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Since its release, The Hague Principles on Sexual Violence have been cited and referenced across various platforms, influencing policies, academic research, and international guidelines. This page highlights the widespread impact and recognition of these principles.
Eurojust and the EU Network’s Guidelines for Civil Society Organizations
The Hague Principles are referenced in guidelines developed jointly by Eurojust and the EU Network for the investigation and prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, aimed at documenting international crimes and human rights violations.
Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court’s Policy on Gender-based Crimes
The Hague Principles on Sexual Violence were cited in the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court’s Policy on Gender-based Crimes, influencing the definitions and forms of sexual violence within this policy.
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Submission
The Hague Principles were featured in a submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, advocating for a more inclusive recognition and prosecution of sexual torture.
Referred to in the Assembly of State Parties Side Event
Referred to in the Statement in the General Debate on behalf of Austria during the Assembly of State Parties.
Mentioned in the list of Resources on Sexual Violence by the Sexual Violence Research Initiative.
Listed as a source on human rights standards in the case of T.V. v Russia before the European Court of Human Rights.
Cited in an article on sexual and gender-based crimes in the Khmer Rouge Tribunal's Case 002/02 in the Australian Journal of Human Rights.
Referred to by Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice in submission to the Ministry of Justice of the Netherlands as a response to its call for input on the draft bill on sex crimes.
Cited in an article on sexual victimization of men and boys in the Journal of Human Trafficking.
Cited in an article on conflict-related sexual violence in the International Affairs Journal.
Formed part of a training on sexual violence for Georgian practitioners.
Formed part of a training on international criminal law for Venezuelan practitioners and civil society organizations.
Formed part of a training on sexual violence for judges in The Gambia.
Featured in a glossary on sexual and gender-based violence published by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).
Featured in the Collection and Preservation of Information/Evidence section of the Basic Investigative Standards for International Crimes Investigations application (BIS app) developed by Global Rights Compliance
Cited in an article on investigating sexual violence with digital open source information in the Journal of International Criminal Justice.
Cited in an article on reproductive violence in transitional justice in the International Journal of Transitional Justice.
Cited in an article on the ICC and sexual violence in the German Law Journal.
Cited in the book "Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: Article-by-Article Commentary" by Kai Ambos.
Cited in a chapter on gender in international criminal law in Gender and International Law Journal.
Cited in an article on intersectionality and justice for the Heinrich Böll Stiftung.
Cited in an article on best practices for journalists by the Global Investigative Journalism Network.
Cited in an article on reporting sexual violence by the International Centre for Journalists.
Referenced in guidelines for documenting international crimes by Eurojust, Genocide Network, and the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
Mentioned in an article on sexual and gender-based violence as an open source researcher by Bellingcat.
Highlighted in a submission to the ICC from UN Women to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on the Development of a Revised Policy on Sexual and Gender-Based Crimes.
Referenced in a brief on justice for reproductive autonomy developed and submitted jointly to the UNGA Sixth Committee by Women’s Initiatives, Global Justice Centre, Amnesty International Human Rights Watch, Women’s Link Worldwide, Southern Africa Litigation Centre, Australian Centre for International Justice.
Mentioned in a press release by No Peace Without Justice “Global commitments to end sexual violence in conflict must be strengthened and turned into action”.
Cited in the book "European Perspectives on Attrition in Sexual Offences" by Rahime Erbas on attrition in sexual offenses
Highlighted in the submission from UN Women to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on the Development of a Revised Policy on Sexual and Gender-Based Crimes.
Cited in the book chapter on survivor inclusion in transitional justice
Cited in the article on long-term symptoms in Syrian men subjected to violence published in the medical journal The Lancet.
Referenced in the Civil Society Perspectives on SGBV linked to terrorism published by the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED).
Featured in Women Initiatives for Gender Justice’s submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.
Referenced in submission to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Slavery Crimes.
Cited in an article on civil society documentation in international criminal justice in the Journal of International Criminal Justice.
WOMEN’S INITIATIVES FOR GENDER JUSTICE. All rights reserved. Designed & developed by Prospekt.hr
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Sexual violence is a difficult topic to navigate and is often not well understood. While it occurs in many forms, there is no universal view as to what makes an act “sexual”. Drawing directly from extensive consultations with more than 500 survivors and 60 civil society organizations from around the world, The Hague Principles on Sexual Violence provide widely shared views on sexual violence in all its forms.
Oftentimes, laws and policies that address sexual violence do not reflect the lived experience of survivors, and as a result, victims are at risk to be ignored and forgotten if certain acts are not recognized. The Hague Principles seek to ensure that practitioners – ranging from legal practitioners to NGO workers to policy-makers – do not trivialize or overlook certain types of sexual violence.
The Principles consist of three elements: 1) the Civil Society Declaration on Sexual Violence, providing general guidance on what makes violence “sexual”, especially to survivors; 2) International Criminal Law (ICL) Guidelines, translating the Civil Society Declaration into practical guidance for lawyers; 3) Key Principles for Policy Makers on Sexual Violence include ten basic concepts to guide policy makers.
Guidance on sexual violence
A key element of The Hague Principles is the Civil Society Declaration on Sexual Violence, which includes an explanation of the concept of “sexual violence” is, especially for survivors.
Understood broadly, the concept of “sexual violence” encompasses all acts that take away someone’s freedom to make own decisions about their own body or sexuality. It is often characterized by humiliation, domination, and destruction.
The survivors we consulted shared that to them, acts of sexual violence can fall into two categories. On the one hand, acts of a sexual nature can be inherently violent, such as sexually harassing someone by making gestures with a sexual overtone or sending sexually explicit messages; or depriving someone of access to menstrual products. On the other hand, acts may amount to sexual violence if they are committed forcibly or without a person’s consent, for example kissing and biting, sharing nude pictures, or having someone feign sexual enjoyment.
Use of the Principles in practice
The Declaration can be used to better understand sexual violence and identify more victims, to teach others about the topic, and to work with politicians and decision-makers to broaden laws and policies. Though The Hague Principles are not law in themselves, they can give activists guidance and more legitimacy in their work. If sexual violence is better understood, it can be addressed more effectively.
Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice (WIGJ) is very grateful to all contributors to The Hague Principles on Sexual Violence. Thanks to all contributors, these Principles – comprising the Civil Society Declaration, the International Criminal Law Guidelines and the Key Principles for Policy Makers – will contribute to advancing accountability for sexual violence, including by ensuring a better prevention and response to this violence.
WIGJ would therefore like to thank:
All the survivors who took part in the consultations, who shared their experiences, expressed their voices within the Call It What It Is campaign, but also all the survivors who have the courage and the strength to speak out to advance justice.
The other experts, academics and practitioners who contributed to the drafting, editing and finalisation of the documents include Ruby Axelson, Laurel Baig, Céline Bardet, Linda Bianchi, Anne-Marie de Brouwer, Diane Brown, Lucie Canal, Anne-Laure Chaumette, Christine Chinkin, Elizabeth Dartnall, Aurelia Devos, Chris Dolan, Ingrid Elliott, Julian Fernandez, Sarah Fulton, Sunneva Gilmore, Priya Gopalan, Rosemary Grey, Niamh Hayes, Raegan Hodge, Michelle Jarvis, Wayne Jordash, Nada Kiswanson, Malini Laxinarayan, Maxine Marcus, Luke Moffet, Najwa Nabti, Valerie Oosterveld, Akila Radhakrishnan, Indira Rosenthal, Libby Salmon, Philipp Schultz, Rebecca Shoot, Grant Shubin, Alison Smith, Aviva M. Stein, Léa-Rose Stoian, Alejandra Vicente, Patricia V. Sellers, Manouck Wagner and Beini Yi.
The partners and supporters of the Call it What it is Campaign include the Mukwege Foundation, SEMA – Global Network of Victims and Survivors to End Wartime Sexual Violence, We are not Weapons of War (WWoW), Amnesty International, Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Global Justice Center, REDRESS, Impact, MADRE, Parliamentarians for Global Action, All Survivors Project, Center for Constitutional Rights, Global Rights Compliance, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, AMICA e.V., Advocacy Forum, No Peace Without Justice, TRIAL International, Medical Human Rights Network IFHHRO, Journals for Justice, Human Rights and Gender Justice Clinic – CUNY School of Law, Association des Femmes Juristes de Centrafrique, Catalystas, Medical Mondiale, Survivors Speak OUT Network, Centre for African Justice, Peace and Human Rights, Mukuru SGBV Awareness CBO, Social Media Matters, Refugee Law Project, Sexual Violence Research Initiative, SURKUNA – Centro de Apoyo y Protección de los Derechos Humanos, HIAS, Women Empowerment Organization, Angels Refugee Support Group Association, Justice and Reconciliation Project, Wangu Kanja Foundation, The Kosovo Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims, Society for Protection of Rights of the Child (SPARC), Humanas Colombia, Humanas Chile, Justice International, Women’s Link Worldwide, Borisov Female Public Association “Provincia“, Centre d’éducation et de recherche pour les droits des femmes, Iranian Center for International Criminal, Nigerian Coalition for the International Criminal Court, Ligue pour la solidarité congolaise, Encadrement des femmes indigènes et des ménages vulnérables, International Centre for Women Rights Protection and Promotion “La Strada“, Georgian Centre for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims, Justice without Frontiers, The Red Elephant, Actions des femmes pour les droits et le développement, Women Public Association “South-West“, Bulgarian Women’s Lobby, ADHOC, Emma Organization for Human Development, Lawyers & Doctors for Human Rights (LDHR), Parliamentarians for Global Action.
WIGJ’s team: Samantha Addens, Valeria Babără, Marianne Besson-Burke, Sally Eshun, Siobhan Hobbs, Daniela Horta, Nicole Jagonase, Zhengqi Liu, Dorine Llanta, Chiara Loiero, Cristina Luque, María E. Mingo Jaramillo, Fabiana Núñez del Prado, Melinda Reed, Lina Stotz and Alix Vuillemin Grendel.
Lastly, WIGJ would like to thank the States and States representatives who offered their political and financial support.
