Locations
Ukraine Joint Programme on conflict-related sexual violence
Project summary:
Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, one third of the Ukrainian population has been forced to leave their homes, the overwhelming majority of them women and children. The risks of sexual violence, such as conflict-driven trafficking, have been elevated.
The joint programme was designed in response to needs expressed by the Ukrainian authorities in the course of the development of the Framework of Cooperation on the prevention and response to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). The Framework of Cooperation was signed between the United Nations and the Government of Ukraine in May 2022, and a related Implementation Plan was developed to coordinate the CRSV response efforts of a broad range of stakeholders – including international partners, UN agencies, government entities and civil society organizations. While pushing forward with the Implementation Plan in a volatile conflict-affected environment, the national authorities sought strategic and technical support to coordinate and assist with its roll-out. The joint programme is a response to this request. It outlines how technical support and expertise is to be provided to Ukrainian government institutions, and assigns relevant UN entities to work in collaboration with civil society organizations and first responders in implementing the Framework of Cooperation through: (i) policy development, (ii) training/awareness raising, and (iii) support to survivors.
To this end, a Joint Secretariat comprising representatives of the Office of the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy of Ukraine and relevant UN entities will be established to support a government Interdepartmental Working Group in developing and coordinating activities within the Implementation Plan. As a critical component of this project, the Government of Ukraine identified the need to be supported by six national experts on conflict-related sexual violence. The experts are to be deployed in four government institutions, namely: the Deputy Prime Minister’s office for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, the Office of the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality and Policy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the National Social Service of Ukraine. Concurrently, a team of Women Protection Advisers will be deployed to support the UN Country Team in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, in particular resolution 2467 (2019), in support of the Joint Secretariat, which is responsible for coordinating the overall implementation of the Framework of Cooperation, as co-signatories of the agreement, and its Implementation Plan. The project is being implemented with financial support from the European Union.
Project goal:
Deliver effective support in terms of policy development, capacity-building, awareness raising and support to survivors, so that national authorities have increased capacity to coordinate the roll-out of the Implementation Plan on the basis of accurate data. The project should also ensure that survivors have enhanced access to comprehensive, multisectoral services, and that accurate and timely information on these services is accessible, in line with the survivor-centred approach.
Expected results:
1. Policy development
The strategic and technical capacity of the national authorities to prevent and respond to CRSV is enhanced in the long term, in line with the Framework of Cooperation and its Implementation Plan, through improved coordination among government entities involved in the roll-out of the plan, and the deployment of additional dedicated experts among relevant government and UN Country Team entities.
2. Capacity building
The capacity of stakeholders involved in the roll-out of the Implementation Plan for the Framework of Cooperation on CRSV will be improved through targeted training on the development of programmes using a survivor-centred approach, based on accurate and objective data, so as to facilitate CRSV survivors’ access to services and referral.
3. Support to survivors of sexual violence in conflict
The accessibility of services for CRSV survivors will be enhanced by identifying, mapping and coordinating referral pathways to adequately connect CRSV survivors to appropriate, quality and multi-sectoral services in the long term. Standards to ensure the provision of comprehensive and needs-based assistance to all CRSV survivors will be developed and shared to guide all prevention and response efforts. The accessibility of services for CRSV survivors will be strengthened through material, financial and institutional support to service providers – including women’s civil society organizations.