Patten will hold meetings with Deputy Secretary for Multilateral Affairs Elizabeth Taylor Jay and delegates from the Justice Department, Department of Defense, Office of the Ombudsman and Attorney General’s Office.
The opening portion of this day will be chaired by the President’s Advisor for Reconciliation, Eva Ferrer, and other departments of the President of the Republic.
One aim of these dialogues is, among other things, to learn more about the challenges and best practices in preventing and responding to sexual violence in the country and to get an overview of the current situation of victims in Colombia.
The purpose of this is to identify the support that the United Nations could provide to effectively respond to victims of sexual violence in armed conflict, said the Presidency press team.
It is the first time in 10 years that a special envoy on sexual violence in armed conflict is visiting Colombia, a visit that will last until next Friday.
Yesterday the UN official met with local authorities, victims of sexual violence and civil society organizations in Cartagena.
His arrival in Colombia also comes to commemorate May 25, on the occasion of the National Day for the Dignity of Women Victims of Sexual Violence as part of the armed conflict (1959-2020), during which the country registered about 15 victims of sexual violence, out of a thousand 760 cases of this kind.
According to the National Center for Historical Memory’s Observatory on Memory and Conflict, 92 percent are women, of whom 30 percent are girls and youth between the ages of 14 and 17.
Faced with this scenario, the national government will establish an emergency plan to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women and establish a culture of equality based on respect for human rights.
The agenda of the United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict in the Country was promoted by the Presidential Council for Reconciliation through the Department of State.
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