A/HRC/14/40 suspected terrorists in the Occupied Territories. In the view of the Committee such practice raised concerns in relation to the protection of the right to life under the Covenant. The Committee, therefore, recommended that the State party should not use targeted killings as a deterrent or punishment and that before resorting to the use of deadly force all measures to arrest a person suspected of being in the process of committing acts of terror must be exhausted. The Committee further recommended that complaints about disproportionate use of force should be investigated promptly by an independent body. 31. Experts also referred to the experience of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Armed conflict exacerbates inequalities that that make women particularly vulnerable when armed conflict breaks out. Conflict is often accompanied by gender based violence and an increasing scale and brutality of sexual violence. Women and girls are increasingly targeted as a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate, terrorize, punish, disperse and forcibly relocate members of a given community or ethnic group. 32. Experts considered that the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and Security Council resolutions 1325 and 1820 are critical tools for addressing gender equality in conflict and post-conflict situations. Security Council resolution 1325 helps to broaden the scope of the Convention’s application by clarifying its relevance to all parties in conflict and in peace. The Convention, in turn, provides concrete strategic guidance for actions to be taken on the broad commitments outlined in Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008). 33. It was recalled that in general recommendation 19 the Committee recognized the importance as a human rights issue of gender-based violence against women in all contexts, including throughout displacement. The Committee noted that wars, armed conflicts and the occupation of territories often lead to increased prostitution, trafficking in women and sexual assault of women, which requires specific protective and punitive measures. In general recommendation 24 the Committee recommended that special attention be given to the health needs and rights of women belonging to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, such as refugees and internally displaced women. It also recommended that States parties ensure adequate protection and health services, including trauma treatment and counselling for women trapped in situations of armed conflict and women refugees. 34. Experts also referred to the experience of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in reviewing States’ periodic reports. When it examined the report of Indonesia (A/53/38/Rev.1), for example, the Committee noted that the information provided on the situation of women in areas of armed conflict reflected a limited understanding of the problem. The Government’s remarks were confined to the participation of women in the armed forces and did not address the vulnerability of women to sexual exploitation in conflict situations, as well as a range of other human rights abuses affecting women in such contexts. 35. The Committee has regularly expressed concern about the fact that in post-war transition periods the promotion of women’s human rights and gender equality is not seen as a priority, in particular in efforts to address the consequences of the armed conflict and in the peace building and reconstruction processes. The Committee also recommended the government of Uganda to include in peace negotiations measures of accountability, redress and rehabilitation for women and girls who have been victims of violence, including enslavement, in those conflicts (A/57/38). 36. Recently, the Committee expressed concern that in Rwanda equal access to justice and appropriate protection and support may not be guaranteed for all women and girl victims within the framework of the comprehensive process of prosecution of perpetrators that is ongoing at international and national levels. The Committee urged the State party to 9

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