(f) The increased international efforts in various forums with respect to anti-personnel mines, recognizes the positive effects on children of those efforts and, in this regard, takes due note of the entry into force on 1 March 1999 of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, and its implementation by those States that become parties to it, and the entry into force on 3 December 1998 of the amended Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II) (CCW/CONF.I/16, Part I, annex B) of the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, and its implementation by those States that become parties to it; 15. Reaffirms: (a) That the rights of the child as laid out in international human rights instruments and international humanitarian law are at their most pertinent in time of armed conflict, expresses grave concern at the numerous damaging effects of armed conflicts on children and emphasizes the need for the world community to focus increased attention on this serious problem with a view to alleviating those effects; (b) That rape and certain other forms of sexual violence of comparable gravity can, in the conduct of armed conflict, constitute a war crime, and under certain defined circumstances such acts can constitute crimes against humanity, as clarified in the relevant provisions of, inter alia, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; in addition under certain circumstances such acts can contribute to the crime of genocide, as defined in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and calls upon all States to take all measures required for the protection of children and women from all acts of gender-based violence, including rape and other forms of sexual violence, sexual exploitation and forced pregnancy, and to strengthen mechanisms to investigate and punish all those responsible and bring the perpetrators to justice; (c) The condemnation of the abduction of children in situations of armed conflict and into armed conflicts, and urges States, international organizations and other concerned parties to take all appropriate measures to secure the unconditional release of all abducted children; (d) That all humanitarian responses in situations of armed conflict should emphasize the importance of relevant measures to ensure respect for the rights of the child, including physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration, especially the special reproductive health needs of girls and women, including those that arise from pregnancy as a result of rape, sexual mutilation, childbirth at an early age or infection with sexually transmitted diseases, as well as human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), and access to family planning services; (e) The importance of preventive measures such as early-warning systems, preventive diplomacy and education for peace to prevent conflicts and their negative impact on the enjoyment of the rights of the child, and urges Governments and the international community to promote sustainable human development; page 11