E/2012/27 E/CN.6/2012/16 5. The Working Group recalled its mandate as defined in paragraph 4 of Economic and Social Council resolution 1983/27, which stated that the Working Group should perform the following functions: (a) Consideration of all communications, including the replies of Governments thereon, if any, with a view to bringing to the attention of the Commission those communications, including the replies of Governments, which appeared to reveal a consistent pattern of reliably attested injustice and discriminatory practices against women; (b) Preparation of a report, based on its analysis of the confidential and non-confidential communications, which would indicate the categories in which communications were most frequently submitted to the Commission. 6. The Working Group noted that a number of communications of a general nature had been submitted as well as communications alleging specific cases of discrimination against individual women and girls. 7. The Working Group discerned the following categories in which communications had most frequently been submitted to the Commission: (a) Sexual violence against women and girls, including rape, forced prostitution, threats of rape, and sexual harassment, including in the workplace, committed by private individuals, including armed individuals, and military, security and law enforcement personnel, including in detention and detentionrelated situations, as well as failure by States, resulting in a climate of impunity, to exercise due diligence to prevent such violations, and to adequately and in a timely manner investigate, prosecute and punish the perpetrators, failure by States to provide adequate protection, support and reparation for victims and their families, and failure by States to ensure access to justice; (b) Other forms of violence against women and girls, including domestic violence, forced and early marriage and female genital mutilation, as well as failure by States, resulting in a climate of impunity, to exercise due diligence to prevent such violations and to adequately and in a timely manner investigate, prosecute and punish the perpetrators, failure by States to provide adequate protection, support and reparation for victims and their families, and failure by States to ensure access to justice; (c) Trafficking in women and children, for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation, as well as failure by States, resulting in a climate of impunity, to adopt adequate legislation prohibiting trafficking in persons, and to exercise due diligence to prevent such violations and to adequately and in a timely manner investigate, prosecute and punish all perpetrators; (d) Abuse of power by military, security and law enforcement personnel, humiliation, lack of due process and delays in proceedings, arbitrary arrest and detention, failure to grant a fair trial and impunity resulting from failure by States to promptly investigate, prosecute and punish the perpetrators; (e) Threats and pressure on victims of violence, their families and witnesses by private individuals and law enforcement officials, often preventing them from filing complaints or leading them to withdraw their complaints; 12-27405 41