MOGADISHU, June 20, (Xinhua/GNA) — The United Nations in Somalia on Monday, marked the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, with a call for Somalia to enhance the legal protection of all citizens from sexual violence.
The UN said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, that the government is yet to adopt a law to strengthen the legal framework for prosecuting conflict-related sexual violence. Such a law will be a critical step toward ensuring that survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Somalia, receive justice, and perpetrators are held accountable, it stressed.
Catriona Laing, the UN Secretary-General’s special representative for Somalia, said the severe drought that has affected Somalia for the last five years, coupled with the ongoing conflict, has exposed women and girls to increased risks of sexual violence.”The adoption of laws that reinforce the legal protection of all people, especially women and girls, from sexual violence will help make a difference,” Laing said.
The UN in Somalia said it has conducted capacity-building for government officials on human rights and international humanitarian law, as well as monitoring and reporting human rights violations including conflict-related sexual violence.
It has also supported national efforts to ensure that sexual offense legislation is consistent with the government’s international legal obligations and commitments to the protection of children and women.
The International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, is observed annually on June 19, and aims to remind the world of the collective responsibility to prevent and end sexual violence in conflict and uphold the dignity and human rights of everyone.
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