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Prevention of and Response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

A) Objectifs de l’engagement:

– We recall previous commitments to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, including Resolution 3 on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent reaffirm their continued relevance, and commit to accelerating measures for their implementation;

 

– We welcome the Resolution on ‘Bringing IHL home: A road map for better national implementation of international humanitarian law’ of the 33rd International Conference and hereby commit to implementing its provisions including to strengthen our prevention and response to sexual violence;

 

– We bear in mind the IFRC research ‘Effective law and policy on gender equality and protection from sexual and gender-based violence in disasters’ showing that sexual and gender-based violence tends to increase in times of disasters and emergencies due to weakened security structures and heightened vulnerabilities;

 

– We, the Government and National Society of Australia jointly pledge to undertake the following actions by the year 2023:

 

B) Plan d’action

  1. The Australian government to review domestic legal frameworks to determine whether they fully implement applicable international obligations with respect to sexual and gender-based violence, provide for investigation and prosecution, and offer protection and other necessary responses to the needs of victims/survivors, in particular by:

 

– Identifying the provisions of law in the domestic framework which criminalize sexual violence in armed conflict, and developing new, or modifying existing, legislation and regulations as appropriate so as to:

– Ensure that the criminalization of sexual violence in armed conflict is not limited to rape, but rather includes other acts including but not limited to sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, and enforced sterilization;

 

– Ensure that the legal definitions of sexual crimes are drafted in a gender-neutral manner, including by reviewing the material elements of the crime;

 

– Ensure that the legal definition of sexual crimes allows for the prosecution of both civilian and military actors.

 

– Tasking National IHL Committees and/or similar entities to advise and assist national authorities in the above undertaking.

 

– Engaging with the ICRC Advisory Service on International Humanitarian Law, or other components of the Movement, as appropriate, when technical advice is needed in the implementation of the above undertaking.

 

– Engaging with the National Red Cross Red Crescent Society and the IFRC, in particular the IFRC Disaster Law Programme and Protection, Gender and Inclusion Delegates/Coordinators, and other relevant humanitarian and development stakeholders, as appropriate, for technical advice, assistance, capacity building, and sharing of practices.

 

2. The Australian government to disseminate international humanitarian law, including its existing provisions that prohibit sexual violence in armed conflict, as widely as possible in their respective countries and, in particular, in programmes of military and, if possible, civil instruction, and to make every effort to fully integrate those prohibitions of sexual violence into all activities of the armed and security forces and detaining authorities, with the support of the components of the Movement as appropriate, in particular by:

 

– Ensuring the issue of sexual violence in armed conflict features in the instruction programmes and/or codes of conduct of armed and security forces and detaining authorities.

 

– Convening or participating in an expert exchange among armed and security forces and/or detaining authorities regarding experiences and good practices concerning the prevention of sexual violence in armed conflict.

 

– Engaging with the National Red Cross Red Crescent Society and/or the ICRC, in particular the ICRC Unit for Relations with Arms Carriers, as appropriate, when technical support is needed in the implementation of the above undertaking.

 

3. To make every feasible effort to ensure, insofar as possible, that victims/survivors of sexual and gender-based violence have unimpeded and ongoing access to non-discriminatory and comprehensive health care, including sexual and reproductive health-care services, according to national law, physical rehabilitation, psychological and psychosocial support, legal assistance and socio-economic support and spiritual services, as required, always keeping in mind the need to ensure the dignity and safety of victims/survivors, and the importance of confidentiality and privacy, including addressing issues such as social stigmatization of victims/survivors, in particular by:

 

– Engaging with the National Red Cross Red Crescent Society, the ICRC, in particular the ICRC Sexual Violence Operations Managers, and/or the IFRC, in particular the IFRC Protection, Gender and Inclusion Delegates/Coordinators and Emergency Health Coordinators or the Health and Care Department, and other humanitarian and development stakeholders, as appropriate, when technical support is needed in the implementation of the above undertaking.

 

4. With respect to our international humanitarian programs, the Australian government and Australian Red Cross will work jointly to apply our commitment to ensure that disaster- and emergency-management plans and activities include measures to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, such as putting in place specific training for relevant emergency- and disaster-response personnel, including the participation of women in disaster- and emergency-response teams, and engaging community members, in particular women, in decision-making about disaster risk management, in particular by:

 

– Australian Red Cross will work with other Movement components and in coordination with national disaster management authorities as relevant on ensuring access to services for all in disaster- and emergency-management plans and activities, and revising any plans, activities or practices that lead to discrimination or exclusion, exposure to exploitation or further harm.

 

– Australian Red Cross will work with other Movement components and in coordination with national disaster management authorities as relevant on ensuring the equitable participation of women in disaster risk management system governance bodies and management committees.

 

– The Australian government and Australian Red Cross will work collaboratively on engaging with the National Red Cross Red Crescent Society and the IFRC, in particular the IFRC Protection, Gender and Inclusion Delegates/Coordinators, to develop and strengthen the capacity of national institutions to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, and to invest in training and strengthening local expertise and community-based initiatives.

C) Indicateurs permettant de mesurer les avancées:

  1. Number of domestic legal provisions, policies, or procedures introduced or modified pertaining to sexual and gender-based violence
  2. Number of disaster contingency plans aimed at ensuring continuity of sexual and gender-based violence prevention and response services during disasters developed or modified
  3. Number of trainings initiated or improved on sexual and gender-based violence for legislators, prosecutors, or the judiciary
  4. Number of improvements in the integration of the issue of sexual violence into instruction programmes and/or codes of conduct for armed and security forces and detaining authorities
  5. Number of expert exchanges among armed and security forces and/or detaining authorities convened
  6. Number of barriers to victims/survivors accessing services removed
  7. Number of disaster- and emergency-management plans and activities developed or modified that ensure access to services for all
  8. Percentage of female participation in disaster risk management system governance bodies and management committees

D) Ressources nécessaires:

  1. Legislative review resources required for Action 1
  2. Military, security, and/or detaining authority training resources required for Action 2
  3. Legislative, regulatory or procedural review resources required for Action 3
  4. Regulatory or procedural review and training resources required for Action 4
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