{{Heads and representatives of security organs from African countries, on Wednesday, held a meeting at the Rwanda National Police headquarters in Kacyiru ahead of the official launch for the construction of the continent’s anti-Gender Based Violence secretariat dubbed “Africa’s Centre for Security Organs Coordination of Action to end Violence Against Women and Girls (AFSOCCA-VAWG), which is due today.}}
The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon is expected to preside over the laying of a foundation stone for the construction of AFSOCCA-VAWG, to be situated at the RNP headquarters.
Violence Against Women and Girls is considered a global problem and violation of Human Rights and hurts women and families.
To counter this vice, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, in 2008, launched a campaign dubbed “Africa UNiTE Campaign to end VAWG.”
In response to the UN Secretary General’s call, Police Chiefs and representatives from African countries convened in Kigali in October 2010 in an “International Conference on the Role of Security Organs in Ending Violence Against Women and Girls,” to jointly devise means to end the vice on the continent.
The conference ended with a 14-point Kigali International Conference Declaration (KICD) signed by Police Chiefs or their representatives, in which they affirmed their commitment to rid the continent of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and harmonize and standardize legal frameworks pertaining to violence against women and girls.
The second international conference on the role of security organs in ending VAWG was held in last November in Bujumbura- Burundi, the current chair of KICD, in which African Countries, UN agencies, African union, COMESA among others, participated.
The second continental conference, therefore, unanimously agreed to establish a permanent secretariat in Kigali, Rwanda to coordinate, implement, monitor and evaluate the KICD also to be called Africa’s Centre for Security Organs Coordination of Action to end Violence Against Women and Girls (AFSOCCA-VAWG.)
It is against this background that the Government of Rwanda, in order to strengthen measures against VAWG, through the Rwanda Armed Forces championed by the Rwanda National Police, has partnered with the One-UN-Rwanda to launch the construction AFSOCCA-VAWG Secretariat.
Rwanda’s Inspector General of Police, Emanuel K. Gasana said: “the Secretariat will boost African Security organs towards the fight against this crime and also enhance joint efforts to contribute to the UN-SG’s campaign. We are moving from commitment to actions.”
Mr. Lamin Momodou Manneh, the One-UN-Rwanda Resident Coordinator said: “Rwanda is among countries that contribute the largest number of troops to UN peacekeeping missions.”
Mr. Momodou recognized Rwanda’s role in training regional peacekeepers to contribute to the campaign to stop violence against women and girls in conflict and post-conflict situations, which he added is a result of “serious leadership.”
The KICD/AFSOCCA-VAWG and its secretariat also conform with the Declaration of the Heads of State and Governments of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region’s (ICGLR) special session on sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV and the UN Security Council resolution 1325/2000 and other regional and International instruments that bring to the fore efforts to be taken to curb VAWG.
The UN Security Council Resolution 1325/2000 is aimed at protecting women and girls during and after armed conflicts, and to fully involve females in conflict prevention, management and resolution, peace building and reconciliation.
The KICD/AFSOCCA-VAWG also conforms with the Government of Rwanda’s commitment to combat GBV and for the promotion of gender as entailed in its five-year strategic plan (2011-2016).
Rwanda has the highest number of female police officers in peacekeeping mission and is considered one of the countries at the forefront in implementing the UN resolution and other tools aimed at ending the vice.
The establishment of Isange One-Stop centre with the support of Imbuto Foundation and One-UN-Rwanda to offer free medical, psycho-socio and legal support to GBV victims, the establishment of the Anti-GBV Desk which has been decentralized to the lowest governance levels are all initiative by Rwanda National Police to counter GBV related crimes.
{Officers from police forces in Africa also attended the CPX meeting }
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