In 1994, the Commission on Human Rights made its first appointment to the position of Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Including Its Causes and Consequences. Radhika Coomaraswamy, from Sri Lanka, held the position from 1994 to July 2003.  Yakin Ertürk, from Turkey, currently holds the position.

The mandate of the Special Rapporteur as articulated by the Commission is to "see and receive information on violence against women, its causes and consequences, from Governments, treaty bodies, specialized agencies and other special rapporteurs . . . [and] recommend measures, ways and means, at the national, regional and international level to eliminate violence against women and its causes, and to remedy its consequences . . . ." U.N.C.H.R. Res. 1994/45 (ESCOR 1994), paras. 6 and 7. Rapporteurs are seen as one of the most effective tools within the United Nations to monitor human rights violations. From 1994 to July 2003,Ms. Coomaraswamy issued 28 reports on violence against women. The reports focus on many different forms of violence, in many different countries and many include references to domestic violence.

In 1996, Ms. Coomaraswamy's reports addressed domestic violence at length and included model legislation on domestic violence. The model legislation includes a definition of domestic violence, a declaration of purpose and both civil and criminal provisions. It is discussed further below in the Model Legislation section.

Ms. Coomaraswamy's 2001 report to the Preparatory Committee for the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance on the subject of race, gender and violence against women (A/CONF.189/PC.3/5), 27 July 2001, describes some of the ways in which race, gender and violence against women intersect and emphasizes that battered women who belong to marginalized groups often confront additional obstacles, such as language barriers or cultural insensitivity, to protecting themselves from violence.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights has created a new webpage for the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women. The page includes documents of the Special Rapporteur and other information on key issues, countries visited by the Special Rapporteur and international standards relating to violence against women.

Links to the Special Rapporteur's reports on violence against women are available under the Domestic Violence: Research and Reports section of this website.