30 July 1992

40th plenary meeting

Violence against women in all its forms

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolution 1991/18 of 30 May 1991, in which it requested that an expert group meeting be held to address the issue of violence against women and to discuss the possibilities of preparing an international instrument on this subject and the elements to be contained therein,

Bearing in mind that the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women identify violence against women as a major obstacle to the achievement of the objectives of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace,

Noting that, in general recommendation 19, adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at its eleventh session, the Committee recognized that gender-based violence was a form of discrimination that seriously inhibited the ability of women to enjoy rights and freedoms on a basis of equality with men,

Noting also the response of the Committee to the report of the Secretary-General on violence against women in all its forms, the annex to which contained the recommendations and a summary of the discussion of the Expert Group Meeting on Violence against Women, held at Vienna from 11 to 15 November 1991,

1. Calls on Governments to recognize that the elimination of violence against women is essential to the achievement of equality for women and is a requirement for the full respect of human rights;

2. Urges Member States to adopt, strengthen and enforce legislation prohibiting violence against women and to take all appropriate administrative, social and educational measures to protect women from all forms of physical and mental violence, in accordance with its resolution 1991/18;

3. Calls on States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women to take the steps necessary to implement general recommendation 19, adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at its eleventh session;

4. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on violence against women in all its forms;

5. Decides to convene an inter-sessional working group of the Commission on the Status of Women, open to all Member States and observer States, to further develop a draft declaration on violence against women, taking into account the draft declaration contained in the annex to the report of the Secretary-General, and to report to the Commission, at its thirty-seventh session, with a view to recommending a draft declaration to the General Assembly through the Economic and Social Council;

6. Requests Governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, other relevant bodies and academics to continue to undertake research into the causes of violence against women;

7. Urges Governments to address the issue of violence against women at the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace, to be held in 1995, as one of the major obstacles to women's advancement.