SGBV

Conflict-related sexual violence and sex as payment for passage for women and girls on the move, as well as the sexual enslavement of and trading in women and girls by terrorist groups, are a shockingly common reality. Austria hosted an international conference in June this year, entitled “Fighting Conflict-Related Sexual Violence — Grassroots Women as Agents of Change”, which focused specifically on the contribution and the role of women in civil society in Syria and Iraq. We reiterate our support for the important work on that topic by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sexual Violence in Conflict.