By Cecilia Ologunagba
New York, U.S., The Secretary-General’s report on conflict-related sexual violence says cases of conflict-related sexual violence verified by the United Nations in 2025 rose sharply from 2024, marked by extreme brutality, and overwhelmingly targeted at women and girls.
UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric said this at a news briefing on Friday in New York.
According to him, a total of 77 parties, including state and non-state actors, are listed this year for cases of conflict-related sexual violence, including parties added to the list in previous years.
The report says that in 2025, documented cases of sexual violence as a tactic of war, torture, terrorism and political repression surged, while multiple and overlapping political, security and humanitarian crises worsened.
Abduction and sexual violence formed part of a broader pattern of attacks by armed groups in remote areas in Burkina Faso, Mali and northern Mozambique, with girls as young as 11 being forced into sexual slavery and repeated rapes in captivity, leading to unwanted pregnancies.
The Secretary-General said that sexual violence was perpetrated in detention in multiple settings, such as in Israel and the State of Palestine, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
In Myanmar, patterns of sexual violence continued to be used in detention settings as part of the repertoire of political violence to intimidate and punish opponents.
In another development, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has outlined further progress in the wide-ranging UN80 Initiative, a major reform and restructuring project aimed at making the global body more effective, agile and better equipped to respond to global challenges.
According to him, the reform aims at 21 per cent reduction in Secretariat posts for 2026, whilst minimising impact on staff.
Also, 11 Secretariat teams would be merged into a common administrative platform serving 6,000 personnel in New York, with five additional duty stations to follow.
Guterres told the General Assembly on Thursday that the reform was required because “inaction in the face of geopolitical turmoil would compound human suffering.”
Instituted in March 2025, the initiative seeks to ensure that “every mandate, dollar and decision” delivers greater impact for people and the planet, at a time of growing demands and constrained resources.
The UN chief described the project as “a paradigm shift in how the UN system organises its work and collaborates for greater impact,” and declared that the project has now entered a critical new phase of decision-making and delivery.
A progress update released on Tuesday highlighted the steps that had been taken to improve efficiency, review how mandates were implemented, and explored changes to the internal structure of the system, including the potential merger of some UN bodies.
Work to streamline operations within the UN Secretariat and beyond – including measures to reduce duplication and improve coordination – was already underway.
These efforts formed part of a broader push to modernise how the organisation operated.
The initiative also aimed to simplify administrative processes and strengthen services across the UN system, with a focus on delivering faster and more cost-effective support to Member States.
Another key pillar of the reform effort centred on how mandates – the tasks assigned by Member States – were designed, implemented and reviewed.
The report highlighted ongoing work with national governments to improve transparency, reduce reporting burdens and better align mandates with resources and results.
With tens of thousands of mandates guiding how the UN operated, the review process intended to ensure they remained relevant, coherent and focused on delivering measurable outcomes.
Proposals for changes to the structure of the UN included closer alignment across departments and agencies, and stronger collaboration across the entities concerned with peace and security, development and human rights.
The initiative had identified the need for fewer silos and more integrated approaches, alongside new tools such as shared data platforms and strengthened coordination mechanisms.
However, decisions on changes to the structure of the UN rested on Member States, which would have the final say on priorities and implementation.
Describing UN80 as a “work in progress,” the Secretary-General emphasised that sustained engagement was the way to create a more coherent and effective UN system.
According to him, as the initiative continues to evolve, its different strands are expected to come together to form a unified framework delivering stronger, more coordinated action. (NAN)
