2014 SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH COMMUNIQUÉ – ON THE PREVENTION OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT

The 2014 South African Youth Communiqué is a statement by South African high school and university students providing recommendations to the international community to prevent sexual violence in conflict. The document outlines goals for international cooperation, government accountability, security sector reform, and educational awareness.

• The youth call for enhanced international cooperation to end sexual violence in conflict, specifically recommending zero tolerance for perpetrators, the upholding of UN Resolutions 1325 and 1820, and the inclusion of civil society and non-governmental organisations in policy formulation and post-conflict rehabilitation. They also suggest incorporating these goals into the Post-2015 Development Agenda and utilizing international youth platforms for awareness.
• To ensure government accountability in conflict zones, the communiqué recommends establishing international guidelines for punitive measures, urging the International Criminal Court to coordinate efforts—which requires all states to be signatories to the Rome Statute—and encouraging the creation of independent investigative bodies working with UN agencies and civil society.
• The document proposes security sector reforms to address gender imbalances within security complexes by integrating women into security forces and governmental structures. It also calls for increased sensitivity toward the plight of women, men, and children in conflict zones and improved security in refugee camps, which are identified as high-risk zones.
• The youth recommend educational and institutional measures to raise awareness, including the creation of a United Nations International Year on the Prevention of Sexual Violence in Conflict, the establishment of youth advisory boards and forums by governments, and the use of panel discussions and Model United Nations debates in high schools and tertiary institutions.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2014). 2014 SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH COMMUNIQUÉ – ON THE PREVENTION OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/2014-SA-Youth-Communique-Prevention-Sexual-Violence-Conflict.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. 2014 SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH COMMUNIQUÉ – ON THE PREVENTION OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT. 2014. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/2014-SA-Youth-Communique-Prevention-Sexual-Violence-Conflict.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=2014 SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH COMMUNIQUÉ – ON THE PREVENTION OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT |date=2014 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/2014-SA-Youth-Communique-Prevention-Sexual-Violence-Conflict.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs20142014, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{2014 SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH COMMUNIQUÉ – ON THE PREVENTION OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2014}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/2014-SA-Youth-Communique-Prevention-Sexual-Violence-Conflict.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }