British Embassy hosts ESVC Summit Panel Discussion in Dublin
“How Can We End Sexual Violence in Conflict?” was the focus of a panel discussion held at the British Embassy Dublin this week.
The Dublin event, hosted by the Embassy in partnership with leading Irish NGOs formed part of a global relay of action during the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict (ESVC Summit) in London. The aim of the summit is to agree a new International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Speaking at the event, the British Ambassador to Ireland, Dominick Chilcott said:
Victims of sexual violence labour under a wholly unjust and deeply ingrained stigma, which we must lift from them. We want to see practical steps agreed that will drive change on the ground. We want to shatter the culture of impunity that surrounds these crimes; provide more support to victims and we aim to shift the stigma of shame from victims to perpetrators.
Deirdre Campbell, Coordinator with the Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence added:
Justice is an absolutely essential component of ending sexual violence in conflict. We need investigations that collect evidence, we need perpetrators to be arrested, prosecuted and sanctioned, we need reparation for survivors, but most of all we need a survivor centered approach to justice, one that places the safety and well being of the survivor at the very centre of all efforts to seek justice.
Panellists speaking at the Dublin event included: Shona Murray, Presenter of Newstalk programme World in Motion; Deirdre Campbell, Co-ordinator with the Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence; Commandant Jayne Lawlor, Gender and Diversity Officer with the Irish Defence Forces and Tara Madden from Frontline Defenders. Attendees included representatives of NGOs, the Irish Government, the Defence Forces and members of the Diplomatic Corps.