Peran UNICEF dalam Merespons Kekerasan Seksual terhadap Anak di Wilayah Timur Republik Demokratik Kongo

Sexual violence against children in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the 2021-2024 period is one of the humanitarian issues requiring the involvement of international organizations. The United Nations verified that during the monitoring period from April 2020 to March 2022, there were 944 cases of sexual violence against children in the DRC, with 91% of these cases concentrated in the eastern provinces. This study aims to analyze the role of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in responding to sexual violence against children in the eastern region of the DRC based on Neoliberal Institutionalism Theory and Clive Archer’s concept of international organizations regarding their roles as instruments, arenas, and actors. This study employs a descriptive qualitative method using a case study approach, involving document analysis of official UNICEF reports, United Nations documents, and related publications. The results indicate that UNICEF functions as an instrument by providing aid and child protection mechanisms, as an arena through the coordination of various humanitarian actors, and as an actor through the development of strategies and operational decision-making. In practice, UNICEF’s response faces a number of obstacles, including funding constraints, security conditions, barriers to case reporting, and limitations in the country’s institutional capacity. This study demonstrates that UNICEF plays a crucial role in child protection efforts; however, its presence cannot replace the Democratic Republic of the primary responsibility of the DRC Government for law enforcement, ensuring security, and bringing perpetrators of sexual violence to justice.