Noting the comments of the Special Rapporteur concerning the precepts of all the world's religions in
favour of the pursuit of the equality of all human beings and to that end the protection of women's rights and
dignity,
Looking forward to the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and
Peace, to be held in Beijing in 1995, and mindful that the issue of violence against women is among those being
addressed as a critical area of concern in the preparations for the Conference,
1.
Welcomes the preliminary report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its
causes and its consequences (E/CN.4/1995/42);
2.
Commends the Special Rapporteur for her analysis of the general nature of the problem and the
specific causes and consequences of violence against women;
3.
Encourages the Special Rapporteur to make recommendations concerning situations in which
advisory services and technical assistance might assist Governments concerned;
4.
Condemns all acts of gender-based violence against women, and in this regard calls, in
accordance with the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, for the elimination of genderbased violence in the family, within the general community and where perpetrated or condoned by the State, and
emphasizes the duty of Governments to refrain from engaging in violence against women and to exercise due
diligence to prevent, investigate and, in accordance with national legislation, to punish acts of violence against
women and to take appropriate and effective action concerning acts of violence against women, whether those
acts are perpetrated by the State or by private persons, and to provide access to just and effective remedies and
specialized assistance to victims;
5.
Condemns all violations of the human rights of women in situations of armed conflict,
recognizes them to be violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and calls for a particularly
effective response to violations of this kind, including in particular murder, systematic rape, sexual slavery and
forced pregnancy;
6.
Stresses the recommendation of the Special Rapporteur that States should implement the
Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, and in particular calls on States to take steps at the
national level to:
(a)
Consider formulating national plans of action to eliminate violence against women;
(b)
Consider ratifying the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women by the year 2000 and limit the extent of any reservation they enter to the Convention, formulate any
reservations as precisely and as narrowly as possible, ensure that no reservation is incompatible with the object
and purpose of the Convention or otherwise contrary to international law and review their reservations regularly,
with a view to withdrawing them expeditiously;
(c)
Develop legal and administrative mechanisms to ensure access to the mechanisms of justice and,
as provided for by national legislation, to just and effective remedies for women victims of violence;
(d)
Provide access to specialized assistance for women victims of violence;
(e)
Educate and sensitize law enforcement officers and public officials with regard to issues
concerning violence against women and develop strategies to ensure that revictimization of women victims of
violence does not occur because of gender-insensitive laws, or judicial or enforcement practices;
(f)
Adopt all appropriate measures, especially in the field of education curricula so as to instil
values which will prevent violence against women;
(g)
Condemn violence against women and not invoke custom, tradition or practices in the name of
religion to avoid their obligations to eliminate such violence;
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