A/RES/55/66
Noting general recommendation 19 concerning violence against women
adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, 9
Noting also relevant paragraphs in recent reports of the Special Rapporteur of
the Commission on Human Rights on violence against women, its causes and
consequences, 10 the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on
extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions 11 and the Special Rapporteur of the
Commission on Human Rights on the independence of judges and lawyers, 12 and of
the Special Rapporteur of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of
Human Rights on traditional practices affecting the health of women and the girl
child, 13
Bearing in mind relevant paragraphs in Commission on Human Rights
resolutions 2000/31 and 2000/45, of 20 April 2000, 14 as well as in resolution
2000/10 of 17 August 2000 of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection
of Human Rights, 15
Emphasizing that the elimination of crimes against women committed in the
name of honour requires greater efforts and commitment from Governments and the
international community, inter alia, through international cooperation efforts, and
civil society, including non-governmental and community organizations, and that
fundamental changes in societal attitude are required, and underlining the
importance of the empowerment of women as a tool,
1.
Expresses its concern at the fact that women continue to be victims of
various forms of violence, including those that are identified in the outcome
document of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled
“Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first
century”, 8 and at the continuing occurrence in all regions of the world of such
violence, including crimes against women committed in the name of honour, which
take many different forms, and also expresses its concern at the fact that some
perpetrators assume that they have some justification for committing such crimes;
2.
Welcomes the activities of States aimed at the elimination of crimes
against women committed in the name of honour, including the adoption of
amendments to relevant national laws relating to such crimes, the effective
implementation of such laws and national campaigns, all of which have already led
to a decrease in the incidence of these crimes in some countries;
3.
Also welcomes the efforts, such as concrete projects, undertaken by
United Nations bodies, programmes and organizations, including the United Nations
Population Fund, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the United Nations
Development Fund for Women, to address the issue of crimes against women
committed in the name of honour, and encourages them to coordinate their efforts,
and further welcomes the work carried out by civil society, including non9
See Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 38 (A/47/38),
sect. I.
10
E/CN.4/2000/68 and Add.1–5.
11
See A/55/288.
12
E/CN.4/2000/61 and Corr.1.
13
E/CN.4/Sub.2/1998/11, E/CN.4/Sub.2/1999/14 and E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/17.
14
See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2000, Supplement No. 3 and corrigendum
(E/2000/23 and Corr.1), chap. II, sect. A.
15
See E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/L.11/Add.1, chap. II, sect. A.
2