The Grand Duchess took part in the opening of the 68th Congress of the International Union of Lawyers in Paris. She was guest of honor at a special session dedicated to sexual violence in conflict zones. “Today, as in the past, indignation is no longer enough; we must move from debate to action.”

The Grand Duchess reaffirmed her commitment through the creation of her Stand Speak Rise Up! association, starting in 2019. Also alongside Céline Bardet, president of We are not Weapons of War and administrator of Stand Speak Rise Up!, La Grande-Duchesse encouraged collective mobilization to end the impunity surrounding these horrific crimes.

Introduced by Jacqueline Scott, President of the UIA, and Valérie Dupong, former President of the Luxembourg Bar, the Grand Duchess was joined by Julie Couturier, President of the Conseil national des barreaux. Then by Vanessa Bousardo, vice-bâtonnière of the Paris Bar.
They praised her commitment and stressed the importance of legal mobilization in the fight against war rape.

At the end of the day, she visited UNESCO House, where she reaffirmed her commitment as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and UNICEF Eminent Advocate for Children. She denounced rape as “the cheapest weapon known to man, designed to intimidate, degrade and terrorize.” Finally, she stressed the urgent need to strengthen legal frameworks, ensure justice and reparation for victims, and support children born of such violence to guarantee them a dignified future.