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Digital Library

For a list of relevant guidance documents, please refer to the mapping conducted by UN Action

Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Do’s and Don’ts by the GBV Sub-Cluster in Ukraine (2024)

This knowledge product was developed by the GBV Sub-Cluster in Ukraine in 2024. "GBV prevention and response is one of the most sensitive and complex areas of humanitarian service delivery. In many places, being identified as a GBV survivor – and, sometimes, as someone who is helping a survivor -- can result in isolation, social stigmatisation, re-traumatisation, rejection from family and community, and, in some extreme cases, death. As such, all work connected to GBV must employ a survivor-centred approach that promotes safety, confidentiality, non-discrimination and respect for the choices of survivors. Any activity that fails to comply with these basic ethical and safety principles runs the risk of creating additional harm for GBV survivors, their families, communities and those who are helping them. This document outlines key messages for different actors who may discuss, engage with, or support work around CRSV."

Vulnerability To Trafficking in Persons in the Context of the War in Ukraine: Findings from Poland and Romania

The war in Ukraine has heightened socioeconomic vulnerabilities for millions of Ukrainian and third-country nationals (TCNs) residing in the country, amplifying risks on an unparalleled scale and leading to unprecedented levels of displacement within Ukraine and across its borders. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there were 6,554,800 Ukrainian refugees worldwide as of June 2024, including 5,996,500 residing in Europe and 558,300 hosted by other countries (UNHCR, 2023a). The majority of those who have fled the country since February 2022 are women and children.

The Missing Link: Rethinking and Reprioritsing HIV and GBV in Fragile Settings by UNAIDS

This report explores the extent to which evidence, policy, normative guidance and commitments on HIV and GBV, and their interlinkages, is being translated into action on the ground in fragile settings. These issues are explored through the lens of training of peace support operations deploying African troops across Africa and beyond. It references CRSV throughout, including in the identification of numerous UNSCRs on CRSV.

Addressing Sexual Violence against Men, Boys, and LGBTIQ+ Persons in Humanitarian Settings

The aim of the Guidance Note, developed by the Women's Refugee Commission, is to outline key actions and considerations for service provision per sector to support frontline workers to better address sexual violence against men, boys, and LGBTIQ+ persons. The Guidance Note draws upon and consolidates existing humanitarian guidance, including guidance related to health, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), child protection, and GBV, and contextualizes the existing guidance with learnings from our research to provide additional insights and context for service providers. The Guidance Note is a starting point to complement existing guidance and is based on current knowledge of these issues.

Guidance on Protection Assistance for ex-Combatants

Developed within the Global Protection Cluster (GPC) and lead by IOM and UNHCR, the purpose of this Guidance is to provide recommendations to Protection Cluster partners regarding protection service provision to ex-combatants, and was developed to respond to requests received from Protection Cluster partners. This Guidance briefly describes humanitarian principles, aligns International Humanitarian Law terminology on combatants with domestic law, identifies the point at which an individual is no longer considered a combatant, describes the documents that confirm that a person is discharged from military service and is therefore a civilian that can be eligible for protection assistance, and provides a list of services for veterans and their families that should be used by humanitarian protection partners for referrals.

2023 Annual Summaries of Activities and Good Practices by UN Peacekeeping Operations in Preventing and Responding to Conflict-Related Sexual Violence

The annual report, in its fourth edition, presents activities and good practices carried out in 2023 by United Nations peacekeeping missions to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). The report focuses on the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The report is articulated around the five priority areas of the Policy on Prevention and Response to Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in UN Field Missions (2000): prevention and protection of persons facing the risk of CRSV, ending impunity for CRSV, awareness and condemnation of CRSV, enhancing the capacity of national actors and empowerment of victims and survivors through political processes and their referral for support.

Principes fondamentaux de l’application des concepts de consentement, d’assentiment, de dissentiment et d’évolution de la capacité individuelle pour assurer des processus de documentation, de justice et de réparations tenant compte des traumatismes pour les enfants survivants de violences sexuelles

Ces principes fondamentaux ont été élaborés par Physicians for Human Rights en collaboration avec une communauté de pratique composée d'experts mondiaux de multiples secteurs : médical, psychologique, juridique, judiciaire, éthique et des droits de l'homme. L'objectif de ces principes fondamentaux est de fournir des considérations clés lors de l'élaboration et de la mise en œuvre de processus de consentement et d'assentiment pour des enfants survivants de violence sexuelle ; qui respectent le droit des enfants d'être entendus et l'évolution des capacités dans le cadre de processus de justice et de réparation tenant compte des traumatismes. Ces principes sont destinés à un usage par des professionnels formés, cherchant à appliquer une vision éthique et tenant compte des traumatismes à la structuration de processus de consentement chez les enfants.

Foundational Principles for Applying the Concepts of Consent, Assent, Dissent and Evolving Individual Capacity to Ensure Trauma-informed Documentation, Justice, and Reparations Processes for Child Survivors of Sexual Violence

These foundational principles were developed by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) in collaboration with a community of practice made up of global experts from the medical, psychological, legal, ethical and human rights sectors. The goal of these foundational principles is to provide key considerations when developing and implementing consent and assent processes for child survivors of sexual violence that respect children’s right to be heard and evolving capacity within trauma-informed justice and reparation processes. These principles are meant to be used by experienced, trained professionals seeking to apply an ethical and trauma-informed lens to structuring consent processes with children.

Supporting displaced adolescent boys and male youth in all their diversity who are survivors or at risk of sexual exploitation – A toolkit for frontline workers in humanitarian contexts

This toolkit, developed by UN Women and the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC), seeks to increase prevention, support, and access to services for displaced adolescent boys (10-19 years) and male youth (15-24 years), including those with diverse SOGIESC, who are survivors or at risk of sexual exploitation, by enhancing the capacity of frontline workers in humanitarian settings. This toolkit contains guidance, capacity-enhancing materials, and promising practices on preventing and responding to the sexual exploitation of ABMY, including those with diverse SOGIESC.

Civil Society Perspectives: Advancing Accountability for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence linked to Terrorism

The present report is based on consultations with more than 40 representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs) that support victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in 16 United Nations Member States in regions affected by terrorism including Francophone and Anglophone Africa, the Middle East, Europe and North America. The consultations and resultant report form part of CTED’s ongoing efforts to engage with its civil society and Global Research Network (GRN) partners to better understand the gaps, challenges and ways in which States could improve compliance with their counter-terrorism obligations.