Whereas :

> the use of rape as a tactic of war knows no frontiers, whether geographical, cultural, or linked to sex or age,

> this tactic is evidence of the political will to decimate, traumatise and put to flight whole populations, destroying their community links, those of filiation and transmission of family wealth ;

> rape as a tactic of war is not a negative side effect of every war or conflict but is a specific way of conquering a country, which is tending to spread, deliberately calculated and applied, touching on the universal taboos of sexuality, of intimacy and of the feeling of guilt, to « cleanse » populations, make difficult the gathering of evidence and material proof, whereas these are essential elements for the functioning of the judicial system ;

> the strategies, the persons giving orders and the agressors use this tactic in the full knowledge that it will reinforce the exclusion of the victims by relatives and friends ;

> the solidarity arising from proximity, when exercised collectively at the level of the families and communities victimized is a lever of progress in the struggle against rape as a tactic in war ;

> the statutes of the ICC which make this practice an act constitutive of a war crime and a crime against humanity, as well as an instrument to genocide are further reinforced by the declarations and international resolutions, in particular those of the UN, the Council of Europe and the African Union which condemn this practice ;

> a change in this situation could come about if the victims of rape as a tactic in war, men and women, manage to place this practice in its political and collective context, by taking away from it the element of stigmatisation which may be attached to it. This practice will no longer be considered as « local » nor as the consequence of specific cultural or religious traditions.

> an efficient recognition of rape as a tactic of war at the highest level of political and military decision making is necessary to increase awareness among families, victims and whole communities and thus, increase chances to act coherently in view to eradicate this practice

The Observatory of rape as a tactic in war has been created :

- to promote a global picture of the causes and reality of rape as a tactic in war ;
- to renew Advocacy actions and incorporate new goals ;
- to rethink the concept on a multi-disciplinary basis ;
- to collectively mobilise, both men and women - the former often being the decision-makers of political, military and economic strategy - , as well as the religious and local/customary leaders in society, by :
- organising an alert system in all the countries and regions concerned by collecting and analysing the data relating to rape as a tactic in war (including, eg declarations of political or religious leaders, speeches reported in the media…), by synthesising relevant information and disseminating it, thus enabling a balanced view to be had of the initiatives taken, often of an empirical nature, to alert public opinion ;
- facilitating the networking of organisations on the spot ;
- carrying out research on specific subjects, eg maps, forewarning signs, conducting opinion polls and inquiries ;
- inventing specific Advocacy tools (such as the Manifesto), encouraging their use and evaluating their efficacy ;
- publicising its work and action.

I hereby express my intention as (jurist, anthropologist, historian, expert on political affairs, delegated by…, responsible for….), to be a member of the Observatory and commit to :
- share useful information in my possession, in line with Advocacy’s orientation and to stand as guarantor of its fiability ;
- participate, to the extent of my possibilities, in the activities initiated by the Secretariat and Bureau of the Observatory ;
- participate in meetings ( 3 per year ) and in their preparation.