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UN Secretary-General’s Report Exposes Persistent Patterns of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and Calls for Stronger Accountability

Conflicts are on the rise globally, with the proportion of the world affected by conflict rising 65 percent since 2021. Sexual violence in conflict remains among the most devastating consequences of war. Last week, U.N. Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, briefed the U.N. Security Council on the newly released report of the Secretary General on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). As conflicts escalate, sexual violence continues to be deployed as a weapon of war, with a 25 percent increase in reported cases of CRSV in 2024 compared to 2023. 

The U.N. verified more than 4,600 cases of CRSV in 2024, which is likely a significant undercount of the true magnitude of the crisis. Stigma, fear of reprisal, lack of access to reporting mechanisms, and displacement prevent many survivors from reporting violence. Women and girls comprised 92 percent of verified cases. Sexual violence against children increased by 35 percent, a disturbing figure that includes victims as young as one year old. 

The report reveals ongoing patterns of violence committed by state and non-state actors and provides recommendations to break the cycles of violence and hold perpetrators accountable. There are 21 situations of concern within the report, with the highest number of CRSV-verified cases recorded in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, Somalia, and South Sudan. While these figures underscore the severity of this crisis, it is crucial to note they include only cases that could be officially verified and do not necessarily mean these countries have the highest absolute incidence of overall CRSV. The report points to the interconnectedness between conflict-related sexual violence and other critical issues such as climate security, displacement, trafficking in persons, detention, and torture. 

Sudanese activist Ikhlass Ahmed called for urgent action during her briefing at the U.N. Security Council’s session. 

“We are working in extremely dangerous conditions. Without your support, we will fail—and we cannot afford to fail,” she said.

Parties Responsible for Sexual Violence 

The report listed state and non-state actors who are credibly suspected of or are responsible for patterns of sexual violence in armed conflicts on the Security Council’s agenda in the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and the Syrian Arab Republic.

Although the U.N. has established a strong framework through multiple Security Council resolutions, the report finds that more than 70 percent of listed parties are repeat offenders, appearing in the annex for at least five consecutive years without putting in place preventive measures. Countries identified in this report year after year as responsible for committing CRSV are excluded from the ability to participate in U.N. peacekeeping missions. Therefore, this report is not only descriptive in nature; it also serves as a clear multilateral tool for preventing future atrocities against women and girls.

The following examples of reported cases of CRSV drawn from the Secretary-General’s report illustrate the intensity and global spread of this type of violence.

1. Afghanistan 

The Taliban intensified restrictions, erasing women and girls from public life, amid fear and impunity that hampered reporting of sexual violence. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented cases of rape and forced marriage implicating de facto officials and others, while reports detailed torture and sexual abuse in detention and prisons.

2. Democratic Republic of the Congo 

Intensified conflict in North and South Kivu fueled mass displacement and a sharp rise in sexual violence, with over 17,000 victims treated in just five months in North Kivu. The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) documented 823 cases of rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, and forced marriage, mostly by non-state armed groups, but also by state actors, including the army and police.

3. Libya 

Insecurity, illicit arms, and political divisions in Libya enabled CRSV with impunity. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) verified cases involving 20 migrant women, asylum-seekers, and two Libyan girls, who faced rape and trafficking in detention centres run by the Department for Combating Illegal Migration. Migrants, refugees, and displaced persons were targeted by traffickers, smugglers, armed groups, and state actors, with survivors facing stigma, reprisals, with very limited, if any, access to justice or services.

4.  Myanmar 

Conflict-related sexual violence in Myanmar continued, mainly perpetrated by the military during operations, detention, and interrogations. Survivors reported rape, gang rape, and killings, often intended to terrorize or punish communities based on gender, ethnicity, or political identity. Both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army committed rapes and gang rapes against Rohingya and ethnic women, driving mass displacement. Access to justice remained nearly impossible due to the collapse of the rule of law, denial of crimes by the military, and the increased use of customary practices that, in some cases, forced survivors to marry perpetrators. 

5. Sudan 

The U.N. documented cases against 90 women, 36 girls, four men, and one boy, including rape, gang rape, attempted rape, and abduction for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Elements of the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias were implicated in most cases, as well as members of armed movements and elements of the Sudanese Armed Forces. Amid the damage of 80 percent of the country’s health facilities, Sudanese women-led organizations played a vital role in documenting abuses and supporting survivors, despite severe restrictions and often at great personal risk.

Parties on Notice: Russia and Israel

For the first time in the history of this report, SRSG Patten has placed two parties—Russia and Israel—on notice for potential listing in the next reporting period. In both cases—Israel and Russia—the U.N. noted that restrictions on monitoring access have obstructed a comprehensive assessment of sexual violence in these contexts—a claim many activists criticize. Still, they view the notice as a positive step forward.

In Ukraine, the U.N. has credible information pointing to sexual violence committed by Russian armed and security forces and affiliated groups, particularly against Ukrainian prisoners of war in 50 official and 22 unofficial detention facilities in Ukraine and the Russian Federation. 

In Israel/Palestine, the U.N. has documented sexual violence by Israeli armed and security forces against Palestinian detainees, including forced nudity and the sexual assault of men and boys. The report notes that the Israeli authorities have engaged with the U.N. to provide some procedural information. However, accountability measures remain limited despite evidence. Hamas was listed in the report based on U.N.-verified findings. The evidence indicated that certain hostages taken into Gaza were subjected to sexual violence while in captivity, and that sexual violence occurred during the October 7, 2023, attacks in at least six documented locations. 

The Secretary-General calls on Russia and Israel to cease such violations, adopt time-bound commitments, and grant unhindered U.N. access, warning that compliance—or lack of it—will determine future listing in his reports.

Key Recommendations 

The report calls on the Security Council to bolster global accountability and protection against CRSV. This includes strengthening and standardizing the use of sanctions to explicitly address sexual violence, closing protection gaps in peace operations through systematic deployment of women’s protection advisers, monitoring detention sites for risks of abuse, and ensuring accountability, including through the International Criminal Court when necessary. The report suggests that breaking cycles of impunity requires the employment of all diplomatic tools, such as arms embargoes, asset freezes, and travel bans. 

More must be done to support survivors of CRSV, who often receive limited resources due to the curtailment of humanitarian access and gaps in service delivery, particularly the lack of trained professionals needed for the clinical management of rape. It emphasizes the importance of survivor-centered approaches that take into account the contextual and individual needs of survivors. 

Additionally, the findings underscore that funding gaps threaten the continuity of U.N. programs that support CRSV survivors. All stakeholders, including Member States, donors, regional, and intergovernmental bodies are called on to close funding gaps by providing U.N. mechanisms with predictable support, integrating sexual violence provisions into peace and political agreements, ensuring that women and survivors participate in peacebuilding and humanitarian processes, protecting women who are active in public life from reprisals, and providing training across U.N. entities to strengthen response, as well as prevention and early warning capabilities.

The report ultimately paints a grim picture of reality: conflict-related sexual violence is one of the most urgent and devastating crises of our time. GIWPS places CRSV at the center of its research, advocacy, and policy engagement, highlighting its use as a weapon of war and its catastrophic impact on women, communities, and peacebuilding. The U.N. bodies and civil society leaders offering frontline services must be supported. 

Read the full report here.

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