Punish perpetrators of sexual violence: OHCHR

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR-N) has urged the government of Nepal to protect and promote the rights of women, and punish perpetrators of sexual violence.

In a press release issued Tuesday, OHCHR-Nepal also stressed on the need for the government to increase its support to victims of sexual violence through the provision of medical, psycho-social and economic support, apart from making added efforts to change the attitudes in society that result in stigmatization of victims.

The release informed that on 19 June the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1820, which aims at ending sexual violence in situations of conflict.

"This Resolution has important implications for Nepal, where the full extent and impact of sexual violence during the decade-long conflict is not yet known, and where the Government is in the process of designing transitional justice mechanisms," according to the OHCHR release.

Resolution 1820 demands all parties to armed conflict, among other things, to enforce appropriate military disciplinary measures for the crime of rape and other forms of sexual violence, and to 'vet' members of armed and security forces for any past violations and exclude their participation in reformed forces.

Furthermore, the Resolution also stresses the need to exclude sexual violence crimes from any provision of amnesty and to ensure that victims of sexual violence have equal protection under the law and equal access to justice.

"The full extent of sexual violence during the conflict in Nepal is unknown, mainly due to the difficulties that survivors face when speaking up about these crimes," OHCHR-Nepal noted, adding that a clear message should be sent to do more to support the rights of these victims. nepalnews.com June 24 08