A panel discussion, sponsored by the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), to present the Handbook for Parliamentarians on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its Optional Protocol, will take place on Monday, 14 July 2003 from 1.15 to 2.15 p.m. in Conference Room 2, United Nations Headquarters.

Panellists will include Ms. Joan Fraser, Member of the Senate, Canada; Ms. Lydia Madero, Member of the Senate, Mexico; Ms. Françoise Gaspard, Expert on the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); and Ms. Kareen Jabre, Manager of the Programme for the Promotion of Partnership between men and women, IPU. Ms. Carolyn Hannan, Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women, will moderate the event.

The Handbook, which is a collaboration between the DAW and IPU, is designed to familiarize men and women members of Parliament with the Convention and its Optional Protocol, and focuses on what should be done to ensure effective implementation of the Convention and to encourage use of the Optional Protocol. It seeks to encourage parliamentarians to take measures to ensure that national laws, policies, actions, programmes and budgets reflect the principles and obligations in the Convention. The presentation of the Handbook takes place during the twenty-ninth session of CEDAW.

Members of permanent missions, UN staff, non-governmental organizations and the media are invited to attend. For more information, please contact Division for the Advancement of Women, daw@un.org