A/RES/69/147
Intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls
Nations bodies, entities, funds and programmes and the specialized agencies,
including by the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in
law and in practice, by the Special Rapporteurs of the Human Rights Council on
violence against women, its causes and consequences, on trafficking in persons,
especially women and children, on the sale of children, child prostitution and child
pornography and on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of
non-recurrence and by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on
Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
Children and Armed Conflict and the Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral on Violence against Children,
Deeply concerned about the pervasiveness of violence against women and girls
in all its different forms and manifestations worldwide, and reiterating the need to
intensify efforts to prevent all forms of violence against women and girls throughout
the world and to re-emphasize that violence against women and girls is
unacceptable,
Emphasizing that States should continue to adopt and implement legislation
and policies in accordance with their obligations under international law, and in
particular in accordance with international human rights obligations and with their
commitments, which address the issue of violence against women in a
comprehensive manner, not only by criminalizing violence against women and girls
and providing for punishment of the perpetrators, but also by including protection
and preventive measures and access to just and effective remedies, including
compensation and indemnification, for victims and survivors of violence against
women and girls, with provisions for adequate funding for their implementation,
while exercising due diligence in addressing violence against women, including in
their role as contributors to peace operations led by the United Nations or regional
organizations,
Underlining the detrimental impact of sexual violence in armed conflict on
women’s participation in the resolution of conflict and in the post-conflict
transition, reconstruction and peacebuilding processes,
Reaffirming the importance of effective accountability with regard to violence
against women and girls, including sexual violence, abuse and exploitation, and of
undertaking adequate measures to combat such violence,
Taking note, in this regard, of the Secretary-General’s guidance note on
reparations for conflict-related sexual violence,
Taking note of international and regional initiatives to combat sexual violence
in armed conflict, including the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict,
which focused on justice, accountability and support for victims,
Recognizing that violence against women and girls is rooted in historical and
structural inequality in power relations between men and women and that all forms
of violence against women seriously violate and impair or nullify the enjoyment by
women and girls of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and constitute a
major impediment to women’s full, equal and effective participation in society, the
economy and political decision-making,
Recognizing also that women’s poverty and lack of empowerment, as well as
their marginalization resulting from their exclusion from social policies and from
the benefits of education and sustainable development, can place them at increased
risk of violence, and that violence against women impedes the social and economic
and therefore the sustainable development of communities and States, as well as the
achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the
Millennium Development Goals,
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