In April 2010, Sweden's Margot Wallstrom was appointed to the position of UN Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

A former European Commissioner, Wallstrom was the first to take up the role as outlined by UN Security Council Resolution 1888 a year earlier. She was tasked with harmonizing action across UN agencies to provide coherent and strategic leadership.

The mandate of the Special Representative has focused on fighting impunity, while mobilizing political leadership for action to stop rape in war. Ending on May 30, 2012, her two year term has been marked by many encouraging developments that placed sexual violence as a priority on the international security agenda.

Wallstrom and her office focused their attention on the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Colombia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Tasked with bringing the voices of survivors of rape to the UN Security Council, during one of her visits to Eastern Congo Wallstrom deemed the area "the rape capital of the world, " concentrating attention on the struggling justice and support systems in the country.

The Campaign looks forward to working with the team at UN Women, UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, and the next Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Read more from Margot Wallstrom's final month as the Special Envoy:

Interview with Margot Wallstrom, Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, UN News Centre, 4 June 2022

The forgotten Khmer Rouge victims, Phnom Penh Post, 29 May 2022

A Glimmer of Hope for the Women in Congo, Huffington Post, 30 May 2022

Colombia must fight impunity for sexual violence crimes - UN official, UN News Centre, 21 May 2022

During Wallstrom's final trip in May to Colombia, Campaign Advisory Committee member Liga de Mujeres Desplazadas met with the Special Representative. See photos on Facebook.