International Meetings

CEDAW MEETS IN NEW YORK TO REVIEW REPORTS FROM 8 COUNTRIES

The Sixteenth Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) took place at United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York from 13-31 January, 1997. This Committee monitors the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, (sometimes referred to as the Women's Convention), which was adopted by the General Assembly in 1979 and came into force in 1981. The Convention, which as of December, 1996 had been ratified by 154 countries, requires States parties (i.e., those UN Member States that have ratified the Convention) to eliminate discrimination against women in all civil, political, economic and cultural arenas. States parties are encouraged to introduce affirmative action measures designed to promote equality between women and men.

During the session, the Committee reviewed the reports of 8 States parties to the Convention: Morocco, Slovenia (initial reports), St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Turkey (2nd and 3rd reports), Denmark, the Philippines, Venezuela (3rd reports), and Canada (3rd and 4th reports).

Last year, the Committee invited States parties to the Convention to include information on measures taken to implement the Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW), held in Beijing in September, 1995. The Committee also urged the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) to prepare an optional protocol to the Convention which would allow individuals and groups the right to petition the Committee directly about violations of women's rights.


CEDAW WILL MEET TWICE A YEAR NOW:

The UN General Assembly in 1996 approved CEDAW's request for more meeting time, and now CEDAW will hold not one but two 3-week sessions annually. Following the 16th session in January, 1997, the 17th session will take place from 7-27 July, 1997.


HAS YOUR COUNTRY RATIFIED THE CONVENTION?

Check and see if your country is listed!

Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroun, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Tajikistan, Thailand, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

(It's true.....you can stop looking if you are from the USA. Your country has not ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.)

From WOMEN, Dec. 1996, published by:
Development and Human Rights Section,
Department of Public Information, Room S-1040,
United Nations, New York, NY 10017.
Fax: (1-212) 963-1186.
E-mail: vasic@un.org

THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN is a UN body charged with following up on the Beijing Platform for Action. It meets every year for two to three weeks in March to review progress on women's issues across a broad spectrum, and now to review Beijing implementation.

NGOS NEED TO APPLY FOR CONSULTANCY STATUS TO ATTEND CSW!: The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), on November 14, 1996, in its decision 1996/315, decided to invite to the 41st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) only those NGOs accredited to the FWCW in Beijing, which, no later than one month prior to the 41st session, would have started the process of applying for consultative status with ECOSOC. This means that NGOs planning to attend the CSW session in March, 1997 should begin the process of applying for consultative status immediately. You only have to show that you have applied.

Direct your inquiries to:
Chief, NGO Unit,
Department of Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development,
Room DC1-1076,
United Nations, New York, NY 10017, USA,
fax: (212) 963-4968

Additionally, NGOs with consultative status, plus those applying for this status, are requested to send the name(s) of designated representative(s) to:

Ms. Koh Miyaoi,
Division for the Advancement of Women,
(UN/DAW), DC2-12044,
United Nations, New York, N Y 10017,
fax: (212) 963-3463

This will enable UN/DAW to facilitate your access to the UN building during the session. UN/DAW has an official form they will fax to you for this purpose.

THE EXTERNAL GENDER ADVISORY COMMITTEE was established by the World Bank, honoring its commitments to the Beijing Platform of Action, and met for the first time in April, 1996. The 13 member group will operate as an effective Consultative Committee with support from the Bank and regular meetings.

This section was compiled from multiple sources, relying heavily on a regular e-mail bulletin written by Anne S. Walker at the:

International Women's Tribune Centre,
777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: (212) 687-8633.
Fax: (212) 661-2704,
e-mail: iwtc@igc.apc.org


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