3. Acknowledges that journalists, in particular women journalists, because of their profession and their gender, are an easy and favourite target for violent acts, intolerance and terrorist attacks; 4. Condemns the murders and acts of violence and terrorism committed against women journalists, particularly in Algeria, because of their sex and their profession; 5. Commends all the women who continue, with courage, sacrifice and determination, to make their contribution, through the media, to improving the status of women; 6. Appeals to the United Nations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the international community to join their efforts in order to intensify, in accordance with the Platform for Action, efforts to combat terrorism and all forms of intolerance and violence and all violations of the human rights of women, which are a major obstacle to achieving the objectives of equality, development and peace proclaimed in the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women. 45/ Resolution 40/8. Elaboration of a draft optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women* The Commission on the Status of Women, Recalling that the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action 46/ and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 47/ called on Governments to support the process to elaborate a draft optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Welcoming the process initiated by the in-session Open-ended Working Group on the Elaboration of a Draft Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 1. Requests the Secretary-General to invite Governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations to submit additional views on an optional protocol to the Convention, taking into account the elements contained in suggestion 7, adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of * For the discussion, see chap. IV. 45/ Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15-26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A. 46/ Report of the World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 14-25 June 1993 (A/CONF.157/24 (Part I)), chap. III. 47/ Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (A/CONF.177/20 and Add.1), chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II. -30-