Biden To Sign Memorandum On Promoting Accountability For Conflict-Related Sexual Violence

On Monday, President Joe Biden will sign a Presidential Memorandum on Promoting Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence to strengthen the U.S. government’s efforts to combat conflict-related sexual violence, or CRSV, a crime that is often overlooked and underreported.

The United Nations estimates that not all incidents of rape reported in connection with a conflict are documented.

Biden is issuing this Presidential Memorandum on the occasion of the United Kingdom’s international ministerial conference on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, and at a time when this cime persists with impunity around the world, including in Russian-occupied Ukraine and Ethiopia. 

Te Presidential Memorandum is aimed at leveraging sanctions authorities, assistance restrictions, and other tools to promote accountability for perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence.

The White House said that the U.S. Govenment aims to build a coalition of like-minded nations and international organizations to prevent and promote accountability for acts of CRSV.

The United States has already pledged to strengthen support to the UN Special Representative to the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

In addition to its annual contribution of $1.75 million to the Office of the UN Special Representative to the Secretary General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Conflict, the United States announced an additional $400,000 during the UN General Assembly to support the SRSG.

The State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) will invest nearly $5.5 million in additional funding to support investigation and documentation of CRSV.

The State Department and USAID will revive and expand their flagship program to provide lifesaving services and support to survivors of gender-based violence in emergency and conflict settings, including CRSV.

Over the next year, DRL will invest $6 million in additional funding to support the Voices Against Violence Initiative,

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