Conflict-related Sexual Violence: Annual Open Debate
Tomorrow (8 July), the Security Council will convene for its annual open debate on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Council president in July, has titled this year’s open debate “Honouring the promise of international law to survivors of conflict-related sexual violence”. DRC Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka will chair the meeting. Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten and a woman civil society representative are the expected briefers.
Panama is expected to deliver a statement prior to the meeting on behalf of the signatories to the Shared Commitments on WPS initiative—Colombia, Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Panama, and the UK. It seems that, among other things, the statement may demand the cessation of all acts of sexual violence, condemn all violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL), and call for an end to impunity for CRSV.*
A concept note circulated by the DRC states that the open debate aims to discuss concrete measures put in place by UN member states and regional organisations to prevent CRSV, hold perpetrators accountable, and respond to the needs of survivors. Among other things, it says that the meeting seeks to identify “strategies to ensure that survivors are full partners in developing solutions, as well as measures to promote their leadership, effective participation and influence in policymaking and decision-making processes” on CRSV.
The concept note observes that, while access to justice for survivors is an essential aspect of the response to CRSV, more could be done to promote survivor-centred approaches in justice processes. Noting that compliance with international norms by conflict parties remains low, the concept note argues that consistent consideration by the Security Council’s sanctions committees of persistent perpetrators listed in the annex to the Secretary-General’s annual report on CRSV could help to promote accountability for such acts.
Additionally, the concept note says that the open debate is expected to address the sustainability of efforts to prevent and respond to CRSV in the context of UN peace operation drawdowns. It also further envisages examining how to address the gaps resulting from reduced UN capacity in conflict settings to support local and international actors in mitigating the risk of, and strengthening the response to, CRSV.
The concept note poses several questions to help guide the discussion, including:
- How can UN member states enforce compliance with IHL, IHRL, and relevant Security Council resolutions to prevent the use of sexual violence as a tactic of war, terror, torture, or political repression, and support accountability efforts to address these crimes?
- How can the Security Council strengthen accountability mechanisms to ensure that perpetrators of CRSV are held responsible, while guaranteeing survivor-centred justice and promoting transformative reparations?
- What immediate steps can be taken to reallocate resources, including by reducing military expenditure towards prevention, protection and survivor support?
- How can efforts to combat the illegal exploitation and trafficking of natural resources be leveraged to cease CRSV violations and support assistance and reparations for survivors of CRSV?
At tomorrow’s meeting, Patten is expected to focus on the Secretary-General’s latest annual report on CRSV, which covers the period from January to December 2025. The report documents 9,788 UN-verified cases, which represent a sharp increase from 2024, when the UN recorded 4,617 cases. The CRSV incidents covered in the report affect persons aged one to 70 years old, with women and girls accounting for the vast majority of cases. Most of the reported incidents against men and boys occurred in detention settings. The report also notes that LGBTQI+ people were at acute risk of sexual violence, in particular in detention settings.
Patten’s briefing is expected to highlight emerging concerns and patterns related to CRSV. For instance, she may draw attention to the heightened risk of sexual violence faced by displaced, refugee, and stateless women; the continued use by armed groups of abductions and trafficking, including for purposes of sexual exploitation; the role of sexual violence in sustaining war economies and its use to gain and retain control of territory and resources. She may note that cases of CRSV documented in the annual report were often accompanied by extreme physical violence, and that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons facilitated and fuelled CRSV.
Patten may also express concern at the increasing challenges to monitoring and verification of CRSV, including growing insecurity and limited access to conflict settings and detention sites, as well as constraints to the deployment and retention of Women’s Protection Advisers (WPAs). Only nine of the 21 situations covered by the report have WPAs. More generally, she may note that rising levels of military expenditure, together with severe funding shortfalls affecting UN entities, have placed additional pressure on resources for prevention, protection, and survivor support at a time of growing needs.
The civil society briefer is expected to focus on the situation in Haiti, including the prevalence of CRSV in the country, where the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) verified cases affecting 1,668 women, 187 girls, two men, and six boys in 2025. Among other issues, she is likely to stress the importance of guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health and rights for CRSV survivors, and warn that militaristic approaches may fail to adequately address the country’s multidimensional crisis. She may stress the importance of enforcing the arms embargo on Haiti and call for the deployment of WPAs to BINUH and to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF). She is also likely to stress the importance of women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in the elections in Haiti. (While elections in Haiti are expected to take place in the future, there is uncertainty about when this may happen.)
Council members are expected to express alarm at the sharp increase in cases of sexual violence documented in this year’s report; condemn all forms of CRSV; and call for justice, accountability, and reparations. Several members may also stress the importance of respecting IHL and IHRL.
Several members are expected to express support for an enhanced use of mechanisms available to the Security Council, particularly its sanctions regimes, and call for ensuring that sexual violence is included as a standalone designation criterion for targeted sanctions. Some speakers may welcome the establishment of the CRSV Prosecution Network by the UN Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, which was launched in March to provide support for member states—particularly their prosecutors, investigators, and judges—to advance accountability for CRSV.
Several speakers are expected to highlight the need to adopt a survivor-centred approach in responses to CRSV and stress the important role of women’s civil society organisations in CRSV response and documentation. Some members may call for extending support to these organisations, including through direct and predictable funding.
Several Council members may stress the importance of adopting and retaining gender-responsive peacekeeping mandates and draw attention to protection gaps during withdrawals and drawdowns of UN peace operations. Some speakers are also likely to underscore the importance of women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation—including in political and decision-making processes—and of advancing gender equality and women’s rights to address the deeper causes of gender-based violence.
As mandated by resolution 1960 of 16 December 2010, the Secretary-General’s report includes an annex listing “parties that are credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict”. This year, new listings include the Israeli armed and security forces, the Russian armed and security forces, and three non-state actors in the DRC (Wazalendo armed elements, Forces nationales de Libération, and Mai-Mai du groupe armé de l’Union des Patriotes pour la Libération du Congo). Tomorrow, several speakers may express concern about the violations that the report attributes to these actors, particularly the Russian and Israeli armed and security forces. Other situations of concern that may be mentioned include the Central African Republic (CAR), Myanmar, South Sudan, and Sudan. (For background, see the brief on WPS in our July 2026 Monthly Forecast.)
Russia and Israel have criticised the inclusion of their armed and security forces in the annex. The US has also expressed strong reservations regarding the listing of Israel. While these member states may reiterate their views tomorrow, several other participants are expected to express support for the Office and the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. These speakers may also underscore the importance of ensuring that the Office continues to receive sufficient support to carry out its mandate effectively, including for the deployment of WPAs to all situations of concern.
Some speakers may also welcome positive steps in addressing CRSV and stress the importance of engagement with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict by listed actors. For instance, the annual report notes a decrease in UN-verified cases attributed to the Congolese National Police over the past five years and says that the Secretary-General will consider de-listing them in the next annual report.
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* Post-script: An earlier version of this story noted that this statement was supposed to be delivered jointly with the DRC. It seems, however, that this was ultimately not possible due to some divergences regarding the content of the statement.
