Israel Helps Shape New UN Guide on Documenting Sexual Violence

When emergency responders arrive at the scene of an attack, saving lives takes priority, but crucial evidence of sexual violence can disappear in the chaos. A new international initiative aims to change that, providing practical guidance on preserving evidence, identifying survivors' medical needs and ensuring their experiences are properly documented.

Israel's Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security, Sarah Weiss Ma'udi, represented the Foreign Ministry at an international expert meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, in October, where participants discussed the development of the guide and exchanged experiences from their respective countries.

The initiative was inspired by research conducted in Israel following October 7, particularly the work of Professor Yifat Bitton, president of Achva Academic College, and the RAIA Project, which examined the challenges of identifying and documenting sexual crimes amid large-scale attacks.

The research highlighted gaps in evidence collection during the immediate aftermath of violence, when emergency personnel are primarily focused on saving lives, evacuating the wounded and securing the scene.

Speaking on i24NEWS' The Rundown, Weiss Ma'udi said the goal is to turn those lessons into practical recommendations for emergency responders worldwide.

"What we did was we took our experience in Israel, this very sad experience, and we're trying now to create something to help first responders worldwide deal with similar situations," she said.

The proposed toolkit will outline procedures for photographing crime scenes, preserving forensic evidence and identifying time-sensitive medical needs, including HIV prevention treatment and emergency contraception.

"Even taking pictures on their smartphones. And this guide will even give them practical advice, what angles to take, how they should document the scene," Weiss Ma'udi explained.

The guide will also address how authorities can communicate with survivors without causing further trauma, including recommendations to minimize the number of times individuals are asked to recount their experiences.

"It's also a matter of we don't want to re-traumatize survivors," she said.

The initiative brings together experts from several countries, with Israel partnering with Germany, Switzerland and Nigeria's National Counter Terrorism Center.

Nigeria has faced its own challenges in documenting sexual violence committed by armed groups, including Boko Haram. Weiss Ma'udi said some recommendations discussed through the international collaboration have already produced results in the country.

She highlighted an initiative in which first responders began carrying contact information for survivor support organizations, helping increase the number of complaints filed.

"If you think about sort of the way international community is supposed to work, that we're supposed to help each other by sharing our best and good practices," she said.

The guide is currently in its final stages of development and is expected to be published by UNODC in early 2027, with the aim of making it available to emergency services and humanitarian organizations worldwide.

"We hope to have some major launching events so that the entire international community is familiar with the project," Weiss Ma'udi said.

The initiative seeks to turn the difficulties encountered in documenting sexual violence on October 7 into a broader international framework, potentially improving how future cases are investigated, how survivors are supported and how evidence is preserved for possible prosecutions.