A/HRC/32/42 the advancement of women. It reflects the principles of gender equality and nondiscrimination, and highlights violence against women as a critical area of concern, and identifies strategy objectives and a detailed catalogue of measures to be taken. The Commission on the Status of Women regularly reviews the progress made and remaining challenges of its implementation.7 B. Violence against women before conflict, in times of conflict and in postconflict situations 34. The adoption of the landmark Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security, and the resolutions thereon subsequently adopted by the Council, 8 reflected greater political will to improve women’s role and participation in peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. In 2001, the mandate holder published a report focusing on, inter alia, violence against women perpetrated and/or condoned by the State during times of armed conflict (E/CN.4/2001/73). 35. In 2014, the previous mandate holder pointed out that sexual and gender-based violence in conflict situations was regarded as something different and exceptional rather than a continuation of a pattern of discrimination and violence that exacerbated in times of conflict, and recalled that prevention of violence against women must start during times of peace and the women, peace and security agenda should be directly connected to the broader agenda of gender equality and the empowerment of women (see A/HRC/26/38). In its resolution 1888 (2009), the Security Council established the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. The Special Rapporteur believes that developing cooperation between the two mandates on issues of common interest is important. 36. The global study on the implementation of the Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) (see para. 4 above) refers to general recommendation No. 30 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, in which the Committee called for the application of a women’s rights framework, based on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), which highlighted that the prevention of violence against women must start during times of peace. The women and peace and security agenda, as laid out in resolution 1325 (2000), should be connected directly to with the broader agenda of gender equality and the empowerment of women. 37. In times of peace, violence is committed in both the public and the private spheres, including in the family, the community, in State institutions and at the transnational level. Such violence is more common where patriarchal gender norms are entrenched, and where social and cultural norms contribute to the acceptance of violence against women and girls, or where there are formal or discriminatory provisions in domestic legislation relating to sex and gender, and no specific measures to address or prevent violence against women. The mandate holder also notes the severe underreporting of sexual violence, and consequently the lack of prosecution of perpetrators. Conflict and post-conflict situations often exacerbate existing forms of discrimination, or generate new forms of violence against women who are already in a vulnerable situation, such as rape by State or non-State actors, maiming, sexual mutilation, abduction, forced marriages to armed fighters 7 8 E/CN.6/2015/3, paras.13 and 14. Security Council resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013) and 2242 (2015). 11