A/RES/69/147
Intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls
international community to place particular focus on their plight, to give priority
attention and increased assistance to relieving the suffering, of women and girls
living in such situations and to ensure that, where violence is committed against
them, all perpetrators of such violence are duly investigated and, as appropriate,
prosecuted and punished in order to end impunity, including by appropriate
authorities contributing police, military or civilian personnel serving in
peacekeeping missions, while stressing the need to respect international
humanitarian law and human rights law, and invites States to consider the various
provisions on sexual and gender-based violence set out in relevant international
instruments, including, where appropriate, the Rome Statute of the International
Criminal Court;30
14. Stresses the need for the exclusion of killing and maiming of women and
girls, as prohibited under international law, and crimes of sexual violence from
amnesty provisions in the context of conflict resolution processes and to address
such acts during all stages of the armed conflict, conflict resolution and
post-conflict situations, including through transitional justice mechanisms, while
ensuring the full and effective participation of women in such processes;
15. Also stresses the importance of ensuring that in armed conflict and
post-conflict situations and in natural disaster situations, the prevention of and
response to all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual and
gender-based violence, are prioritized and effectively addressed, including, as
appropriate, through the investigation, prosecution and punishment of perpetrators
to end impunity, the removal of barriers to women’s access to justice, the
establishment of complaint and reporting mechanisms and the provision of support
to victims and survivors, affordable and accessible health-care services, including
sexual and reproductive health care, and reintegration measures, as well as by taking
steps to increase women’s participation in conflict resolution and peacebuilding
missions and processes and post-conflict decision-making;
16. Further stresses that, despite important steps taken by many countries
around the world, States should continue to focus on the prevention of violence
against women and girls, as well as on their protection, their empowerment and the
provision of services, and should therefore implement laws and policies for ending
violence against women and girls and monitor and rigorously evaluate the
implementation of available programmes, policies and laws and improve, where
possible, their impact, accessibility and effectiveness;
17. Stresses that States should take measures to ensure that all officials
responsible for implementing policies and programmes aimed at preventing violence
against women and girls, protecting and assisting victims and investigating and
punishing acts of violence receive ongoing and adequate training and access to
information to sensitize them to the different and specific needs of women and girls,
in particular those who have been subjected to violence, so that women and girls are
not revictimized when seeking justice and redress, including in peacekeeping
missions and processes and special political missions;
18. Also stresses that States should take all possible measures to empower
and protect women against all forms of violence, to inform them of their human
rights, including by disseminating information on the assistance available to women
and families who have experienced violence and ensuring that timely and
appropriate information is available to all women who have been subjected to
violence, including at all stages of the justice system, and to inform everyone of
women’s rights and of the existing penalties for violating those rights;
19. Calls upon States, with the support of United Nations entities, to fully
engage men and boys, as well as families and communities, as partners and agents
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