A/HRC/14/24 (a) Limited the overall number of communications sent in order to be able to devote more attention to detailed legal analysis within the communications; (b) Introduced a system of evaluating the adequacy or otherwise of responses received from Governments;26 (c) (d) mandate; Instituted follow-up reports on country missions;27 Provided detailed legal analysis to back up interpretations adopted by the (e) Sought to raise the Council’s awareness of the consequences of persistent non-responses to requests to undertake country visits (E/CN.4/2006/53, paras. 13-16); (f) Elaborated upon the terms of reference of the mandate and the types of killings it covers (E/CN.4/2005/7, para. 6). IV. Future research 61. It is not enough just to denounce violations. Many of the issues that arise are complex and demand analysis if the mandate is to achieve its full potential. Based on my own experience over the past six years, I would encourage research by those in the field on the following issues, among others. A. Sexual violence and unlawful killings 62. The link between gender-based violence and killings has been a central theme in many situations, whether concerning “honour” killings, “femicide”, domestic violence or “witchcraft” killings.28 But situations in which women are literally raped to death have actually been significantly underreported, and the links between rape and killings have been under-studied.29 While men are also subject to sexual violence linked to killings, women have been subject to such killings in situation after situation around the world: (a) Women are killed if they resist rape or are murdered immediately after it; (b) Women are taken into sexual slavery and then killed; (c) Family members (generally men) or others who attempt to stop a rape, or refuse orders to rape their female relatives, are killed (S/2009/693, para. 80); (d) Women who have been attacked die as a result of rape-related injuries, or contracting HIV/AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases (A/HRC/14/24/Add.3). 63. Rape/killings may be particularly brutal when conducted as reprisal attacks for alleged cooperation with an opposition group. Deaths are more likely in remote areas where victims have little or no access to health services (A/HRC/14/24/Add.3). A consistent problem, however, is that data collection in relation to this phenomenon is especially difficult. In conflict situations, resources are scarce and survivors become the priority. Privacy concerns, combined with problems of stigmatization and reprisals, also restrict the possibilities for meaningful data collection. But it is important that the scale and severity of the problem should not be underestimated. More research is needed in order to: ensure that 26 27 28 29 E/CN.4/2005/7, paras. 14-15, 22-23 and E/CN.4/2006/53, paras. 8-12. E/CN.4/2005/7, paras. 29-31 and E/CN.4/2006/53, para. 19. See also A/HRC/11/2/Add.7, paras. 18-19 and A/HRC/11/2, paras. 43-59 and 68. For recent exceptions, see A/HRC/14/24/Add.3 and S/2009/693, annex, para. 79. 15