This conference will be hosted by Norway, Iraq, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, UN OCHA, UNFPA, ICRC and other partners, and will take place in Oslo, Norway, on 23-24 May 2019.

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in humanitarian crises has wide-ranging negative consequences for survivors and their communities. The humanitarian response to SGBV has improved in recent years, but much remains to be done.

This conference will focus on various aspects of SGBV and conflict-related sexual violence. It is an honour for me to host this first event in a series of international high-level events in 2019 that will address this issue.

The key objectives of the Oslo conference are to:

mobilise stronger political commitment to prevent incidents of, and protect people at risk of, SGBV and conflict-related sexual violence, and to ensure that the response is life-saving, timely, and promotes the needs, rights and dignity of survivors and those at risk;

mobilise additional financial resources, especially for SGBV response through UN coordinated response plans and for the ICRC’s 2019 special appeal; and

highlight best practices and lessons learned from efforts to prevent and respond to SGBV in humanitarian situations, and help improve the evidence base in this field.

The conference will include dedicated segments during which states, international organisations and NGOs/civil society will be invited to make commitments – both financial and non-financial – to end sexual and gender-based violence.

The high-level segment of the conference will take place on 24 May, and will build on the outcome of a civil society segment on 23 May that will be organised by Norwegian Church Aid in cooperation with other civil society partners.

For the full conference agenda and other details, please visit the conference website: https://www.endsgbvoslo.no/