Supporting Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
The Secretary-General has pledged to place the rights and dignity of victims of sexual exploitation and abuse at the forefront of the prevention and response efforts of the United Nations system.
In 2017, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Comprehensive Strategy on Assistance and Support to Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by United Nations Staff and Related Personnel. The strategy calls for the United Nations system to provide, in a coordinated manner, assistance to individuals with needs directly arising from an incident of sexual exploitation and abuse.
Victims are provided with supportfollowing a complaint regardless of whether a perpetrator has been identified, an investigation completed, or there has been a finding of sexual exploitation and abuse. The support can include medical care, psychological counseling, legal support, shelter, clothing, food, and protection if their security is at risk. Victims are also informed about how the United Nations will handle their complaint. The assistance is provided through local services, programs, and community mechanisms, based on victim’s wishes and availability of service providers. If gaps exist, including funding gaps, victim’s assistance can be covered through Trust Fund in Support of Victim of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.