SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT SUMMIT UNDERWAY

INTRO: A major summit aimed at ending sexual violence in conflict has begun in London…

Charities, aid groups and government officials from around the world are attending the 4 day event.

It aims to improve the investigation and documentation of sexual violence.

Our UK correspondent Natalie Powell reports…

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VO 1: Day one of the four day summit opened with a joint conference by the co-chairs of this event. The celebrity face of the summi, Angelina Jolie - who is the Special envoy for the UN High Commissioner for refugees, speaking with the UK's Foreign Secretary William Hague..

The pair joined forces in 2012, launching the Prevention of Sexual Violence Initiative - a subject that is close to both of their hearts, as Angelina Jolie explained.

SOT 1: Angelina Jolie, UN Special Envoy: "On our way over we spoke about recently the women we met recently on our last trip and in particular one woman who said she was yet to tell her child that she'd been raped because she was so humiliated and she couldn't bring herself to admit it to him."

This is the biggest gathering on this subject which aims to address challenges to National and International justice systems in prosecuting these crimes, and improve support for victims.The ultimate aim though for co-chair william hague, is to prevent the use of sexual violence as a weapon in conflict.

GRAB: WILLIAM HAGUE

VO 2: Reports of abuses like these are plentiful here, with victims attending the conference to tell their own stories. Lilly Mangoto Bukolo is currently homeless in the UK after fleeing from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

SOT 3: Lily Mangoto Bukolo: "My story is I was raped in 2004 in my country. On the same day my daughter was killed. I flew to the UK, and my protest is that nobody believed me in the first place."

Her tragic story reflects a common message here. With many campaigners critical of the British government, claiming the government is not supporting women seeking asylum in the UK, who are fleeing from sexual violence in their own countries.

As Natasha Walter from Women for Refugee Women explains..

GRAB: Natasha

It's hoped this summit will secure real commitments at home and abroad. Officials from over 150 countries, including Sierra Leone, the DRC and Liberia are present. And those working in war zones hope they will be listening.

Helene Bahati from War Child says using sexual violence as a weapon in war zones needs to be stopped.

SOT 2: Helene Bahati, War Child: "Sexual violence affects children in Congo, because from the fact it is a conflict affected country, people use sexual violence as a gun to destroy the nation so they see that children are the future of the nation and they start by destroying that future."

Aside from the political meetings taking place this week, the event is open to the public, in a bid to further spread the message about ending sexual violence, especially in war zones..