UNiTE Caribbean Launch - Consensus Document

At the Caribbean launch of the United Nations Secretary-General's Campaign: UNITE to End Violence against Women, "Strengthening Accountability and Changing Culture to End Violence against Women in the Caribbean" held on 11-12 October 2010, Ministers of government, members of the judiciary, participants from governmental agencies, representatives of organizations working on gender-based violence and the UN system met to discuss strategies for accelerating the work towards preventing and eliminating violence against women.

The participants shared Caribbean experiences and were informed of the innovations in law reform and social policy programming. They discussed approaches that would strengthen state accountability to protect, respect and fulfil womens human rights as well as support cultures of peace and equality and Caribbean developmental goals.

Following discussions on the causes, costs and consequences of violence against women and on the role of law and the administration of justice to address these constraints to the enjoyment of human rights, the participants agreed as follows:

We the Participants:

Reaffirming the obligations of all States to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, as enunciated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and reaffirming also the obligations of States parties under international human rights instruments, in particular the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Inter-American convention on the Eradication and Punishment of All Forms of Violence against Women,; 

Reaffirming further the UN Secretary General's call for the elimination of violence against women and girls, especially all forms of child sexual abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, commercial sexual exploitation as well as economic exploitation;

Aware that impunity for acts of violence against women negatively affects the full enjoyment of citizenship by women as well as the rule of law;

Recognising the increasing levels of violence against boys and the need for comprehensive and urgent response;

Stressing the importance of the empowerment of women and the affirmation of positive models of masculinity as tools to eliminate all forms of violence against women:

1. Affirm the critical importance of the UN Secretary General's Campaign, "Unite to End Violence against Women" that will be carried out until 2015 at global and regional levels;
2. Also welcome in this regard the Caribbean launch of the Secretary-General's UNITE Campaign;
3. Express deep concern at the persistence of various forms of violence and crimes against women and the girl child in the Caribbean including domestic violence, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and trafficking in persons;
4. Stress that all forms of violence against women are obstacles to the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms and the advancement and empowerment of women and the girl child;
5. Recall that girls and boys are at different risks for different kinds of violence and that girls are much more likely to be victims of sexual and domestic violence while boys are increasingly victims to such violence;
6. Stress that violence against women bears direct relationship to wider societal violence;
7. Recall the model legislation prepared by the CARICOM Secretariat which formed the basis for law reform across the Caribbean, particularly in the area of gender-based violence;
8. Reaffirm the progress made in the Caribbean to strengthen the laws and administration of justice to address effectively violence against women and children;
9. Recognize the work of  the women's movement and civil society organisations to address violence against women as a violation of human rights;
10. Reaffirm the commitment to strengthening a culture of peace and zero tolerance for violence against women and children;
11. Urge governments, civil society, women's organizations, young people, the private sector, cultural artistes, faith-based organisations, the media and the entire UN system to join forces in addressing violence against women and girls.
12. Reiterate the need for comprehensive and multi-sectoral responses to end violence against women and children which address prevention, protection, services, access to justice and cultural change;
13. Call for sustained attention to the reinforcement of social and cultural attitudes and practices  consistent with the values of human rights and gender equality including through the development and implementation of prevention approaches in the education sector, in the media and in popular cultural expressions;
14. Request national authorities to produce and strengthen statistical records on the incidence of violence against women, girls and boys and to organize integrated systems of disaggregated data collection and surveillance, including from the health, protection and justice systems and to share with all relevant regional and international agencies;
15. Agree on the need for ongoing review and consistent law reform to strengthen the substantive and procedural law to ensure justice and a more comprehensive response and protection to end violence against women and guarantee to women and girls their right to a life free of violence and fear;
16. Further agree on the need for enhancing the administration of justice including the strengthening of the institutional structures;
17. Call for consistent and ongoing training for all actors in the justice system including police, prosecutors and administrative staff and in particular judges and magistrates;
18. Further urge the provision of adequate/comprehensive social service support systems;
19. Recommit to reinforce collaboration among countries of the Caribbean to work together and share relevant best practices to end violence against women and children;
20. Commit to solidarity and partnership with women and girls of Haiti in their struggle to overcome violence, inequity and injustice;
21. Urge our governments, private sectors and development partners to contribute financial and other necessary resources to implement this consensus;
22. Call upon national parliamentarians to join in the leadership of the Campaign;
23. Call for high priority to be attached to the further strengthening of appropriate education, social communications and prevention strategies with a particular focus on positive models of masculinity characterized by a commitment to gender equality, non-discrimination and accountability;
24. Call for an expansion in the availability of programmes for perpetrators of gender-based violence to encourage behavioural and attitudinal change;
25. Stress the need for active youth participation in the campaign to end violence against women and children through sensitization, capacity building and empowerment to enable them to act as agents of change amongst their peers and the wider community;
26. Stress the need for active engagement of men in the Campaign as partners and advocates for change;
27. Urge relevant entities of the United Nations system and other international and regional development partners to support countries in the development and implementation of gender-responsive policies and programmes to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.