On 19 June, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1820, which
aims at ending sexual violence in situations of conflict. This Resolution has important implications for Nepal, where the full extent and impact of sexual violence during the decade-long conflict is not yet known, and where the Government is in the process of designing transitional justice mechanisms.
Resolution 1820 demands all parties to armed conflict, among other things, to
enforce appropriate military disciplinary measures for the crime of rape and other forms of sexual violence, and to ‘vet’ members of armed and security forces for any past violations and exclude their participation in reformed forces. The Resolution also stresses the need to exclude sexual violence crimes from any provision of amnesty and to ensure that victims of sexual violence have equal protection under the law and equal access to justice. Resolution 1820 further stresses the importance of ending impunity for such acts as part of a comprehensive approach to seeking sustainable peace, justice, truth, and national reconciliation. The full extent of sexual violence during the conflict in Nepal is unknown, mainly due to the difficulties that survivors face when speaking up about these crimes. OHCHR-Nepal has found, in the course of investigating and reporting cases of sexual violence, that there is both a lack of assistance available for the victims (medical,legal and psycho-social) and lack of access to justice. The authorities have often been reluctant to pursue investigations, or even to accept the lodging of a First Information Report (FIR), particularly in cases where security force personnel are implicated.
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Publisher:
UNOHCHR
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(2008
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Type / Script:
Press Release
in English
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Keywords:
CONFLICT, SEXUAL VIOLENCE, INVESTIGATION, PROSECUTION, TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE, PROTECTION, LAW AND ORDER, JUSTICE MECHANISM, VIOLENCE, UNANIMOUSLY, SURVIVORS, SUSTAINABLE PREAC, JUSTICE, TRUTH, NATIONAL RECONCILIATION, ENDING IMPUNITY, FIRST INFORMATION REPORT (FIR), ASSISTANCE, VICTIMS, MEDICAL, LEGAL, PSYCHO-SOCIAL, GENDER BASED DISCRIMINATION, IMPUNITY, RESOLUTION, SECURITY FORCE PERSONNEL
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Thematic Group:
UNOHCHR
:
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
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Thesaurus:
14.04.02
- Crime And Criminal Justice
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Reference Link:
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