Course Description
Over the past years, numerous initiatives have been launched to address the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) during armed conflict, from the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 to the focus on documentation and investigation of sexual violence in war. This workshop provides an analysis of the relevant international legal frameworks aimed at preventing and responding to SGBV in conflict, including international humanitarian law (IHL), international human rights law (IHRL), international criminal law (ICL), and international refugee law.
Following an overview of the relevant law, the workshop will explore in greater detail key aspects of how international law addresses SGBV in conflict – including the evolution of ICL to consider SGBV as international crimes in themselves, and the role of IHRL, including the prohibitions of discrimination and torture, and the right of survivors to remedy and reparation. It will also provide an overview of how judicial and non-judicial international and regional mechanisms contribute to addressing SGBV in situations of armed conflict. It is designed to strengthen participants’ skills to use international law in the prevention of and protection against SGBV in different response contexts taking into account the roles played by humanitarian actors and legal professionals.