A/RES/51/112 Page 5 8. Urges the Government of the Sudan to cease immediately all aerial attacks on civilian targets and other attacks that are in violation of international humanitarian law; 9. Calls upon parties to the hostilities to respect fully the applicable provisions of international humanitarian law, including article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949,14 and the Additional Protocols thereto, of 1977,15 to halt the use of weapons against the civilian population and to protect all civilians, including women, children and members of ethnic and religious minorities, from violations, including forcible displacement, arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, torture and summary executions, and deplores the consequences for innocent civilians of the use of landmines by government and rebel forces alike; 10. Again calls upon the Government of the Sudan and all parties to allow Operation Lifeline Sudan, international agencies, humanitarian organizations and donor Governments unimpeded access to the civilian population so as to permit the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all persons in need; 11. Welcomes the reported release of female detainees with children and any other activities designed to assist such persons, and encourages the Government of the Sudan to work actively for the eradication of practices that are directed against and in particular violate the human rights of women and girls, in full cooperation with the international organizations active in the Sudan and focusing on the question, including the office of the United Nations Children's Fund in Khartoum; 12. Urges the Government of the Sudan to take all steps necessary to improve the situation of the most vulnerable groups of the society, the women, children and ethnic and religious minorities living in the conflict zones, as recommended by the Special Rapporteur;16 13. Urges all parties to the civil war in the Sudan to seek a negotiated settlement to the conflict immediately, and encourages the parties to cooperate with efforts by the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development to assist the warring parties to put an end to the conflict and hasten a return of Sudanese refugees residing in neighbouring countries; 14. Reiterates its call upon the Government of the Sudan to ensure a full, thorough and prompt investigation by an independent judicial commission of inquiry into the killings of Sudanese nationals employed by foreign relief organizations and foreign Governments; 15. Urges the Government of the Sudan to cooperate fully with all United Nations agencies, international humanitarian organizations, human 14 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, Nos. 970-973. 15 Ibid., vol. 1125, Nos. 17512 and 17513. 16 See A/51/490, chap. III, sect. B, para. 52 (d). /...