In conditions of ongoing Russia’s broad-scale aggression against Ukraine our Association has permanent communication with UN Human Right Council structures regarding relevant invaders’ violation the human rights and humanitarian demands.
In March 2022 ARC’s expert sent the submission on relevant issues to the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Dr. Victor Madrigal-Borloz, for his report to the 77th UN General Assembly session regarding peace, security, sexual orientation and gender identity.
ARC’s expert professor Borys Babin informed in this submission, published on UN sources, the UN Independent Expert regarding facts of illegal detention, tortures and enforced disappearances of Ukrainian citizens on gender, racial and sexual grounds, including Ukrainian youth representatives.
Now, in November 2022 the UN Independent Expert’s report on these issues was published and granted to UN General Assembly.
In Report UN Independent Expert stressed that international human rights, humanitarian, criminal and refugee law, key policy frameworks such as the women and peace and security agenda, and the work of adjudicative international authorities have all contributed to documentation, analysis and accountability in relation to the gender-specific risks faced by women and girls during conflict situations and, to a limited extent, those faced by men and boys.
UN Expert pointed that armed conflict exacerbates gender and sexuality norms in a given society, which in turn leads to specific forms of violence, including but not restricted to sexual violence. He stressed that maintaining peace and security is crucial to keep women and children safe from those forms of gender-specific violence in conflict.
UN Expert specially highlighted in the report, with the recent warring aggression of the russian federation on Ukrainian territory, on the relevance of coordinated peace and security action to address the risks that gender-diverse persons face during conflict, with special focus on the situation of refugees and internally displaced persons.
Dr. Victor Madrigal-Borloz noted regarding those issues that UN Security Council must advance in backing these coordinated actions as a means of fostering a comprehensive and sustainable peace based on the human rights mandate of non-discrimination. Also UN Expert pointed that all forms of violence that weaponize gender and sexual prejudice, such as sexual violence against male prisoners of war, are strictly prohibited under international law and may amount to international crimes that should be prosecuted and punished accordingly.
