On 23 and 24 May 2019, LAW participated in “Ending Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Humanitarian Crises” – an international conference held in Oslo, Norway. The key objectives of the conference included to:
- mobilise stronger political commitment to prevent incidents of, and protect people at risk of, SGBV and conflict-related sexual violence, and to ensure that the response is life-saving, timely, and promotes the needs, rights and dignity of survivors and those at risk;
- mobilise additional financial resources, especially for SGBV response through UN coordinated response plans and for the ICRC’s 2019 special appeal; and
- highlight best practices and lessons learned from efforts to prevent and respond to SGBV in humanitarian situations, and help improve the evidence base in this field.
On 23 May, LAW Executive Director, Antonia Mulvey, chaired a panel discussion as part of the Oslo Conference, “Moving from a culture of impunity to a culture of deterrence,” which brought together leading experts in conflict, healthcare and international law to discuss how accountability for sexual and gender-based violence and access to justice for survivors of these crimes can be improved.
On 24 May, LAW and Human Rights Watch issued a joint statement calling for increased access to improved, survivor-centred medical and legal services in the immediate aftermath of crises, including access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. The statement also called for increased funding and support to local women-led and survivor-led civil society groups. You can read the LAW and Human Rights Watch statement in full here or watch Phil Robertson (Human Rights Watch) delivery of the statement in Oslo here.
