OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS
The elimination of violence against women
Commission on Human Rights resolution 1996/49
The Commission on Human Rights,
Reaffirming that discrimination on the basis of sex is contrary to the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women and other international human rights instruments, and that its elimination is an integral part of efforts
towards the elimination of violence against women,
Recalling its resolution 1994/45 of 4 March 1994 in which it decided to appoint a special rapporteur on violence
against women, its causes and consequences,
Welcoming the adoption by the General Assembly, in its resolution 48/104 of 20 December 1993, of the
Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, which recognizes that violence against women both
violates and impairs or nullifies the enjoyment by women of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and
expresses concern about the long-standing failure to protect and promote these rights and freedoms in relation to
violence against women,
Deeply concerned at continuing and endemic violence against women, and noting that the Declaration on the
Elimination of Violence against Women sets out various forms of physical, sexual and psychological violence
against women,
Bearing in mind that violence against women both violates and impairs or nullifies the enjoyment by women of
their human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Mindful that the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (A/CONF.157/23), adopted by the World
Conference on Human Rights, affirmed that gender-based violence and all forms of sexual harassment and
exploitation, including those resulting from cultural prejudice and international trafficking, are incompatible with
the dignity and worth of the human person and must be eliminated,
Deeply concerned that some groups of women, such as women belonging to minority groups, indigenous women,
refugee women, migrant women, women living in rural or remote communities, destitute women, women in
institutions or in detention, the girl child, women with disabilities, elderly women and women in situations of
armed conflict, are especially vulnerable to violence,
Alarmed by the marked increase in acts of sexual violence directed notably against women and children, as
expressed in the Final Declaration of the International Conference for the Protection of War Victims, held in
Geneva from 30 August to 1 September 1993, and reiterating that such acts constitute grave breaches of
international humanitarian law,
Stressing that the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women will contribute to the elimination of violence against women and that the implementation of the
Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women strengthens and complements this process, and
welcoming the significant progress achieved in relevant sections of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action (A/CONF.177/20), such as those on violence against women, women and armed conflict and the human
rights of women,
Noting with appreciation the Special Rapporteur's active participation in the preparatory process for the Fourth
World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace and in the Conference itself,
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