Palestinian women – CSW report (excerpts), ECOSOC draft resolution (Adopted)

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United Nations

Commission on the Status

of Women

 

 

 

Report on the fifty-third session 

(2-13 March 2009)

 

 

 

Economic and Social Council 

Official Records, 2009

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Chapter I

    Matters calling for action by the Economic and Social Council or brought to its attention

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C.  Draft resolutions for adoption by the Council

3.  The Commission on the Status of Women recommends to the Economic and Social Council the adoption of the following draft resolutions:

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Draft resolution II

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 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 2008/11 of 23 July 2008 and other relevant United Nations resolutions, including 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,

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,

Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women⁵as it concerns the protection of civilian populations,

Recalling the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,⁶ the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights₁₁ and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,⁷ and reaffirming that these human rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,

Expressing grave concern over the increased difficulties being faced by Palestinian women and girls living under Israeli occupation, including the sharp increase in poverty, soaring unemployment, increased food insecurity, incidents of domestic violence, and declining health, education and living standards, including the rising incidence of trauma and decline in their psychological well-being, and expressing grave concern about the deepening humanitarian crisis and rising insecurity and instability on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in particular in the Gaza Strip,

Deploring the deteriorating economic and social conditions of Palestinian women and girls in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the systematic violation of their human rights resulting from the severe impact of ongoing illegal Israeli practices, including the continued imposition of closures and restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, which have detrimentally affected their right to health care, including access by pregnant women to health services for antenatal care and safe delivery, education, employment, development and freedom of movement,

Deploring also the intensified Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, which have caused heavy casualties among civilians, including many children and women, and widespread damage to homes, United Nations schools and facilities, hospitals and public infrastructure, gravely impacting the provision of vital health and social services to Palestinian women and their families, and emphasizing that the civilian population must be protected,

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,

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,

Affirming the importance of exploring means to address the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women in the resolutions of the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly under the relevant agenda items,

1. Urges the international community to continue to give special attention to the promotion and protection of the human rights of Palestinian women and girls and to intensify its measures to improve the difficult conditions being faced by Palestinian women and their families living under Israeli occupation;

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 stresses the importance of efforts to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution and to ensure their equal participation and involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security;

3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,⁸ the Regulations annexed to the Hague Convention IV of 18 October 1907,⁹ the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949,¹⁰ and all other relevant rules, principles and instruments of international law, including the international human rights Covenants, 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, especially emergency 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, with the integration of a gender perspective into all of its international assistance programmes;

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,₇ in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action₈ 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”;₉ 

7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian women by all available means, including those set out in the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women,₆ and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-fourth 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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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 its agenda at its 2nd to 12th, 16th and 17th meetings, from 2 to 6 March and on 9 and 13 March 2009. It held a general discussion at its 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 16th meetings. It had before it the following documents:

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(f) Report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women (E/CN.6/2009/5);

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Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women

67. At the 16th meeting, on 13 March, the observer for the Sudan, on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77 and China, as well as Palestine, introduced a draft resolution entitled “Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women” (E/CN.6/2009/L.2/Rev.1).

68. At its 17th meeting, on 13 March, the Commission was informed that the draft resolution had no programme budget implications.

69. At the same meeting, the Commission adopted the draft resolution by a recorded vote of 30 to 3, with 8 abstentions (see chap. I, sect. C, draft resolution II). The voting was as follows:¹¹

In favour:

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Eritrea, Gabon, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Lesotho, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Russian Federation, Senegal, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia.

Against:

Netherlands, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America.

Abstaining:

Belgium, Cameroon, Croatia, Germany, Japan, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden.

70. Before the adoption of the draft resolution, a statement in explanation of vote was made by the representative of the United States.

71. After the adoption of the draft resolution, statements in explanation of vote were made by the representatives of the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands and Japan.

72. A statement was made by the observer for Palestine.

Notes

*For the discussion, see chap. II, paras. 67-72.

¹E/CN.6/2009/5. 

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.

⁴General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex. 

⁵See General Assembly resolution 48/104. 

⁶General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.

⁷United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.

⁸General Assembly resolution 217 A (III). 

⁹See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907 (New York, Oxford University Press, 1915).

¹⁰United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.

¹¹The representative of Cambodia indicated that, had his delegation been present at the time of the vote, it would have voted in favour of the draft resolution.