Intensification of efforts to prevent and eliminate all forms of
violence against women and girls: sexual harassment
A/RES/73/148
Reaffirming the obligation of all States to promote and protect all human rights
and fundamental freedoms, and reaffirming also that discrimination on the basis of
sex is contrary to the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 6 the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 6 the Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 7 and the Convention
on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocols thereto, 8
Reaffirming also the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against
Women, 9 the Beijing Declaration 10 and Platform for Action, 11 the Programme of
Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 12 and the
outcomes of their review conferences, and the United Nations Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 13
Recalling the commitment to eliminate all forms of violence against all women
and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other
types of exploitation, contained in Sustainable Development Goal 5, in particular
target 5.2, 14 and taking into account the commitment to leave no one behind,
Deeply concerned about violence against women and girls in all its different
forms and manifestations worldwide, which is underrecognized and underreported,
particularly at the community level, and its pervasiveness, which reflects
discriminatory norms that reinforce stereotypes and gender inequality and the
corresponding impunity and lack of accountability, reiterating the need to intensify
efforts to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in the
public and private spheres in all regions of the world, and re-emphasizing that
violence against women and girls violates, and impairs their full enjoyment of, all
human rights,
Recognizing that violence against women and girls, including sexual
harassment, is rooted in historical and structural inequality in power relations between
men and women, seriously violates and impairs or nullifies the enjoyment of all
human rights and fundamental freedoms by women and girls and constitutes a major
impediment to their full, equal and effective participation in society, as well as
economic and political life,
Bearing in mind that sexual harassment in private and public spaces, including
in educational institutions and the workplace, as well as in digital contexts, leads to a
hostile environment, which has a further negative impact on women and girls in the
enjoyment of their rights and equal opportunities, has negative physical and mental
health consequences for the victims and may negatively affect their families,
Recognizing the particular risk of sexual harassment faced by women and girls
who suffer multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination,
Acknowledging that sexual harassment may be committed against girls who are
working in accordance with national legislation or under other circumstances, while
__________________
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
2/9
See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378.
Ibid., vols. 1577, 2171 and 2173, No. 27531; and resolution 66/138, annex.
Resolution 48/104.
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, annex I.
Ibid., annex II.
Report of the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 5–13 September
1994 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.95.XIII.18), chap. I, resolution 1, annex.
Resolution 61/295, annex.
See resolution 70/1.
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