Special
Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
Human
Rights Council 7 th session (March 2008) - Report of the Special Rapporteur
on Indicators on Violence against Women and State response (A/HRC/7/6)
Introduction
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in resolution 1994/45, adopted on 4 March 1994 , decided
to appoint a Special Rapporteur on violence against women, including its
causes and consequences. The mandate was extended by the Commission on
Human Rights in 2003, at its 59th session in resolution 2003/45 . In the same resolution the Commission
on Human Rights:
"Strongly condemning all
acts of violence against women and girls and in this regard called,
in accordance with the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against
Women, for the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence in the
family, within the general community and where perpetrated or condoned by
the State, and emphasized the duty of Governments to refrain from
engaging in violence against women and to exercise due diligence to
prevent, investigate and, in accordance with national legislation, punish
acts of violence against women and to take appropriate and effective action
concerning acts of violence against women, whether those acts are
perpetrated by the State, by private persons or by armed groups or warring factions,
and to provide access to just and effective remedies and specialized,
including medical, assistance to victims;
Affirmed, in this light, that violence against women
constitutes a violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of
women and that violence against women impairs or nullifies their enjoyment
of those rights and freedoms."
Since March 2006, the Special Rapporteur reports to the Human Rights
Council, as per Human Rights Councils decision 1/102.
According to his/her mandate the Special Rapporteur is requested to:
(a) Seek and receive information on violence against women, its causes
and consequences from Governments, treaty bodies, specialized agencies,
other special rapporteurs responsible for various human rights questions
and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, including women's
organizations, and to respond effectively to such information;
(b) Recommend measures, ways and means, at the national, regional and
international levels, to eliminate violence against women and its causes,
and to remedy its consequences;
(c) Work closely with other special rapporteurs, special representatives,
working groups and independent experts of the Commission on Human Rights
and since March 2006 of the Human Rights Council - and with the treaty
bodies, taking into account the Commission's request that they all
regularly and systematically include in their reports available information
on human rights violations affecting women; and cooperate closely with the
Commission on the Status of Women in the discharge of its functions.
In the discharge of the mandate the Special Rapporteur:
Transmits urgent appeals and communications to States regarding alleged
cases of violence against women. See Individual Complaints
Undertakes fact-finding country visits. See Country Visits
Submits annual thematic reports. See Annual Reports
Special
Rapporteurs:
· Dr. Yakin Ertürk
(Turkey), since August 2003
· Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy (Sri Lanka), 1994 - July
2003
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