Advisory Opinion to the Special Jurisdiction for Peace in the Macro Case 11 - Colombia.

One of the key ways of influencing law and policy on SGBV is through submission of briefs, expert or advisory opinions in court proceedings.

SAHR submitted an Advisory Opinion to the Special Jurisdiction for Peace in Colombia (JEP) on the Macro Case 11. With this Advisory Opinion, we intend to comment from a survivor-centered, intersectional, holistic perspective, and ensure that these perspectives are considered in the development of national and international law and standards on the matter.

The Macro Case 11 involves gender-based violence, sexual violence, reproductive violence, and other crimes committed by FARC-EP during the Colombian armed conflict between 1957 and 2016.

It is important to mention that sexual violence as a weapon of war is a serious violation of international law and represents a significant challenge to justice, reconciliation and recovery in areas affected by armed conflict.

Perpetrators use sexual violence to justify or advance their objectives, whether to control territories, resources, or to intimidate and dominate local populations. Harmful patriarchal ideologies are relevant to the causes and motivations that allow cycles of sexual violence within the conflict.

In the internal armed conflict in Colombia, armed groups used sexual violence as a tactic to intimidate and control the population. The repercussions on victims has significant impact on justice and recovery; victims encounter obstacles such as emotional instability prior to the event, which makes them more vulnerable and with greater psychological repercussions at the time of the trauma and the recovery process.

Our Advisory Opinion covered the following issues:

- International law and jurisprudence on sexual violence during armed conflict;

- Motivations of non-state armed groups in the commission of sexual violence;

- Recommendations on Reparations to Victims.