ensure that survivors of CRSV receive enhanced protection, support and benefits from improved comprehensive and multisectoral assistance;
- Strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations and women’s CSOs to raise awareness of CRSV and provide basic legal information;
- Strengthening the capacity of national authorities to respond to CRSV;
- Improved access to temporary and long-term reparations instruments for survivors of CRSV.
The IWG meeting was organized by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and the Office of the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy jointly with the Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, with the support of UA Experts and the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, with the support of the UN Inter-Agency Project “Joint Action to Strengthen the Capacities of Survivors of CRSV.
The project is being implemented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Women and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in cooperation with the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
