Currently, an average of forty women is raped every day in South Kivu as a result of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On June 19th, the 15-member UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1820 (2008) on Sexual Violence against Civilians in Conflict, after a day-long ministerial-level meeting on “women, peace and security.”
The Resolution condemns the use of rape and other forms of sexual violence in conflict situations, stating that rape can constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity, or a constitutive act with respect to genocide. UN-INSTRAW joins in the demand for an immediate and complete cessation by all parties to armed conflict of all acts of sexual violence against civilians.
The Resolution also calls for effective steps to prevent and respond to acts of sexual violence as a way of contributing to the maintenance of international peace and security – including urging Member States to comply with their obligations for prosecuting the perpetrators of sexual violence, ensuring that all victims of sexual violence, particularly women and girls, have equal protection under the law and equal access to justice, and ending impunity for sexual violence as part of a comprehensive approach to seeking sustainable peace, justice, truth, and national reconciliation.
Read the full text of Resolution 1820
For more information, visit
Stop Rape Now: The UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict
Contact: Valeria Vilardo
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