Launch of Draft Murad Code for Global Consultations

It is named the “Murad Code”, after Nadia Murad, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.  It is launched for global consultations and further development.  The English version of the background paper to the draft Murad Code and the draft Murad Code (annex A) itself are available here.  Please visit the Murad Code project website at muradcode.com for the Arabic, Swahili, Spanish and French versions of the background paper including the draft Murad Code, and for guidance on how to participate in the process of further global consultations.  The project website also contains more information on the project and its other components.

The Murad Code project is a global collaborative initiative aimed at building and supporting a community of better documentation practice.  A widely supported code of conduct for reporters, researchers, documenters and investigators can help achieve greater respect for survivors’ rights and better outcomes for survivors, documenters and the wider local, national and international communities.

The reported and likely impacts of the covid-19 pandemic include increased sexual violence, fewer resources for documentation and justice, and pressure to compromise on documentation standards, for example, to do remotely what should be done in person – this adds urgency to the need for the Murad Code.

The draft Murad Code was developed through an intensive and inspiring process of inter-disciplinary research and in-depth preliminary discussions with more than 160 survivors, national and international documenters, humanitarians, researchers, donors and other experts from across the globe.  The product of that process is now launched for broader in-depth global consultations and further development.  We request those who document, investigate, research or report on such violence, policy-makers, donors, survivors and other interested actors and stakeholders to join the effort to achieve safer and better outcomes for the documentation of conflict-related sexual violence, initially by providing feedback on the draft Murad Code and on questions such as whether the final Code should have some form of implementation-support mechanism.

The development of the draft Murad Code was led by IICI with support from the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) of the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and in consultation with Nadia’s Initiative (www.nadiasinitiative.org).  We would like to thank our partners and the more than 160 people who have set aside precious time to help us with the development of the draft Murad Code.