WOMEN AND ARMED CONFLICT
of international human rights law, international
humanitarian law, and national legislation;
• Promote a gender balance and gender expertise
The Commission on the Status of Women
in all relevant international bodies, at all times,
including the International Law Commission, the
ad hoc war crimes tribunals and the human rights
treaty bodies, having due regard for the principle of
equitable geographical distribution;
eaffirms the Beijing Platform for Action, notably
R
chapter IV.E on women and armed conflict;
roposes the following, taking into account the
P
Commission's conclusions on human rights of women,
violence against women and the girl child, in order
to accelerate the implementation of the strategic
objectives of chapter IV.E:
• Examine and consider modifying existing legal definitions and standards to ensure that they encompass concerns of all women and girls affected by
armed conflict, and, in particular, reaffirm that
rape, systematic rape and sexual slavery in armed
conflict constitute war crimes;
A. Ensuring gender-sensitive justice
• Ensure that where crimes of sexual violence are
Actions to be taken by Governments:
committed in situations of conflict, all perpetrators,
including those among United Nations and international peacekeeping and humanitarian personnel,
are prosecuted.
• Ensure that national legal systems provide accessible and gender-sensitive avenues of redress for
victims of armed conflict;
• Ensure that a gender-sensitive perspective is
B. Specific needs of women affected by
armed conflict
integrated in the drafting and interpretation of
international law and domestic legislation, including for the protection of women and girls in armed
conflict;
Actions to be taken by Governments and
international organizations:
• Support efforts to create an international criminal
court that integrates a gender perspective in its
statute and functioning, enabling a gender-sensitive
interpretation and application of the statute;
• Collect and provide information on violations of the
human rights of women under foreign occupation
and take steps to ensure the full enjoyment of the
human rights of these women;
• Provide and disseminate to the public in local
languages, including to women's groups and
non-governmental organizations, information on
the jurisdiction and procedures for accessing the
ad hoc war crimes tribunals, human rights treaty
bodies and all other relevant mechanisms; this
information should be widely and actively disseminated in cooperation with the United Nations
system and non governmental organizations;
• Take account of the impact of armed conflict on
the health of all women and introduce measures
to address the full range of women's health needs,
including those of women with disabilities, and the
psychological needs arising from trauma stemming
from sexual abuses and the effects of violations of
their rights;
• Address the specific needs and concerns of women
• Protect children in situations of armed con-
refugees and displaced persons and ensure appropriate training for relevant bodies to address the
specific needs and concerns of women refugees,
who should receive special protection, including
flict, especially the girl child, against participation, recruitment, rape and sexual exploitation
through adherence to the applicable principles
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