Ukraine sets priorities for chairing Global Alliance to End Sexual Violence in Conflict

Olena Zelenska took part in the inaugural meeting, during which the priorities of this year's Ukrainian chairmanship of the Global Alliance to Prevent Sexual Violence in Conflict (PSVI) were presented.

The Office of the President reported that.

Among the participants of the event were:

• Government Commissioner for Gender Policy Kateryna Levchenko,
• Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariana Betsa.

Representatives from member countries, international organizations, and embassies—such as those from the UK, Japan, Australia, France, Colombia, Spain, and Switzerland—also took part.

The president's wife emphasized that Ukraine's leadership is essential for forming global responsibility for preventing sexual violence in armed conflicts.

So far, 648 Ukrainians have applied for interim reparations under a pilot project aimed at compensating victims of sexual violence by Russian occupiers.

432 people have already received payments.

"This is not about money – it's about comprehensive support for victims, compassion, destigmatization, and the opportunity to start a new life.

I believe that with this attitude, more people will stop being afraid and dare to seek help and later testify," she noted.

Among Ukraine's main priorities in the alliance this year are:

• analyzing and improving fundamental documents.
• strengthening commitments to create comprehensive reparations programs for victims.
• studying best practices among alliance member states to develop a practical manual with effective measures for preventing violence, responding to cases, and supporting victims.

"Our (and our partners') main goal is for the perpetrators of such crimes to receive fair punishment and international condemnation. After all, justice is exactly what victims need most," Olena Zelenska noted.

The NGO UAExperts organized the event at the initiative of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Justice of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna, together with the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy and with the assistance of the UN Population Fund in Ukraine.

For reference:

In November 2022, the United Kingdom announced the creation of the Global Alliance, and the states signed a political declaration to improve the coordination of actions and exchange of experiences and ensure justice for victims of sexual violence during conflicts.

In March 2023, the alliance officially began its activities with Ukraine as a co-chair.

This year, Ukraine became the chair of the alliance for the first time, confirming its commitment to the fight for human rights and justice despite the ongoing full-scale war.

As of January 2025, the alliance includes 26 states and other members.

It should be noted that the Austrian human rights organization CEHRI and the George and Amal Clooney Foundation "For Justice" appealed to the prosecutor's office with a request to launch an investigation into crimes of sexual violence and murder committed by the Russian military in Ukraine.

As reported, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine documented 376 cases of conflict-related sexual violence between February 24, 2022 and August 31, 2024.

In addition, Russian military personnel detained, tortured, and sexually assaulted members of the LGBTQ community during their occupation of the right bank of the Kherson region. The reasons for the torture were precisely people's orientation and gender identity.