The General Assembly,

Recalling the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 48/104 of 20 December 1993, and its resolution 52/86 of 12 December 1997, entitled "Crime prevention and criminal justice measures to eliminate violence against women",

Recalling also the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (Resolution 34/180, annex.) and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Resolution 39/46, annex.),

Taking note of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women adopted by the General Assembly of the Organisation of American States at its twenty-fourth regular session, held in Belém, Brazil, from 6 to 10 June 1994 (Human Rights: A Compilation of International Instruments, vol. II: Regional Instruments (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.97.XIV.1), sect. A.7.), and general recommendation 19 on violence against women adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at its eleventh session (See Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 38 (A/47/38), chap. I.),

Concerned that violence against women is an obstacle to the achievement of equality, development and peace, as recognised in the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women (Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.) and the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.), which recommended a set of integral measures to prevent and eliminate violence against women, and to the full implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,

Concerned also that some groups of women, such as women belonging to minority groups, indigenous women, refugee women, migrant women, women living in rural or remote communities, destitute women, women in institutions or in detention, the girl child, women with disabilities, elderly women and women in situations of armed conflict, are especially vulnerable to violence,

Recognising that violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women, which have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men and to the prevention of their full advancement, and that violence against women is one of the crucial social mechanisms by which women are forced into subordinate positions, compared with men,

Recognising also that the human rights of women and of the girl child are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights (See A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III, sect. I, para. 18.), and recognising further the need to promote and protect all human rights of women and girls (Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4?15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex I, para. 31.),

Alarmed that women do not fully enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms, and concerned about the long-standing failure to protect and promote those rights and freedoms in relation to violence against women (See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1999, Supplement No. 3 (E/1999/23), chap. II, sect. A, resolution 1999/42.),

Recognising with satisfaction the co-operation provided by the relevant agencies, bodies, funds and organs of the United Nations system to different countries in the fight to eradicate violence against women, in fulfilment of their respective mandates,

Recognising the efforts made by civil society and non-governmental organisations that have contributed to creating a worldwide social conscience of the negative impact, both on social and on economic life, of violence against women,

Reiterating that, according to article 1 of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the term “violence against women” means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life,

1.   Decides to designate 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women;

2.   Invites, as appropriate, Governments, the relevant agencies, bodies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system, and other international organisations and non-governmental organisations, to organise on that day activities designed to raise public awareness of the problem of violence against women.