Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict: Day Two

On the second day of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague and Special Envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Angelina Jolie announced the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict.

The Protocol seeks to promote accountability for crimes of sexual violence under international law. According to the Protocol, accountability can be achieved through many forms such as criminal prosecutions, human rights litigation against responsible states or non-state actors, civil litigation, reparation claims for survivors/witnesses of sexual violence, and transitional justice processes.

This Protocol is the first of its kind, and we hope it will play a vital role in shattering the culture of impunity for sexual violence in conflict.

U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague

The United States is sending to the summit a delegation of nearly 30 representatives of government because – in the words of Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Sarah Sewall – “… we believe that gender-based violence (GBV) isn’t just an abhorrent abuse of human rights – it is also an issue of national security.”

Today, Victoria K. Holt, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, led a discussion on ways to improve training for peacekeeping forces to protect civilians.

If you are interested in catching up on events from the summit, an archive of video and photos is available here. We'll also share some updates from day three on Thursday.