This House of Lords Library Briefing has been prepared in advance of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, which takes place annually on 19 June to raise awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence.
International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict (247 KB , PDF)
The theme for the 2018 International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict is the “plight and rights of children born of war”. According to the UN, “the effects of conflict-related sexual violence echo across generations, through trauma, stigma, poverty, poor health and unwanted pregnancy […] The stigma associated with sexual violence can have life-long, and sometimes lethal, repercussions for both survivors and children conceived through rape”.
A report published by the Secretary-General of the UN in February 2018 summarised recent developments in the 19 countries about which it found verifiable information regarding conflict-related sexual violence. The report highlighted countries in which an escalation of violence led to increased incidence of sexual violence in 2017, including in the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Myanmar, Syria and Yemen. The Secretary-General has also set out the actions the UN is taking to tackle the perpetration of acts of sexual violence by its own staff.
In 2012, the Coalition Government established the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI), the aim of which is to raise awareness of the extent of sexual violence against women, men, girls and boys in situations of armed conflict and to rally global action to end it. In January 2018, the Government launched the UK National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2018–22, the Government’s strategy for ensuring “better protection and empowerment of women in conflict situations overseas”.
In April 2016, the House of Lords Sexual Violence in Conflict Committee made recommendations concerning the UK’s policy and practice of preventing sexual violence in conflict. The Government published its response to the Committee on 30 June 2016.34 A House of Lords Library Briefing summarising the Committee’s report, the Government’s response and subsequent developments was published in April 2018.
International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict (247 KB , PDF)
This briefing is the fifth of a series on the post-war history of the UK economy. The series proceeds decade-by-decade from the 1950s onwards, providing an overview of the key macroeconomic developments of each decade. This fifth briefing looks at the 1990s. In this decade the UK economy settled into a period of low inflation and steady growth; however, living standards growth was lower and more regionally concentrated than in previous decades.
The Labour government has set out its short- and long-term plans to reduce the pressure on prison capacity in England and Wales. This includes releasing eligible prisoners on licence into the community after they have served 40% of their sentence and building more prisons. Organisations have highlighted the risk of prison overcrowding on prisoner wellbeing. Some charities have called for better mental health support for prisoners whilst in custody and on release.
While international attention has largely been focused on the Middle East and Ukraine, the civil war in Sudan continues. The UN has characterised the conflict as the “world’s largest hunger crisis”. As peace negotiations stall, concerns are rising not only for the people of Sudan but also about the conflict spreading to neighbouring states.
