of sexual violence constitute, in defined circumstances, a crime against humanity and/or a war
crime, and reiterating that acts of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict can constitute
serious violations or grave breaches of international humanitarian law,
Deeply concerned that some groups of women, such as women belonging to minority
groups, indigenous women, refugee and internally displaced 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, widows and women in situations of
armed conflict are often especially targeted or vulnerable to violence, as are women who are
otherwise discriminated against,
Convinced that racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
reveal themselves in a differentiated manner for women and girls, and can be among the
factors leading to a deterioration in their living conditions, poverty, violence, multiple forms
of discrimination and the limitation or denial of their human rights, and recognizing the need
to integrate a gender perspective into relevant policies, strategies and programmes of action,
including effective implementation of national legislation, against racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in order to address multiple forms of
discrimination against women,
1.
Welcomes:
(a)
The work of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and
consequences, and takes note of her report (E/CN.4/2004/66 and Add.1-2), in particular the
elaboration of guidelines for developing strategies for the effective implementation of
international standards to end violence against women at the national level and her proposal
of an intervention strategy with three interrelated levels, consisting of the State, the
community/non-State actors, and the individual woman;
(b)
The increasing efforts and important contributions at the national, regional and
international levels to eliminate all forms of violence against women and encourages States to
build upon these successful initiatives, and to support and participate in regional
consultations;
(c)
The initiatives of the United Nations Development Fund for Women to combat
violence against women at the international, regional and national levels, and encourages the
continued efforts, within their mandates, of all United Nations bodies, funds and programmes,
including the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization, the
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