Sexual and Gender-Based Crimes in Conflict Must End

An event highlighting the need to eradicate this global scourge

By invitation only.

The Institute for 21st Century Questions (21CQ) is honoured to be the major sponsor of an event marking the official launch of the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court’s Policy Paper on Sexual and Gender-Based Crimes. The high-profile event, taking place in the evening of Sunday, December 7th, 2014 at the Delegates Dining Room (located at the UN Headquarters in New York), aims to raise awareness of the global scourge of sexual and gender-based crimes in times of conflict and the need to fight impunity for such egregious crimes.

The ICC-Office of the Prosecutor’s Policy Paper on Sexual and Gender-Based Crimes, launched this past June, is the first and most comprehensive policy of its kind instituted by an international criminal jurisdiction. The policy paper is the by-product of extensive external consultations including with the relevant agencies of the UN, States Parties to the ICC, civil society and academia.

High level representatives of the UN, the international diplomatic community, academia, media and civil society will participate at the event. In addition to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Mrs. Fatou Bensouda, who will be hosting the event, other speakers include, among others: Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, and Mr. Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“Sexual and gender-based violence are among the gravest crimes under the Rome Statute. One of my top priorities when I assumed office as Prosecutor in 2012 was to develop a comprehensive policy paper for the Office on sexual and gender-based crimes. The policy paper reaffirms my personal commitment and that of my Office to place focus on sexual and gender-based crimes; and outlines a process whereby we can effectively investigate and prosecute these crimes […]. The international community can and must end sexual and gender-based crimes in conflict and impunity for the perpetrators. I am confident, that together, we can” – ICC Prosecutor, Mrs. Fatou Bensouda.

As part of its work on International Criminal Justice, the Institute for 21st Century Questions will be proudly sponsoring this event along with Humanity United and the Open Society Foundations.