OSRSG-CAAC on CRSV:

Rape and other forms of sexual violence against children in armed conflict is one of the six grave violations identified and condemned by the UN Security Council, which form the basis of the Council’s architecture to monitor, report and respond to grave violations against children in times of war. Girls are particularly affected by this violation, although boys are often the hidden victims. Sexual violence against children is underreported, mainly due to the stigma associated with this violation, fear of reprisal and the lack of services available for survivors.

Through the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM), awareness-raising and advocacy initiatives, including on the need to ensure accountability and access to adequate services for survivors, engagement with Member States as well as other state and non-state actors, and the development of Action Plans, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict works to end and prevent grave violations against children, including sexual violence. Measures to end and prevent sexual violence against children are among the key elements of several Action Plans signed by parties to conflict in countries on the Children and Armed Conflict agenda with the United Nations. For more information on our work visit: https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org

OSRSG-CAAC Publications on CRSV: 

On the occasion of the United Nations Human Rights Day 2022, the Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, in collaboration with the All Survivors Project (ASP), published two documents on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) that shed light on how this grave violation specifically impacts boys. The publications, Responding to conflict-related sexual violence against boys associated with armed forces and armed groups in reintegration programmes and Strengthening responses to conflict-related sexual violence against boys deprived of their liberty in situations of armed conflict, developed a more comprehensive understanding of the complexity of vulnerabilities based on sex and gender to better inform prevention and response programmes. The documents underline how boys can face specific vulnerabilities to sexual violence and may be afflicted by grave violations differently from girls, including when detained. Recommendations on how child protection strategies can consider this issue to improve CRSV prevention and response for all children were also provided.