Report of the Secretary-General on the elimination of violence against women
United Nations Document
E/CN.15/1996/11
edited
Commission on crime prevention and criminal justice
Fifth Session
Vienna, 21-31 May 1996
Item 3 of the provisional agenda [*E/CN.15/1996/1.]
V.96-82131T
REVIEW OF PRIORITY THEMES
Draft plan of action on the elimination of violence against women Report of the Secretary-General
24. Canada considered violence against women, within and outside the home, as a barrier to the full participation of women in society. It expressed concern about the "intergenerational transmission of violent behaviour", and stated that the prohibition and regulation of firearms, criminal harassment of women and sex tourism were major issues for Canada. While the problem had already been addressed by a number of bodies at the international level, it had yet to be comprehensively dealt with in the context of criminal law. To that end, and with a view to complementing the process started at Beijing and implementing the Platform for Action, the Commission should adopt a document which specifies the various practical measures that could be introduced in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice to address the problem of violence against women.Canada submitted a contribution on such practical measures, strategies and activities, and stressed the importance of disseminating the United Nations Guide for Practitioners on Domestic Violence.
(ii) Criminal law and procedure and other legal provisions
53. Measures relating to criminal law and procedure and other legal provisions should be taken which:
(b) Adopt specific prohibitive and regulatory law provisions regarding the acquisition, possession, storage in the domicile, sale and use of firearms; including their surrender at the time of arrest and pending trial;
(iii) Police
54. Measures relating to the police should be taken which:
(b) Empower the police to respond immediately to incidents of violence and to effect arrest; to prevent further violence, harassment, intimidation and coercion, including by removal of the abuser from the domicile; and to confiscate all firearms upon arrest of the perpetrator;
(v) Victim support, assistance, health and social services
56. Measures relating to victim support, assistance and services should be taken which:
(d) Design and sponsor innovative programmes designed to caution against and prevent alcohol and substance abuse and to provide instruction on the dangers of firearms, and directed at perpetrations of violence against women and the girl child.
(vi) Criminological research and evaluation
57. Measures involving criminological research and evaluation should be taken which:
(c) Promote the advancement of knowledge and pursue gender-balanced research and studies, and develop methodologies and evaluation techniques that would contribute to the elimination of violence against females, in particular regarding: its forms and dimensions; its causes and effects; the dynamics of domestic violence; the deterrent effects of various types of intervention; the design and effectiveness of rehabilitation modalities; the use of firearms; the influence of drugs and alcohol, particularly in cases of domestic violence; and the interrelationships between victimization and perpetration of violence.
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