Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) refers to sexual violence used as a tactic, weapon, or strategy of war, or that otherwise occurs in direct or indirect connection to an armed conflict. The United Nations defines it as including rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, enforced sterilization, forced marriage, and other forms of sexual violence of comparable gravity perpetrated against women, men, girls, or boys.
The concept gained formal recognition through a series of UN Security Council resolutions building on the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Resolution 1325 (2000) first addressed the impact of armed conflict on women. Resolution 1820 (2008) explicitly recognized sexual violence as a tactic of war and a matter of international peace and security. Subsequent resolutions — 1888, 1889, 1960, 2106, and 2467 — strengthened monitoring, reporting, and sanctions frameworks. Resolution 1888 established the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.
CRSV can constitute a war crime, crime against humanity, or act of genocide under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Articles 7 and 8). Landmark jurisprudence includes the ICTR's Akayesu judgment (1998), which recognized rape as a constitutive act of genocide, and the ICTY's Kunarac judgment (2001), which classified sexual enslavement as a crime against humanity.
Key features distinguishing CRSV from other sexual violence:
- A nexus to armed conflict, whether temporal, geographic, or causal
- Frequent use against civilian populations to terrorize, displace, or punish
- Targeting based on ethnic, religious, or political identity
- Patterns of impunity that often persist after hostilities end
The UN Secretary-General issues an annual report on CRSV that lists parties credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of such violence. Survivors face significant barriers to justice including stigma, lack of services, and weak judicial systems, which the Murad Code (2022) and survivor-centered approaches seek to address.
Example
In its 2023 annual report on CRSV, the UN Secretary-General documented patterns of sexual violence by parties to conflicts in countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Myanmar.
Frequently asked questions
Not automatically. It must meet the legal elements of a war crime, crime against humanity, or genocide under instruments like the Rome Statute, including a nexus to armed conflict or a widespread or systematic attack on civilians.
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