International law and policy on domestic violence has developed through the creation of U.N. treaties and conventions and documents created through U.N. conferences. The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the work of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women have been instrumental in articulating and strengthening women's human rights norms. These international documents and entities have been critical to the establishment of state responsiblity for private acts of violence. The recognition that domestic violence is a human rights violation under international law required decades of work by activists around the world. Now, international legal instruments and policy statements make clear that states have a duty under international law to prevent domestic violence and punish domestic violence offenders.