Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

(asked on 15th September 2026) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the outcomes from the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative since July 2024, and (2) how successful the Initiative has been in tackling conflict-related sexual violence.


Answered by
Baroness Winterton of Doncaster Portrait
Baroness Winterton of Doncaster
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 15th October 2026

The Government remains resolute in its commitment to preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), supporting survivors and tackling impunity.

Since July 2024, UK support has strengthened survivor-centred justice and national capacity to investigate and prosecute CRSV. Most recently, Ukraine adopted new Instructions for the pre-trial investigation of CRSV, developed with UK funding and expertise, which establish consistent, mandatory and survivor-centred standards across relevant Ukrainian investigating and prosecuting authorities.

UK support has helped thousands of survivors and children affected by CRSV to access redress, including through support to the Global Survivors Fund. It has contributed to vital legislative changes in Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosovo, and the opening of a judicial macro-case on sexual violence crimes in Colombia. We are also strengthening survivor participation in our work through our Survivor Advisory Group and Survivor Champions.

We are building on the progress of the 2022-25 Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Strategy, with a continued focus on prevention, survivor support, accountability and strengthening international action to tackle CRSV.

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