The General Assembly,
 
      Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United
Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International
Covenants on Human Rights, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of
the Crime of Genocide, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the
Child and other instruments of human rights and international humanitarian
law, including the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and the Additional
Protocols thereto, of 1977,
 
      Recalling its resolution 3074 (XXVIII) of 3 December 1973, entitled
"Principles of international cooperation in the detection, arrest, extradition
and punishment of persons guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity",
as well as Commission on Human Rights resolution 1994/77 of 9 March 1994,
General Assembly resolutions 48/143 of 20 December 1993, 49/205 of 23 December
1994 and 50/192 of 22 December 1995, and relevant resolutions of the
Commission on the Status of Women,
 
      Reaffirming the relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular
resolution 798 (1992) of 18 December 1992, in which, inter alia, the Council
strongly condemned those acts of unspeakable brutality,
 
      Welcoming the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, signed in Paris on 14 December 1995, as a key mechanism for
achieving a durable and just peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
 
      Taking note of the previous report of the Special Rapporteur of the
Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the territory
of the former Yugoslavia, regarding rape and abuse of women in the territory
of the former Yugoslavia, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, inter
alia, states that only sporadic cases of rape and sexual violence have
occurred since the previous report of the Secretary-General,
 
      Convinced that the heinous practice of rape, in fulfilling the policy of
ethnic cleansing, constitutes a deliberate weapon of war, and recalling its
resolution 47/121 of 18 December 1992, in which it stated, inter alia, that
the abhorrent policy of ethnic cleansing was a form of genocide,
 
      Desirous of ensuring that persons accused of authorizing, aiding and
perpetrating rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war in the areas of armed
conflict in the former Yugoslavia will be brought to justice without further
delay by 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, where appropriate,
 
      Underlining, in this context, the need for the protection of the rape
victims and the provision of effective guarantees of privacy and
confidentiality of the rape victims, and desirous of facilitating their
participation in the proceedings of the International Tribunal and ensuring
that further traumatization will be prevented,
 
      Deeply alarmed at the situation facing victims of rape in armed
conflicts in different parts of the world and any use of rape as a weapon of
war, in particular in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
 
      Noting with appreciation the efforts of Governments and the work of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization, the World Health Organization, humanitarian
organizations and non-governmental organizations aimed at supporting the
victims of rape and abuse and alleviating their suffering,
 
      Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 25 October 1996,
submitted pursuant to resolution 50/192,
 
      1.    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;
 
      2.    Expresses its outrage that the deliberate and systematic practice
of rape has been used as a weapon of war and an instrument of ethnic cleansing
against women and children in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
 
      3.    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;
 
      4.    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;
 
      5.    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 in the investigation and prosecution of persons
accused of using rape as a weapon of war;
 
      6.    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 International Tribunal;
 
      7.    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;
 
      8.    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;
 
      9.    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;
 
      10.   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;
 
      11.   Encourages the Special Rapporteur to continue to pay particular
attention to this question, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
 
      12.   Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the General
Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the present
resolution.