Palestinian women – Commission on the Status of Women – Press release (excerpts)

Commission on Status of Women

Forty-fifth Session

10th Meeting (PM)

COMMISSION HEARS INTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTIONS ON HOSTAGE-TAKING, PALESTINIAN WOMEN, HIV/AIDS, DISCRIMINATION IN AFGHANISTAN

AND GENDER MAINSTREAMING

As the Commission on the Status of Women met this afternoon to continue its consideration of follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the special session of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000:  gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century", it heard the introduction of five draft resolutions.

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By the terms of a text on the Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women, introduced by Iran’s representative and recommended for adoption by the Economic and Social Council, the Council would call upon the concerned parties, as well as the international community, to exert all the necessary efforts to ensure the immediate resumption of the peace process on its agreed basis, and call for measures for tangible improvements in the difficult situation on the ground and living conditions faced by Palestinian women and their families.

By other terms, the Council would also demand that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the regulations annexed to The Hague Convention of 1907 and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (12 August 1949), in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families.

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Background

The Commission on the Status of Women met this afternoon to continue its consideration of follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the special session of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000:  gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century".

It had before it draft resolutions on:  the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women; release of women and children taken hostage, including those subsequently imprisoned, in armed conflicts; women, the girl child and HIV/AIDS; discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan; and mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes in the United Nations system.

Draft on Situation of and Assistance to Palestinian Women

By the terms of the text (document E/CN.6/2001/L.2), which is sponsored by Iran, the Economic and Social Council would call upon the concerned parties, as well as the international community, to exert all the necessary efforts to ensure the immediate resumption of the peace process on its agreed basis, and call for measures for tangible improvements in the difficult situation on the ground and living conditions faced by Palestinian women and their families.

By other terms, the Council would also demand that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the regulations annexed to The Hague Convention of 1907 and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (12 August 1949), in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families.

By further terms, the Council would call upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to their homes and properties, in compliance with relevant United Nations resolutions.  The Council would also urge Member States, financial organizations of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and other relevant institutions to intensify efforts to provide financial and technical assistance to Palestinian women, especially during the transitional period.

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Speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, MOSTAFA ALAEI (Iran), in his introduction of draft resolution E/CN.6/2001/L.2 entitled the “The Situation of and assistance to Palestinian Women”, said that according to the Secretary-General’s report, there had been little progress made in alleviating the plight of Palestinian women.  Since September 2000, the situation had deteriorated at an alarming level.  They badly needed assistance to overcome the obstacles to development that they faced.  The paragraphs contained in the resolution were similar to those contained in last year’s except for the addition of two new paragraphs referring to the current situation on the ground. He emphasized the need to resume the peace process on its agreed basis and hoped that the resolution would further contribute to the advancement of Palestinian women and the achievement of tangible results to resolve the situation on the ground.

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