Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: the politics of the UN Security Council's approach to the protection of civilians

Contributor(s): Professor Anne Marie Goetz | Sexual violence has been deployed strategically in a wide range of conflicts, and though long recognized as an unlawful tactic of warfare, it has only relatively recently attracted the political focus and operational responses accorded to other violations of civilian rights. This lecture will provide a history of the policy processes leading to the Security Council resolutions recognizing conflict related sexual violence as a tactic of warfare and outlining political, security, judicial and humanitarian responses. These resolutions are grounded in the Security Council’s broader commitment to promoting women’s participation in conflict resolution, prevention and recovery (resolution 1325 of 2000), yet this ‘participation’ focus has not received the same attention and operational responses as have the victim-centered ‘protection’ approaches of the CRSV resolutions. Evidence for this diverging response will be provided, and explanations for it will be assessed, through an analysis of geopolitical dynamics in the Council, institutional changes within the UN, and the relative influence of civil society groups on these processes. Anne Marie Goetz (@amgoetz) is a Clinical Professor at the Center for Global Affairs, New York University. She is on sabbatical from UN Women, where she is Chief Advisor on Peace and Security. Christopher Hughes is Professor of International Relations and Head of Department at LSE. The International Relations Department (@LSEIRDept) at LSE is now in its 87th year, making it one of the oldest as well as largest in the world.