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19 June 2018, Sarajevo - On 19th of June, the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, United Nations agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina within the framework on Joint UN Programme ‘Seeking Care, Justice and Support to Conflict-related Sexual Violence Survivors in BiH’, held a fifth steering committee meeting to present key achievements and further actions in responding to the needs of survivors, to be implemented by March 2020.

The International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict was proclaimed on 19th of June 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly, in order to raise awareness of the need to end conflict related sexual violence and to honour the survivors around world. 
This year’s commemoration is focusing on children conceived through wartime rape thus, in cooperation with the office of the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict the Programme supported participation of representative of NGO from Bosnia and Herzegovina at panel discussion today, at United Nation Secretariat Building in New York.

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres stated the following: "Children conceived through wartime rape often struggle with issues of identity and belonging for decades after the guns have fallen silent. Their mothers may be marginalized and shunned by their own families and communities. On the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, we amplify the voices of these forgotten victims of war, who suffer stigma, shame and exclusion in societies polarized by armed conflict." 

At the meeting the global research report Closing the protection gap for children born of war has be presented with key findings and recommendations that will be used as a basis for the similar research to be conducted in BiH in 2018. 

The UN Joint Programme aims to promote the rights and respond to the needs of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and is implemented by: IOM, UNDP, UNFPA and UN Women. This Programme is championed by the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, and funded by the Government of the United Kingdom, UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict, and Government of Canada.