On 10 and 11 May 2023, CTED and the Team of Experts on Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict (TOE) convened an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on the topic of accountability for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in terrorist contexts. The EGM took place at the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the United Nations in New York, and brought together more than 40 experts, joining in-person and online, to explore criminal justice avenues for SGBV when committed by a designated terrorist group and/or with terrorist intent.
Over the two days, expert practitioners from law enforcement, prosecution, judiciary, international investigative mechanisms and relevant UN agencies, as well as experts from academia, think tanks and civil society, delved into both normative and practical aspects of the investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of these crimes. The discussions addressed, inter alia, challenges and opportunities stemming from the use of different relevant legal frameworks, including counter-terrorism frameworks, international humanitarian law and international criminal law, and the interlinkages between them; practices relating to the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of SGBV in terrorist contexts, including with respect to evidence collection and analysis, information and evidence sharing, the development of prosecutorial strategies, victim and witness participation in criminal proceedings, and sentencing practices; as well as aspects pertaining to institutional capacity and cooperation, capacity building gaps and opportunities.
The experiences of national practitioners and international experts informed the discussions with the realities and sensitivities of different contexts. They also brought to the fore the gendered and intersectional nature and impact of these violations, and the need for remedies and reparations tailored to the specific needs and experiences of victims. The EGM provided an opportunity to share and closely analyze promising practices and challenges in this space, including emerging practices stemming from the use of different legal frameworks in support of more comprehensive accountability efforts for SGBV in terrorist contexts.
A summary of the key points of the discussions is forthcoming and will be made available on the website.
EGM Concept Note and Agenda
Opening remarks by UAE
Opening remarks by Switzerland
Opening remarks by CTED
The EGM was convened within the framework of CTED’s project “Towards meaningful accountability for sexual and gender-based violence in terrorist contexts”, funded by the Government of Switzerland. Through a legal analysis of the interlinkages between the international counter-terrorism framework, international humanitarian law (IHL) and international criminal law (ICL), as appropriate, the project aims to provide a better understanding of the criminal justice responses available to address SGBV crimes when committed by a designated terrorist group and/or with terrorist intent, with a view to advance meaningful accountability for these acts.
The analysis will be published in the form of a CTED report due to be published in the coming months.