The second annual conference of CAHRV took place from the 26th to 28th of September 2005 in Paris, France.

The first day "Naming and measuring violence against women in Europe: What is at stake for academia and government" was introduced by François Héran, Director of INED. Speakers from France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom reviewed recent prevalence surveys conducted in their respective country. Maryse Jaspard, Université Paris 1, discussed obstacles and possibilities in a meaningful comparison of such data across Europe. The afternoon presentations focused on family violence, health and well being, and on vulnerable groups and violence. Renate Klein, University of Maine, explored the development of a European voice on interpersonal violence. A representative of the Ile-de-France regional authority concluded the day's proceedings. All presentations were simultaneous translated into English and French. Approximately 250 people attended this first day, including experts and interested representatives from the policy sector, victim advocacy, practice, and research. Also present were national French NGOs, the WHO, and international NGOs such as Amnesty International.

The second two days of the conference focused on cross-cutting themes in interpersonal violence research. Monica McWilliams, Chief Commissioner for Human Rights in Northern Ireland gave the keynote address on "Human security for women, men and children - integrating and differentiating themes from a gender perspective". In panels and workshops members of CAHRV explored tensions, contradictions, and agreements and discussed what they consider to be the key issues for the future study of interpersonal violence.

Four panels addressed different approaches and cross-cutting issues:

• Panel 1. Differentiation of types and levels of violence: Speakers of CAHRV reported on work in progress that relates to the importance of differentiating and integrating data on types and levels of violence in relation to women, men and children.
• Panel 2. Situational factors and violence: Measures of context, the importance of intrapersonal characteristics, re-victimisation, mobility and opportunity; the utility of a focus on situational factors in legal, policy and civic action and in prevention and promoting protective factors.
• Panel 3. Links between gender equality and violence: Measurement, the advantages and disadvantages of promoting gender equality in legal, policy and civic action and in prevention and promoting protective factors
• Panel 4. Cultures of violence and cultures of care: The impact of culture on what is measured, on understanding the roots of violence, in legal, policy and civic action and in prevention and promoting protective factors.

For each panel one member of each of CAHRV's sub-networks spoke to the panel theme from a different sub-network perspective focusing either on prevalence research, the roots of violence, intervention, or protective factors. The results of the conference will make an important contribution to the progress of knowledge and practice in human rights violations. Results will be published on this website as soon as they become available.