E/2016/27 E/CN.6/2016/22 Recalling General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003 on the prevention of armed conflict, and Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000, 1828 (2008) of 31 July 2008, 1888 (2009) of 30 September 2009, 1889 (2009) of 5 October 2009, 1960 (2010) of 16 December 2010, 2106 (2013) of 24 June 2013, 2122 (2013) of 18 October 2013 and 2242 (2015) of 13 October 2015 on women, peace and security, as well as Council resolutions 1314 (2000) of 11 August 2000, 1379 (2001) of 20 November 2001, 1460 (2003) of 30 January 2003, 1539 (2004) of 22 April 2004, 1612 (2005) of 26 July 2005, 1882 (2009) of 4 August 2009, 1998 (2011) of 12 July 2011, 2068 (2012) of 19 September 2012, 2143 (2014) of 7 March 2014 and 2225 (2015) of 18 June 2015 on children and armed conflict, and Council resolutions 2133 (2014) of 27 January 2014, 2249 (2015) of 20 November 2015, 2253 (2015) of 17 December 2015 and 2255 (2015) of 21 December 2015 on kidnapping for ransom and hostage-taking by terrorists, Expressing grave concern at the continuation of armed conflicts in many regions throughout the world and the human suffering and humanitarian emergencies they cause, Noting the particular impact that trafficking in persons in situations of armed conflict has on women and children, including their increased vulnerability to sexual and gender-based violence, and expressing solidarity with and compassion for women and children who are trafficked, as noted in the statement of 16 December 2015 by the President of the Security Council, 15 Noting also that women and children who are taken hostage, including those subsequently imprisoned, including in armed conflicts, whether international or non-international, are victims of serious violations or abuses of international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law, which continues to have a negative impact on efforts to put an end to those conflicts and causes suffering to the families of those women and children, and stressing, in this regard, the need to address the issue from a humanitarian perspective, among others, Emphasizing that all forms of violence in areas of armed conflict committed against the civilian population as such, including taking women and children hostage, seriously contravene international humanitarian law, in particular as set out in the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, Cognizant that States that are parties to an armed conflict have a responsibility not to take hostage and subsequently imprison women and children in armed conflicts and to ensure accountability as regards the implementation of relevant mechanisms, policies and laws in order to protect them, bearing in mind that all parties to a conflict must refrain from hostage taking, Concerned that, despite the efforts of the international community, acts of hostage-taking in different forms and manifestations, including those committed by terrorists and armed groups, continue to take place and have even increased in many regions of the world, __________________ 15 16-05842 S/PRST/2015/25. 29/62