The top UN official working to end rape during wartime said she was encouraged by recent “positive steps” taken by the South Sudanese army to bring perpetrators to justice, thereby underscoring the Government’s commitment to zero tolerance.  

Sexual violence is used as a war tactic and a political tool to dehumanize, destabilize and forcibly displace populations across the globe, the UN’s expert on the issue told the Security Council on Friday, pressing countries to adopt a survivor-centred approach that ensures victims will not be forgotten.

Senior officials from across the United Nations on Monday stood in solidarity with survivors of violence against women and activists working to end the all-too common human rights violation.

Sexual violence in conflict - and the stigma that survivors often face - must be addressed urgently, UN chief António Guterres said on Monday, in a joint appeal for more funding and international action, together with the head of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer.