Commission on the Status
of Women
Report on the forty-seventh session
(3-14 and 25 March 2003)
Economic and Social Council
Official Records, 2003
Supplement No. 7 (E/2003/27-E/CN.6/2003/12)
Chapter I
Matters calling for action by the Economic and Social Council or brought to its attention
A. Draft resolutions for adoption by the Council
1. The Commission on the Status of Women recommends to the Economic and Social Council the adoption of the following draft resolutions:
Draft resolution I
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women*
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women,1
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,2 in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action3 adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”,4
Recalling also its resolution 2002/25 of 24 July 2002 and other relevant United Nations resolutions,
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women5 as it concerns the protection of civilian populations,
Expressing the urgent need for the resumption of negotiations within the Middle East peace process on its agreed basis and towards the speedy achievement of a final settlement between the Palestinian and Israeli sides,
Concerned about the grave deterioration of the situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and about the severe consequences of continuous illegal Israeli settlements activities as well as the harsh economic conditions and other severe consequences of the continuing Israeli attacks and sieges on Palestinian cities, towns, villages and refugee camps, which has resulted in the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian women and their families,
Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror, provocation, incitement and destruction, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinian civilians, many of them women and children, resulting in injury and loss of human life,
1. Calls 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, taking into account the common ground already gained, and calls for measures for tangible improvement of the difficult situation on the ground and the living conditions faced by Palestinian women and their families;
2. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development planning of their society;
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,6 the Regulations annexed to The Hague Convention IV of 18 October 19077 and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949,8 in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;
4. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions;
5. Calls upon the international community to continue to provide urgently needed assistance and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian women and their families and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions;
6. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 2 in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action3 and the outcome of the special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”;4
7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation and to assist Palestinian women by all available means, including those laid out in his report entitled “Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women”,9 and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-eighth session a report, including information provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.
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*For the discussion, see chap. III.
1E/CN.6/2003/3.
2Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15-26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
3Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
4See General Assembly resolutions S-23/2 and S-23/3.
5See General Assembly resolution 48/104.
6General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
7See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907 (New York, Oxford University Press, 1915).
8United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
9E/CN.6/2003/3.
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Chapter III
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”
1. The Commission considered agenda item 3 at its 1st to 8th, 10th, 11th and 13th to 15th meetings, from 3 to 6 March, 10, 11, 13,14 and 25 March 2003. It had before it the following documents:
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(b) Report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women (E/CN.6/2003/3);
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9. The observer for Palestine also made a statement.
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Action taken by the Commission
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
32. At the 10th meeting, on 10 March, the observer for Morocco, on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the group of 77 and China, introduced a draft resolution entitled “Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women” (E/CN.6/2003/L.1).
33. At the 14th meeting, on 14 March, the observer for Morocco orally revised the text of the draft resolution as follows:
(a) In the sixth preambular paragraph, the words “the continuing Israeli assaults” were revised to read “the continuing Israeli attacks”;
(b) The seventh preambular paragraph, which read:
was revised to read:
(c) In paragraph 5, the words “continue to” were inserted between the word “Calls upon the international community to” and “provide”;
(d) In paragraph 7, the words “including those laid out in his report entitled ‘Situation of and assistance to Palestinian Women’” were inserted after the words “all available means”.
34. At the same meeting, the Commission was advised that the revised draft resolution contained no programme implications.
35. At the same meeting, the Commission approved the draft resolution, as orally revised, by a recorded vote of 38 to 1 and recommended it to the Economic and Social Council for adoption (see chap. I, sect. A, draft resolution I). The voting was as follows:
In favour:
Against:
36. Statements in explanation of vote before the vote were made by the representatives of Brazil and the Russian Federation. A statement in explanation of vote after the vote was made by the representative of the United States.
37. Before the adoption of the draft resolution, a statement was made by the observers for Israel; after the adoption of the draft resolution, a statement was made by the observer for Morocco.
38. After the adoption of the draft resolution, a statement was also made by the observer for Palestine.
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The delegation of Benin subsequently indicated that, had it been present, it would have voted in favour of the draft resolution. The delegation of the Congo subsequently indicated that its vote had not been registered and should have been registered as in favour of the draft resolution.
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Document Type: Draft resolution, Report
Document Sources: Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
Subject: Women
Publication Date: 25/03/2003