Justice

In Mali, where survivors are forced to withdraw complaints so that the perpetrators can escape justice; in Syria, where not a single person has been prosecuted for Da’esh’s vile acts; and in South Sudan, where we see the continuing abhorrent use of rape as a sickening means of punishing communities.

We cannot, however, be deterred. We must all play our part and do everything within our power to ensure that those crimes are reported, that survivors are cared for and that perpetrators, whether terrorists or State actors, are held to account. That is why the United Kingdom, in partnership with the United Nations Team of Experts and Justice Rapid Response, is carrying out a campaign to tackle the stigma that so often surrounds the survivors of sexual violence. It is why we worked with over 200 civil society experts to produce the international protocol that helps document those crimes. And it is why we are now developing the principles for global action to be launched at the General Assembly later this year. This is a new tool, developed, again, with civil society, but also with United Nations agencies and Member States, to help policymakers and international organizations tackle stigma through their own work.