The Foreign Secretary of Britain, William Hague and Angelina Jolie, Special Envoy for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, co-hosted the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict on June 10-13, 2014 in London.This was the largest gathering ever brought together on the subject, with a view to creating irreversible momentum against sexual violence in conflict and practical action that impacts those on the ground.The summit is a follow-up to the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict launched in 2013 to end impunity, increase accountability, and provide justice and safety for victims of sexual violence. One of the outcomes of the summit is to be the first international protocol on how to document and investigate sexual violence in conflicts, which will set international standards and give guidance to countries on effective laws and prosecutions.Angelina Jolie, commented, “The use of rape as a weapon is one of the greatest injustices of our time.” It destroys women, families, communities and cultures. The rape of civilians during times of war is nothing new. However, in recent decades the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war has come to the attention of the international community.
