13. Reaffirms: (a) That rape in the conduct of armed conflict constitutes a war crime and that under certain circumstances it constitutes a crime against humanity and an act of genocide, and calls upon all States to take all measures required for the protection of children and women from all acts of gender-based violence, including rape, sexual exploitation and forced pregnancy, and to strengthen mechanisms to investigate and prosecute perpetrators; (b) That all humanitarian responses in situations of armed conflict should emphasize the special reproductive health needs of girls and women, including those that arise from pregnancy as a result of rape, sexual mutilation, childbirth at an early age or infection with sexually transmitted diseases, as well as human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and access to family planning services; (c) The importance of preventive measures such as early-warning systems, preventive diplomacy and education for peace to prevent conflicts and their negative impact on the enjoyment of the rights of the child, and urges Governments and the international community to promote sustainable human development; (d) The importance of special attention for children in situations of armed conflict, in particular in the areas of health and nutrition, education and social reintegration, and in developing emergency and other humanitarian assistance policies and programmes, and of enhanced coordination and cooperation throughout the United Nations system to this end; (e) Its support for the recommendations of the General Assembly and the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent concerning the assessment and monitoring of the consequences of sanctions upon children, as well as those concerning humanitarian relief; 14. Decides, with regard to the draft optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflicts: (a) To request the Secretary-General to transmit the report of the working group on the draft optional protocol to Governments, relevant United Nations bodies and specialized agencies, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Special Representative on the impact of armed conflict on children, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and to invite their comments on the draft protocol contained in annex I negotiated in plenary, as well as on annex II containing the “Chairman's perception” based on informal consultations, in time for circulation prior to the next session of the working group, and invites the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Committee on the Rights of the Child to consider being represented and the Special Representative to consider being present at the next session of the working group; (b) To encourage the Chairman of the working group to conduct broad informal consultations with the aim of promoting an early agreement on the optional protocol and to produce a report thereon by the end of 1998 including, if possible, recommendations and/or ideas on the best way for the formal negotiations to proceed; (c) To request the working group to meet in early 1999, primarily to consider the Chairman's report on the status of the informal consultations, which should be available well in advance, and to report to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-fifth session; (d) To request the Secretary-General to give the necessary support to the working group to meet for a maximum of two weeks, if the working group decides that an agreement on the draft optional protocol is possible at that session; (e) To reaffirm the aim of finalizing the draft optional protocol by the tenth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child; 15. Decides, with regard to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the impact of armed conflict on children, to recommend that the Secretary-General ensure that the necessary support is made page 8