Rape and Abuse of Women in the Areas of Armed Conflicts in the Former Yugoslavia

A/RES/50/192No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, published in 1996.

What subjects does this mandate have?

18 topics

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Situation Crime Prevention Criminal Investigation Displaced Persons Ethnic Cleansing Experts Former Yugoslavia Situation Gender-Based Violence Genocide Human Rights in Armed Conflicts Humanitarian Assistance International Humanitarian Law Prosecution Rape Victims Rehabilitation Counselling Treaties War Crimes

What does this mandate say?

13 operative paragraphs

Strongly condemns the abhorrent practice of rape and abuse of women and children in the areas of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia, which constitutes a war crime;

Expresses its outrage that the systematic practice of rape has been used as a weapon of war and an instrument of ethnic cleansing against women and children in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Reaffirms that rape in the conduct of armed conflict constitutes a war crime and that 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, and calls upon States to take all measures required for the protection of women and children from such acts and to strengthen mechanisms to investigate and punish all those responsible and bring the perpetrators to justice;

Also reaffirms that all persons who perpetrate or authorize crimes against humanity or other violations of international humanitarian law are individually responsible for those violations and that those in positions of authority who have failed to ensure that persons under their control comply with the relevant international instruments are accountable, together with the perpetrators;

Reminds all States of their obligation to cooperate with the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 and also with the Office of the Prosecutor in the investigation and prosecution of persons accused of using rape as a weapon of war;

Calls upon States to put experts, including experts in the prosecution of crimes of sexual violence, as well as adequate resources and services, at the disposal of the Chief Prosecutor and the International Tribunal;

Urges all States and relevant organizations to continue to give serious consideration to the recommendations in the reports of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the former Yugoslavia, in particular the recommendation concerning provision for the continuation of necessary medical and psychological care to victims of rape within the framework of programmes to rehabilitate women and children traumatized by war, as well as the provision of protection, counselling and support to victims and witnesses;

Recognizes the extraordinary suffering of the victims of rape and sexual violence and the necessity for an appropriate response to provide assistance to those victims, and expresses its concern, in particular, for the welfare of those victims who are currently among the internally displaced or otherwise affected by the war and who have experienced severe trauma and require psychosocial and other assistance;

Also urges all States and all relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as the United Nations Children's Fund, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Health Organization, to continue to provide to the victims of such rape and abuse appropriate assistance for their physical and mental rehabilitation and to extend their support to the community-based assistance programmes;

Demands that the parties cooperate fully with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights and her staff, as well as other mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the monitoring and other missions of the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, including by providing full access;

Encourages the new Special Rapporteur to continue to pay particular attention to the use of rape as a weapon of war, particularly in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report, as appropriate, to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session on the implementation of the present resolution;

Decides to continue its consideration of this question at its fifty-first session.

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Who created this mandate?

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