Discussions continue in New York during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, and this time, it is the First Lady of the DRC, Denise NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, who is the center of attention. She had an important meeting with the Office of the United Nations Under-Secretary for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence. This contact meeting allowed Lucien LUNDULA LOLATUI, Director General of the National Fund for Reparation of Victims of Sexual Violence in Conflicts and Crimes against Peace and the Security of Humanity (FONAREV), to present the document. route of its organization and the actions undertaken so far.
Among the actions implemented by FONAREV, let us mention the commemoration of Genocost, which took place on August 2, as well as a recent tour in five provinces of the DRC, namely North and South Kivu, central Kasai , Ituri and Kongo Central. This tour allowed FONAREV to establish direct contact with the victims, as well as with other personalities involved in the fight against sexual violence, such as Doctor Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize winner.
During this meeting, Pramilla Patten, United Nations Under-Secretary in charge of conflict-related sexual violence, assured her support and underlined the importance of finding collaborations between FONAREV experts and those who worked on the reparations in other countries such as Iraq, Kosovo and Guinea. The idea is to establish a collaborative framework to exchange good practices and strengthen repair actions.
This meeting marks an important step in the fight against sexual violence in the DRC. The active participation of the First Lady and the commitment of FONAREV are promising signs for the future and recognition of the need to repair the victims of these heinous crimes. Collaboration with the United Nations and other international actors also strengthens the reach of these actions and paves the way for new initiatives to end this scourge.
It is encouraging to see that efforts are increasing to combat conflict-related sexual violence. It is essential to continue to raise awareness, take concrete action and provide support to victims. The meeting between the First Lady of the DRC and the Office of the United Nations Under-Secretary for Sexual Violence is a step in the right direction and we hope to see more progress in the months and years to come.