United Nations
Commission on the Status
of Women
Report on the fifty-second session
(25 February-13 March 2008)
Economic and Social Council
Official Records, 2008
Chapter I
Matters calling for action by the Economic and Social Council or brought to its attention
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B. Draft resolution for adoption by the Council
2. The Commission on the Status of Women recommends to the Economic and Social Council the adoption of the following draft resolution:
Situation of and assistance to 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 Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women,3 and the outcomes 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 2007/7 of 24 July 2007 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,
Recalling the importance of the implementation of General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003, on the prevention of armed conflict, and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000, on women and peace and security,
Noting the resumption of bilateral negotiations within the Middle East peace process on its agreed basis, and expressing the need for the speedy achievement of a final and comprehensive peace settlement between the Palestinian and Israeli sides,
Reaffirming the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, and stressing the importance of their equal participation and involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security and the need to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution,
Concerned about the grave situation of Palestinian women resulting from the severe impact of ongoing illegal Israeli practices, including settlement activities and the unlawful construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, the continued imposition of closures and restrictions on the movement of persons and goods and the many severe consequences arising from Israeli military operations in and sieges of civilian areas, in particular in the Gaza Strip, which have impacted detrimentally their social and economic conditions and deepened the humanitarian crisis faced by them and their families,
Stressing the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to alleviate the dire socio-economic and humanitarian situation being faced by Palestinian women and their families,
Taking note of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights of 31 August 20056 regarding Palestinian women giving birth at checkpoints, and expressing grave concern at the increasing difficulties faced by pregnant Palestinian women owing to a lack of appropriate and timely antenatal, delivery and post-natal care due to the obstruction of access to proper medical care,
Recalling the advisory opinion rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory ,7 and recalling also General Assembly resolution ES-10/15 of 20 July 2004,
Recalling also the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,8 the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights8 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,9 and affirming that these human rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
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,
Expressing grave concern over the increased difficulties faced by Palestinian women, including the sharp increase in poverty, soaring unemployment, incidents of domestic violence, declining health and education standards as a result of the deterioration in the economic and social conditions on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
Emphasizing the importance of increasing the role of women in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part of efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all women in the region,
1. Calls upon the concerned parties, as well as the international community, to exert all the necessary efforts to support the resumption of the peace process on its agreed basis, taking into account the common ground already gained, and calls for intensified measures to be taken for the 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 of their society, and encourages all women in the region to take an active role in supporting the peace process;
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,10 the Regulations annexed to The Hague Convention IV of 18 October 190711 and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 194912in 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, to promote their development in various fields 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 Action 3 and the outcomes of the twenty-third 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, to assist Palestinian women by all available means, including those laid out in the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women, and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women, at its fifty-third 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. II, paras. 76-83.
Notes
1E/CN.6/2008/6.
2 Report 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.
3 Report 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.
4 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
5 See General Assembly resolution 48/104.
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Chapter II
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”
1. The Commission considered item 3 of the agenda at its 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th and resumed 16th meetings, from 25 to 29 February and on 3, 5, 6 and 7 March 2008. It had before it the following documents:
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(e) Report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women (E/CN.6/2008/6);
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Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
76. At the 13th meeting, on 5 March, the observer for Antigua and Barbuda, 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.6/2008/L.3).
77. At its 16th meeting, on 7 March, the Commission was advised that the draft resolution contained no programme budget implications.
78. At the same meeting, the observer for Antigua and Barbuda orally revised the text of the draft resolution as follows:
(a) In the sixth preambular paragraph, the words “and comprehensive” were inserted in between the words “final” and “peace settlement”;
(b) After the sixth preambular paragraph, a new paragraph was inserted, which read:
(c) In the seventh preambular paragraph, the words “in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,” were deleted after the words “concerned about the grave situation of Palestinian women”; and the words “in particular in the Gaza Strip” were inserted after the words “seizes civilian areas”;
(d) The ninth preambular paragraph, which read:
(e) After the twelfth preambular paragraph, a new paragraph was inserted, which read as follows:
(f) In operative paragraph 5 the words “to promote their development in various fields” were inserted in between the words “Palestinian women and their families,” and “and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions”;
79. At the same meeting, Azerbaijan joined in sponsoring the draft resolution, as orally revised.
80. Also at its 16th meeting, the Commission adopted the draft resolution, as orally revised, by a recorded vote of 33 to 1, with 9 abstentions (see chap. I, sect. B). The voting was as follows:
In favour:
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Gabon, Ghana, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Lesotho, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, the Niger, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar, Spain, Suriname, Togo, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia.
Against :
United States of America.
Abstain:
Belgium, Cameroon, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Netherlands, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
81. Before the adoption of the draft resolution, statements in explanation of vote were made by the representatives of the United States and Germany (on behalf of the European Union). A statement was also made by the observer for Israel.
82. After the adoption of the draft resolution, a statement was made by the observer for Mauritania.
83. A statement was also made by the observer for Palestine.
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Document Type: Draft resolution, Report, Resolution
Document Sources: Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
Subject: Assistance, Economic issues, Social issues, Women
Publication Date: 13/03/2008