Joint Statement by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict
Brussels/New York, 19 June 2023
Conflict-related sexual violence is a scourge deeply rooted in inequalities and rigid gender norms. This is why, on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, the United Nations and the European Union join forces to call for more decisive action to prevent and eliminate sexual violence, and to advance gender equality as a political priority. We are alarmed by the growing use of sexual violence as a cruel tactic of war, torture, terror, and political repression, and a threat to collective security.
The risk of becoming a target of sexual violence today is heightened by the fact that these crimes can also be facilitated and promoted online, utilizing digital channels.
