A/HRC/20/16 to prevent, investigate, prosecute and punish the perpetrators of violence against women and girls and to provide protection to the victims. 149 86. The rights of women and girls to be informed about and provided with access to the mechanisms of justice and effective remedies are also contained within international human rights law.150 As noted by the Special Rapporteur: ―the obligation to provide adequate reparations involves ensuring the rights of women to access both criminal and civil remedies and the establishment of effective protection, support and rehabilitation services for survivors of violence‖.151 The General Assembly has repeatedly urged Member States to take action towards this end by means of a more systematic, comprehensive, multisectoral and sustained approach, adequately supported and facilitated by strong institutional mechanisms and financing, through national action plans; and to ensure that all human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected and protected. 152 87. Relevant resolutions also provide that States must condemn violence against women and not invoke custom, tradition or religion to avoid their obligations to eliminate such violence; develop penal, civil, labour and administrative sanctions in domestic legislation to punish and redress the wrongs caused to victims; provide access to the mechanisms of justice and, as provided for by national legislation, to just and effective remedies; and ensure that the secondary victimization of women does not occur because of laws insensitive to gender considerations, enforcement practices or other interventions. 153 88. In other resolutions, the General Assembly has also urged States to review or abolish all laws and regulations that discriminate against women or have a discriminatory impact on women and ensure that provisions of multiple legal systems comply with international human rights obligations, and to use best practices to end impunity and a culture of tolerance towards violence against women, including by evaluating and assessing the impact of legislation, rules and procedures regarding violence against women and reinforcing criminal law and procedure relating to all forms of violence against women, as well as by incorporating into law measures aimed at preventing violence against women. 154 89. In 2000, the Human Rights Committee adopted general comment 28 on the equality of rights between men and women, in which it stated that honour crimes which remained unpunished constituted a serious violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Moreover, laws which imposed more severe penalties on women than on men for adultery or other offences also violated the requirement of equal treatment. 155 In 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 22 General Assembly resolutions 61/143 of 19 December 2006; 62/133 of 18 December 2007 and 63/155 of 18 December 2008 on the intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women. See Article 4 of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women and Article 7 of Convention Belem do Para, supra note 1. Also relevant are the rights to judicial protection and effective remedies established in general human rights instruments. See the American Convention on Human Rights (arts. 8 and 15); the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man (art. XVIII); the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (art. 8), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (art. 2, para. 3), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (art. 6), the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (art. 14). Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Rashida Manjoo, U.N. Doc. A/HRC/14/22, (2010) at p.1. General Assembly, Resolution 61/143 of 19 December 2006 and Resolution 63/155 of 18 December 2008 on the intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women. United Nations, Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, General Assembly resolution 48/104. See Resolution 61/143 of 19 December 2006 and Resolution 63/155 of 18 December 2008 on the intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women, supra. CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.10.