Decision on the World Report on Violence and Health

DECISION ON THE WORLD REPORT ON VIOLENCE AND HEALTH

The Executive Council:

1. TAKES NOTES of the Report of the 1^st Ordinary Session of the AU Conference of African Ministers of Health and the World Report on Violence and Health;

2. ENDORSES in their entirety the nine recommendations on Prevention of Violence, made in the World Report on Violence and Health (2002) as contained in Doc CAMH/7(I);

3. URGES all States to prioritise the development and implementation of multi-sectoral national plans of action for the prevention of violence and enhanced systems for the collection of data on violence;

4. FURTHER URGES all Member States to facilitate coordinated access by all victims of armed conflicts and internal violence, to humanitarian organisations, based on the International Humanitarian Law which guarantees the respect of the neutrality of the medical mission in armed conflict contexts;

5. REQUESTS Member States to declare 2005 an “African Year of Prevention of Violence”, aiming to scale up and coordinate prevention policies and activities;

6. REQUESTS the international community to collaborate with Member States in the promotion of gender and social equality; increase collaboration and exchange of information on prevention of violence; promote and monitor adherence to international treaties, laws and other human rights mechanisms; and seek practical and internationally agreed responses to global trade in drugs and arms;

7. CALLS UPON the Chairperson of the AU to:

1. mobilize support for national and international actions to prevent violence in all its forms and to provide improved medical and psychosocial care and support to victims of violence in all its forms;

2. report regularly to the Executive Council on progress made in this regard.