Beijing Platform for Action (1995)

Strategic objective E.1. Increase the participation of women in conflict resolution at decision-making levels and protect women living in situations of armed and other conflicts or under foreign occupation.

141. In addressing armed or other conflicts, an active and visible policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes should be promoted so that before decisions are taken an analysis is made of the effects on women and men, respectively.

142. By Governments and international and regional intergovernmental institutions:
(c) Ensure that these bodies are able to address gender issues properly by providing appropriate training to prosecutors, judges and other officials in handling cases involving rape, forced pregnancy in situations of armed conflict, indecent assault and other forms of violence against women in armed conflicts, including terrorism, and integrate a gender perspective into their work.

145. By Governments and international and regional organizations:
(c) Urge the identification and condemnation of the systematic practice of rape and other forms of inhuman and degrading treatment of women as a deliberate instrument of war and ethnic cleansing and take steps to ensure that full assistance is provided to the victims of such abuse for their physical and mental rehabilitation;

(d) Reaffirm that rape in the conduct of armed conflict constitutes a war crime and under certain circumstances it constitutes a crime against humanity and an act of genocide as defined in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; 27/ take all measures required for the protection of women and children from such acts and strengthen mechanisms to investigate and punish all those responsible and bring the perpetrators to justice;

(g) Take into account gender-sensitive concerns in developing training programmes for all relevant personnel on international humanitarian law and human rights awareness and recommend such training for those involved in United Nations peacekeeping and humanitarian aid, with a view to preventing violence against women, in particular;

Commission on the Status of Women (1998):
Agreed Conclusions on women in armed conflict

• Ensure that national legal systems provide accessible and gender-sensitive avenues of redress for victims of armed conflict;
• Ensure that a gender-sensitive perspective is integrated in the drafting and interpretation of international law and domestic legislation, including for the protection of women and girls in armed conflict;
•  Support efforts to create an international criminal court that integrates a gender perspective in its statute and functioning, enabling a gender-sensitive interpretation and application of the statute;
•  Promote a gender balance and gender expertise in all relevant international bodies, at all times, including the International Law Commission, the ad hoc war crimes tribunals and the human rights treaty bodies, having due regard for the principle of equitable geographical distribution;
•  Examine and consider modifying existing legal definitions and standards to ensure that they encompass concerns of all women and girls affected by armed conflict, and, in particular, reaffirm that rape, systematic rape and sexual slavery in armed conflict constitute war crimes;
•  Ensure that where crimes of sexual violence are committed in situations of conflict, all perpetrators, including those among United Nations and international peacekeeping and humanitarian personnel, are prosecuted;
•  Recognize the importance of fully involving women in designing rehabilitation policies in post-conflict situations and take steps to assist household economies, including the social and economic conditions of women-headed households and widows;
•  Mainstream a gender perspective into humanitarian responses to crises and armed conflicts and into post-conflict reconstruction activities;
• Increase, including through measures of affirmative action, women's participation and leadership in decision-making and in preventing conflict;Mainstream a gender perspective into peace-promoting activities at all levels as well as humanitarian and peace-building policies&.
•  Enhance the role of women in bilateral preventive diplomacy efforts as well as those undertaken by the United Nations in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations;
• Develop and implement innovative strategies to increase the participation of women in peacekeeping operations and invite the Secretary-General to analyze their effectiveness in his reports on peacekeeping operations, if appropriate, based on an expert group meeting;
• Mainstream a gender perspective into bilateral and multilateral peace-building discussions and promotion of social development;
• Strengthen ongoing efforts to train international peacekeeping forces on human rights and gender-sensitivity, provide training on codes of conduct and prevention of violence against women, ensuring that trainers include civilians, women and experts in gender issues, and monitor the impact of this training;

Beijing +5:
Recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly (2000)

86b. Ensure and support the full participation of women at all levels of decision-making and implementation in development activities and peace processes, including conflict prevention and resolution, post-conflict reconstruction, peace-making, peacekeeping and peace-building and in this regard, support the involvement of women's organizations, community based organizations and NGOs;

86c. Encourage the involvement of women in decision-making at all levels and achieve gender balance in the appointment of women and men, with full respect for the principle of equitable geographical distribution, including as special envoys and special representatives and to pursue good offices on behalf of the Secretary-General, inter alia in matters relating to peacekeeping, peace-building, and in operational activities, including resident coordinators;

86d. Provide gender sensitive training to all actors, as appropriate, in peacekeeping missions in dealing with victims of violence, particularly women and girls, including sexual violence;

96b. Increase awareness and knowledge of the Rome Statute of the ICC which affirms that rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization and other forms of sexual violence constitute war crimes and, in defined circumstances, crimes against humanity, with the aim of preventing such crimes from occurring and take measures to support prosecution of all persons responsible for such crimes and provide avenues for redress to victims; also increase awareness of the extent to which such crimes are used as a weapon of war;

99d. Address the root causes of armed conflict in a comprehensive and durable manner as well as the differences in the impact of armed conflict on women and men and take them into account in relevant policies and programmes, in order to, inter alia, enhance the protection of civilians, particularly women and children;

99e. Ensure release of hostages, particularly women and children, including those subsequently imprisoned, in armed conflict;

99f. Develop and support policies and programmes for the protection of children, especially girls, in hostilities, in order to prohibit their forced recruitment and use by all actors, and to promote and/or strengthen mechanisms for their rehabilitation and reintegration, taking into account the specific experiences and needs of girls;

99i. Seek to ensure the full and equal participation of women in the promotion of peace, in particular, through the full implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a culture of peace;

99j. Provide support to and empower women who play an important role within their families as stabilizing factors in conflict and post-conflict situations;