UN Team of Experts on Sexual Violence in Conflicts, Project in South Sudan, phase II

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

The UN Team of Experts on Rule of Law/Sexual Violence in Conflict is a body created to assist governments in conflict and post-conflict situations to address impunity for sexual violence. The mandate of the Team of Experts is focused on supporting local institutions to address such crimes and it works in close cooperation with other UN organizations. In this project, the Team of Experts provides technical assistance to the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/SPLA-IO) to implement an action plan to prevent sexual violence. In December 2014, the Chairperson of the SPLM/SPLA-IO signed a Communiqué to commit to a range of activities to address conflict-related sexual violence in the activities of the movement and the army and to request support from the UN to assist in taking forward the Communiqué. The Team of Experts has already started, with Finland's financial support, a project to assist South Sudan's government in the prevention of sexual violence, in the building of national capacity and in the helping of victims of sexual violence. This project is directly linked to said project. In this project phase technical assistance is provided to the SPLM/SPLA-IO. To ensure a holistic response to the problems faced in South Sudan it is important to engage with the different parties of the conflict. Activities include organizing workshops and trainings, developing command orders and disseminating knowledge within the SPLM/SPLA-IO as well as establishing a special investigation unit within the Military Justice Directorate. Finland's contribution focuses specifically on activities relating to the fight impunity for sexual and gender-based violence, not on the training of military forces. The project supports Finland's priorities relating to development cooperation and human rights, as it contributes to the enhancement of the rule of law, the fight against impunity and reduction of inequality. South Sudan is a fragile state in which sexual violence is a serious threat to human rights and peace. The project is implemented by the end of 2016 with Finnish support amounting to EUR 150,000.