Since 2013, the violence in South Sudan has profoundly impacted on individuals and communities having further weakened and destabilized coping mechanisms, increased the prevalence of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and weakened response systems and peace building initiatives. Institutional capacity for provision of basic social services and for justice and reconciliation deteriorated. Deep-seated grievances that underpin many inter-communal conflicts were reinforced and revenge killings and violence were fuelled, including GBV. Destruction has continued at community level through intercommunal conflict driven by cattle raid, fighting over land and water resources, abduction of child and girls, forced marriage and gender-based violence. In displacement settings, threats and risks of GBV against women and girls persist particularly sexual violence, intimate partner violence, sexual exploitation, harassment and child, and forced marriage.

In December 2014, during the first visit of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict within the framework of United Nations Security Council resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1960 (2010), and 2106 (2013) on sexual violence in conflict, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLM/SPLA) signed a joint communique’ on Preventing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) in South Sudan. In the communique’, the parties to the conflict committed to develop an action plan specific to the SPLM/SPLA on addressing CRSV, ensuring and facilitating the monitoring of sexual violence, addressing sexual violence concerns in any security sector, strengthening the legal framework, ensuring the provision of appropriate services for survivors of sexual violence and speaking out publicly against sexual violence at the highest level and in the strongest terms.

UNDP and UNMISS developed a joint project with UN Action funding to implement the joint communique. The project was developed after parties to the conflict had signed the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) in 2018. However, the parties to R-ARCSS faced delays in the implementation of key milestones and provisions, including the formation of a security arrangements to unify security force and the demarcation of the boundaries of states. This led to a second extension of the Pre-Transition period by 100 days. In order to meet the new timeline, the security institutions pulled about 40% of their forces to cantonment in areas that were mostly not easily accessible by UN staff thus making implementation of this project challenging.

The project aims to reduce the prevalence and impact of Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in South Sudan through awareness raising and capacity building within the justice and security sectors.

Outcome 1: Parties to the conflict identify, mitigate and act against conflict related sexual violence.

Outcome 2: Measures put in place and implemented in the rule of law sector to prevent and respond to Sexual and Gender Based Violence.