Uganda is to play host to the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) expected to bring together representatives of security forces from eleven member states to review the state of the crime of sexual violence in the region as well as share mechanisms in place to address it.
According to a release from ICGLR on Wednesday, the two-day meeting will take place from the 26 to the 27 November in the country’s capital, Kampala.
The countries represented are : Angola , Burundi , CAR, Congo Brazzaville, DRC, Sudan , Kenya , Uganda , Rwanda , Tanzania , Zambia .
United Nations agencies working on issues of sexual violence are also expected to attend the meeting, said the release.
Ths conference has been convened as the world commemorates on Wednesday the International Day against violence against women and marks the beginning of sixteen days of activism against gender based violence
The meeting aims at creating awareness and disseminating the ICGLR Instruments on sexual violence for a common interpretation and understanding among security forces.
According to the release, the participants will share their experiences of best practices from their countries to respond to crime of sexual violence and to encourage gender-friendly practices within the security sector.
Before the end of the meeting, participants together with the ICGLR Secretariat will develop a common understanding of the importance of integrating gender dimension in the security sector and its related reform programs as a strategy to better prevent and protect women and children from sexual violence.
The meeting will be officially opened by Isaac Musumba, Uganda Minister of State for Regional Cooperation.
Source African Press Agency
