Name : Fiona Julieta Purba Malik Wijaya Country : The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Council : The Saudi Council of Ministers Topic : Sexual and Gender-Based Violence on Russian Invasion of Ukraine 1. BACKGROUND OF TOPIC The Russian invasion of Ukraine has resulted in widespread humanitarian devastation, with sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) emerging as a persistent and disturbing violation of human rights. Women, children, and other vulnerable groups have been disproportionately affected. Multiple credible reports have indicated the use of sexual violence as a tactic of war, intended to instill fear, punish communities, and destabilize populations. These violations contradict international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. 1 The crisis has underscored the urgent need for collective international action to both respond to and prevent SGBV in conflict zones. The United Nations Human Rights Council has reported of sexual violence, including rape, forced nudity, and sexual threats, in regions earlier controlled by Russian forces. These acts are often used strategically as a means to intimidate and punish civilians. Based on the findings of the report published in October 2023, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has stated that Ukraine has been subjected to war crimes, particularly orchestrated sexual violence through rape.2 Moreover, UN Women and UNFPA have reported hundreds of verified SGBV cases since the beginning of the war. Such violence involves not just women, but children and men as well. These acts inflict severe psychosocial distress and profoundly fracture the social cohesion of communities impacted. 34 Saudi Arabia strongly denounces SGBV and underscores the need for immediate world attention to eradicate such crimes. SGBV should never be accepted or taken lightly in moments of armed disputes. All allied countries are summoned to adhere to international laws crafted to avert, confront, and punish armed conflict crimes. 2. COUNTRY’S STANCE Saudi Arabia condemns in the harshest terms the excessive violence perpetrated against innocent civilians, including sexual violence of conflict. While the Kingdom follows a policy of non-intervention in the domestic policies of other sovereign nations, it reiterates time and again the need for the international community to step in to safeguard the lives of people, particularly women and children. Saudi Arabia does not restrict any independent SGBV inquiries conducted for Ukraine and continues supporting UN structures including the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual 1 Zsolt Varga and Priscilla Roberts, ‘Geneva Convention (1949)’, The Cold War: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection: Volume 1-5, 1–5.August (2020), pp. 599–601. 2 Dkk Rika Widianita, ‘No 主観的健康感を中心とした在宅高齢者における 健康関連指標に関する共分散構造分析 Title’, AT-TAWASSUTH: Jurnal Ekonomi Islam, VIII.I (2023), pp. 1–19. 3 S Y R Ian and Arab R Epub, ‘Regional Situation Report’, no. September (2014), pp. 1–11. 4 Viktoriia Rufanova and others, ‘Strengthening International Law against Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts: Insights from the Russian-Ukrainian War’, Pakistan Journal of Criminology, 16.1 (2024), pp. 111–25, doi:10.62271/pjc.16.1.111.125. Violence in Conflict. These bodies are especially important in the capture of violations and the provision of legal representation in court for those who have suffered. Within the framework, the Kingdom states that the urgency of humanitarian work should not be underestimated. Saudi Arabia has provided aid to Ukrainian refugees through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief). Even if the aid does not directly address the issue of SGBV, it demonstrates the Kingdom’s efforts and commitment to the welfare of all human being during brutal crises.5 3. PROPOSED SOLUTION The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emphasizes the necessity of a coordinated and survivorcentered approach in addressing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in conflict environments. Saudi Arabia identifies two significant actions to help address these issues: 1) Strengthening Humanitarian Assistance and Funding Rather Than talking about the importance of humanitarian assistance in contemporary conflict-affected areas, Saudi Arabia believes the focus should be on action. The Kingdom has supported the ongoing relief efforts in Ukraine by disbursing more than USD 5.1 million through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to contribute to UNFPA's ongoing initiatives to address SGBV. Recipient actions include: creating mobile psychosocial support teams establishing safe spaces for women and children establishing programs for legal and livelihood recovery for survivors to rebuild their lives The funding hopes to provide direct assistance to 50,000 vulnerable individuals while indirectly supporting even more. 2) International Justice and Accountability Saudi Arabia calls for accountability in SGBV in conflict through mechanisms to ensure accountability by all those that enable or are responsible for that SGBV. Saudi Arabia calls for the international community to engage with effective international investigation and prosecution of alleged perpetrators of sexual violence and complete and full application of international law. Saudi Arabia supports a monitoring mechanism within the UN to track SGBV in Ukraine and support efforts to ensure victims receive justice. 5 Humanitarian Aid and Kelly Clements, ‘UNHCR-KSrelief Sign Agreement to Support Vulnerable People in Ukraine’, 2024, pp. 1–2. Bibliography Aid, Humanitarian, and Kelly Clements, ‘UNHCR-KSrelief Sign Agreement to Support Vulnerable People in Ukraine’, 2024, pp. 1–2 Ian, S Y R, and Arab R Epub, ‘Regional Situation Report’, no. September (2014), pp. 1–11 Response, Regional, ‘Unfpa Appeal 2025’, 2025, pp. 1–7 Rika Widianita, Dkk, ‘No 主観的健康感を中心とした在宅高齢者における 健康関連指 標に関する共分散構造分析Title’, AT-TAWASSUTH: Jurnal Ekonomi Islam, VIII.I (2023), pp. 1–19 Rufanova, Viktoriia, and others, ‘Strengthening International Law against Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts: Insights from the Russian-Ukrainian War’, Pakistan Journal of Criminology, 16.1 (2024), pp. 111–25, doi:10.62271/pjc.16.1.111.125 United Nations Population Fund, ‘Humanitarian Action Overview ’, 2020 Varga, Zsolt, and Priscilla Roberts, ‘Geneva Convention (1949)’, The Cold War: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection: Volume 1-5, 1–5.August (2020), pp. 599–601 Woodward, Dame Barbara, ‘Security Council’, International Organization, 2.1 (1948), pp. 80–98, doi:10.1017/S0020818300019251
