How does one turn commitments into action? In this seminar keynote speakerPramila Patton, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, focused on the many challenges we face in implementing UN Security Council resolutions addressing prevention and response measures. She paid particular attention to the importance of survivor-centered approaches, the provision of multisectoral services to victims, and efforts to reinforce accountability for crimes of sexual violence in conflict.
Experts on the topic of sexual violence in conflict also gave their interventions following SRSG Patton's keynote. The event was introduced and moderated by Deputy Director Torunn Tryggestad and included both a panel discussion and Q&A session.
In her keynote, SRSG Patten discussed challenges and opportunities in the work of translating commitments made by UN Member States into compliance, and the work of ensuring that resolutions of the Security Council make a difference in the lives of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and in preventing these crimes from occurring in the first instance.
Following this, experts provided brief interventions on the topic. PRIO research professor Gudrun Østby presented her work titled "Children at risk of sexual violence by armed actors and armed groups - where are they and how many are they?".Inger Skjesbæk, also a PRIO research professor, then presented "Children born of war, a hidden victim group?". Finally, Signe Gilen, Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized the issue of sexual violence in conflict and the importance of directing the focus on effective actions and solutions.
