The National Committee on Prevention and Response to Conflict- Related Sexual Violence held its first meeting at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.

In his capacity as the Committee Chairman, the Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Dr. Win Myat Aye, delivered a speech at the meeting.

The Union Minister said that Myanmar signed the Joint Communique on Prevention and Response to Conflict Related Sexual Violence on 7 December 2018 in New York City. The joint communique was signed by Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the UN and Ms. Pramila Patten, the United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations.

To implement this Joint Communique, the National Committee was formed, and laid down the five tasks. Among the Six Sessions included in the Joint Communique, the National Committee will proceed with momentum to implement the prioritized sessions. The National Work Plan will be drafted with the technical assistance and suggestions of the United Nations and the Office of the UNSG Special Envoy on Conflict Related Sexual Violence. The progress of the work undertakings will be acknowledged to the UN and international community.
The Union Minister pointed out to carry out the public awareness activities on preventing the sexual violence against women through media in cooperation with the Ministry of Information.

Next, committee members Deputy Ministers U Soe Aung, Rear-Admiral Myint Nwe and Dr. Mya Lay Sein and other officials discussed the national committee’s tasks, forming a working committee to implement them, designing an action plan based on the information from this first meeting, receiving approval from the ministries involved, and agreed on eight decisions and eight future tasks.

There will be a Security Conference on Conflict- Related Sexual Violence on 26 April that will implementation of the joint communique, forming of the national committee, holding its coordination meeting, and deciding on course of actions.

—MNA (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)