A/80/496 particular in cases in which the transfer of arms is leading to violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws. 27. Protecting civilians must remain a core obligation in all conflict and crisis settings. This extends beyond preventing physical harm to actively safeguarding the rights that allow individuals and marginalized communities to express grievances, advocate for justice and show solidarity. Upholding the right to peaceful protest and freedom of expression is essential to preserving civic space, enabling accountability and fostering resilience in the face of violence or repression. The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that civilian protection must be understood not only as shielding bodies, but also as defending voices. Sexual and gender-based violence among those from racialized groups 28. Sexual and gender-based violence tends to be higher in conflict and post-conflict settings and is all too often used as a tactic of war to gain and consolidate control over territory and natural resources. 44 Conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence is endemic and is reported to be increasing significantly. 45 Women and girls from racially and ethnically marginalized groups, caste oppressed groups and others facing similar discrimination are often disproportionally affected by gender-based violence, in particular sexual violence, during conflict. Women tend to be disproportionately affected, but men are also victims of sexual and gender-based violence in conflict situations. 29. Manifestations of sexual and gender-based violence perpetrated by both State and non-State actors include incidents of femicide, attempted rape, rape, gang rape, threats of rape and castration, genital mutilation, electric shocks and beatings to the genitals, and forced nudity, sexual slavery, forced marriage, forced prostitution and other forms of sexual violence, often following abduction and recruitment by armed groups. Sexual violence is also used as a form of torture in conflict -related detention settings. 46 Sexual violence is used in a strategic manner to humiliate, punish, control, inflict fear and displace women and their communities. 47 The impact of sexual and gender-based violence can be exacerbated by conflict situations, given that victims and survivors often face increased barriers to life-saving services following incidents of violence. The Special Rapporteur notes with grave concern the most recent report of the Secretary-General, in which he analysed incidences of sexual and gender-based violence in in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Israel, Libya, Mali, M yanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Ukraine and Yemen, as well as the State of Palestine. 48 30. The Special Rapporteur received submissions indicating that those from marginalized racial and ethnic groups were more vulnerable to sexual and gender based violence. 49 This again can be explained by vulnerabilities arising from their positionality and experiences of pre-existing systemic racism and intersectional discrimination, which are often legacies of enslavement and/or manifestations of past or ongoing colonialism and apartheid. Those from marginalized racial and ethnic groups with experiences of intersectional discrimination, including women, persons __________________ 44 45 46 47 48 49 25-16958 See S/2025/389 and submission from Lithuania. United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN -Women), “Facts and figures: women, peace and security”, 20 October 2025. See S/2025/389. Amnesty International, ‘“They raped all of us’: sexual violence against women and girls in Sudan”, April 2025. See S/2025/389. Submission from South Africa. 11/21