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

Fifty-sixth Session

17^th & 18^th Meetings (AM & PM)

COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN APPROVES SEVEN DRAFT TEXTS, BUT SUSPENDS FIFTY-SIXTH

SESSION PENDING APPROVAL OF 'AGREED CONCLUSIONS' ON RURAL WOMEN

Draft Resolution Reaffirming Israeli Occupation Major Obstacle

For Palestinian Women’s Advancement, Self-Reliance Requires Recorded Vote

/…

During its day-long meeting, the Commission adopted the provisional agenda of its fifty-seventh session (document E/CN.6/2012/L.9).  It also approved a draft resolution on the “situation of and assistance to Palestinian women” (document E/CN.6/2012/L.2), by a recorded vote of 29 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 10 abstentions (Belgium, Colombia, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden).

Deploring the dire economic and social conditions of Palestinian women and girls in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, the Council, by that text, would reaffirm that the Israeli occupation remained the major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration in their society’s development.

Speaking after the vote, Israel’s representative said that while the situation of Palestinian women “may not be ideal”, by adopting the resolution, the Commission was sending a message that other women were “not as important”.  The United States voted against the text, saying the diplomatic Quartet should be the mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Italy’s representative, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said he had abstained from voting, explaining that country-specific issues should be covered in the General Assembly.  

“If this is not the right forum to address these issues, then where is?” asked the representative of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations, adding that many United Nations and human rights reports had already shown that the Israeli occupation remained the obstacle to empowering women.

/…

* *** *

For information media • not an official record