Welcoming the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action by the Fourth World Conference on Women,54 including the provisions regarding violence against women and children, Expressing grave concern at the continuation of armed conflicts in many regions throughout the world and the human suffering and humanitarian emergencies they have caused, Emphasizing that all forms of violence committed against the civilian population, including women and children in areas of armed conflict, including capturing them as hostages, seriously contravene international humanitarian law, in particular the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,55 Expressing its strong belief that the rapid and unconditional release of women and children taken hostage in areas of armed conflict will promote the implementation of the noble goals enshrined in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 1. Condemns violent acts in contravention of international humanitarian law against civilian women and children in areas of armed conflict, and calls for an effective response to such acts, including the immediate release of such women and children taken hostage, including those subsequently imprisoned, in armed conflicts; 2. Strongly urges all parties to armed conflicts to respect fully the norms of international humanitarian law in armed conflict and to take all necessary measures for the protection of these women and children and for their immediate release; 3. Urges all parties to conflicts to provide unimpeded access to specialized humanitarian assistance for these women and children; 4. Requests the Secretary-General and all relevant international organizations to use their capabilities and efforts to facilitate the release of these women and children; 5. Requests the Secretary-General to prepare, taking into account the information provided by States and relevant international organizations, a report on the implementation of the present resolution, for submission to the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-third session. Resolution 42/3. Violence against women migrant workers* The Commission on the Status of Women, Recalling all resolutions relevant to women migrant workers adopted by the General Assembly, in particular Assembly resolution 52/97 of 12 December 1997, * For the discussion, see chap. III, paras. 53-57. 54 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II. 55 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973. -36-