The Sexual Violence and Peacekeeping Network

Immunities, jurisdictional gaps and a lack of dispute resolution mechanisms result in the UN and its personnel almost never being held accountable for criminal actions. One of the most egregious of those crimes is sexual violence perpetrated by personnel within peacekeeping operations. Horrifying cases of such crimes - committed by individuals deployed to protect locals and at the very least to 'do no harm' - have been uncovered within peacekeeping operations in countries as diverse as Cambodia, Liberia, the Congo and Bosnia, among many others.

This has to change. Many academic and civil society projects have sought to address the issue from a broad range of angles and disciplines (e.g. public health, law, gender, conflict and security, international relations, history, amongst others). This work, while commendable in its intentions, has been largely disparate and therefore ineffective. Some collaborations between individuals and/or organisations have taken place, but largely in the context of broader, tangentially related projects on topics such as peacekeeping, gender, international law, and female reproductive health, amongst others.

The Sexual Violence and Peacekeeping Network will overcome these limitations by bringing academics and practitioners from the civil society sector together in a spirit of conversation and collaboration. It will thereby achieve a deeper understanding of sexual violence and peacekeeping, its causes, consequences and the best ways in which to tackle the problem. Its broad spectrum of participants - from network partners in the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre
(Ghana) and AIDS-Free World (US/Canada) alongside academics from the University of the Free State (South Africa), University of Canterbury (New Zealand) and a range of UK universities - will ensure that the network and its outputs harness the variety of existing perspectives and approaches to sexual violence and peacekeeping.

The ultimate impact that this network seeks to achieve is the end of impunity for rape and sexual abuse committed by UN peacekeepers. The foundations for the pursuit of this long-term goal will be laid through two forms of direct, immediate impact resulting from the network; firstly, influence on the strategy and practice of NGOs, charities and other organisations that are already working to tackle sexual violence within peacekeeping operations; and secondly, the creation of a platform for collective advocacy based on cutting-edge interdisciplinary research.

Working amidst the pressure and urgency of crisis situations does not permit regular reflection on whether existing methods and approaches could be improved. Bringing academics and practitioners together will enable the former to share ideas and data derived from extensive comparative case studies, which will inform future models of best practice. Wide consultation and a thorough review process are vital for assessing the effectiveness of any policy or intervention; however, in the context of sexual violence within peacekeeping, such measures are frequently hindered by a lack of time, resources
or collective will. The network will augment the various participants' strengths, while also helping to overcome numerous, sector-specific obstacles. Civil society organisations typically have a profound but somewhat specialised knowledge of the relevant issues in a particular country or region. They also have extensive contacts among policymakers; yet they can also be regarded with scepticism by these same policymakers owing to their purportedly predetermined objectives or agendas. Academics, on the other hand, have a broader expertise grounded in research knowledge, but lack the access to policymakers or the advocacy channels of NGOs. By enabling these two groups to act in concert, the network will significantly advance the search for a lasting solution and put pressure on policymakers by drawing attention to the problem.

The emphasis on co-production of network objectives and outcomes from the outset will ensure that its outcomes reflect the knowledge and experience of both communities, and that everyone involved benefits from the process. The network builds on, and complements, the success of initiatives such as the AIDS-Free World's ongoing 'Code Blue' campaign, of which Steering Committee member Kaila Mintz is a coordinator. It will harness academic and stakeholder expertise in pursuit of objectives that complement AIDS-Free World's aim to end impunity for sexual abuse committed within UN
peacekeeping operations.

The workshop programme (see 'Case for Support') will be sufficiently flexible to allow for the development of additional thematic strands. The research clusters and database on the network's website will help stakeholders and academics to identify sources of expertise and potential research collaborators. The online activities, including discussions with experts and regular webinars, will enable discussions and a platform for collaborative activities centred upon specific themes. The structure of the network's activities - through online as well as face-to-face discussions, and through the pre-circulation of
papers - allows for maximum participation and tailors involvement to meet the sector's needs.

The briefing paper prepared in collaboration with the NGO sector will speak to many of the concerns outlined by civil society, as well as those raised in the course of the network's activities. The 'Ways Forward' research agenda and the special issue of a journal bringing together academic and practitioner perspectives will provide publicly-accessible resources that outline a model of best practice based on materials collated and created through the network's activities. The cross-sectoral and transnational nature of these exchanges will result in sustainablepartnerships and the potential for future collaboration beyond the lifetime of the project.