Optional Protocol to CEDAW enters into force 22 December 2000
The Optional Protocol to CEDAW
enters into force as of 22 December, 2000. In this regard, the Division for the
Advancement of Women has contacted all national machineries, regional commissions, CEDAW
Committee members, to widely publize, at the national, regional and international level,
the entry into force of the Optional Protocol. Print copies of the CEDAW Convention
and its Optional Protocol can be obtained from the United Nations Information Centres
located throughout the world. Electronic versions can be found on DAW's website.
Read the press release
Find out more about the
Optional Protocol
NGO participation in the 24th session of CEDAW
Workshop on
"Support to the Preparation of State Party Reports to be submitted to the Committee
on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women"
The Division for the Advancement of Women, in collaboration with the Government of New
Zealand, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, UNDP Fiji, ESCAP and UNIFEM regional
office, will organize a sub-regional training workshop on "Support to the Preparation
of State Party Reports to be submitted to the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)". Designed to help governments who have ratified
the Convention in the preparation of their initial and subsequent reports, the workshop
will be held in Auckland, New Zealand from 13-15 February 2001. Contact Ms. Fatiha Serour
(serour@un.org) for details.
Consultation meeting on "Enhancing Women's Participation in Peace-Building"
The Division for the Advancement of Women, in collaboration with ECA, OAU and AWCPD, will
organize a consultation meeting on "Enhancing Women’s Participation in
Peace-Building" from 15 to 16 January 2001 in Addis Ababa. The meeting aims to review
current initiatives on women and peace-building in Sub-Saharan Africa to identify gaps as
well as capacity building needs. Contact Ms. Fatiha Serour (serour@un.org) for details.
International Day for
the Elimination of Violence against Women
-DAW
information note: The United Nations Work on Violence against Women
-DAW information note: International Day for the Elimination of
Violence against Women
-Statement by the Secretary-General
-Statement by
General Assembly President
Meeting on the Proposed Rules of Procedures of the Optional Protocol to Women's
Convention
With the
financial support of the Government of Germany, the CEDAW Committee met to discuss
proposed rules of procedure for the Optional Protocol to CEADW. Participants included
current and recently elected members of the Committee, as well as a number of invited
experts. DAW provided substantive servicing for the meeting, which took place from 27
to 30 November 2000 in Berlin, Germany.
Press release
Security Council debate
on "Women, Peace and Security"
The Security Council held an open debate on "Women, Peace and Security", 24-25
October 2000. Click here for the
webcast, verbatim report, and the press releases.
Expert
Group Meeting on gender and racial discrimination
The Division for the
Advancement of Women, in collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), convened an
expert group meeting on the theme of "Gender and racial discrimination". The
meeting was hosted by the Government of Croatia in Zagreb, Croatia and took place from 21
to 24 November 2000. Read the Aide -Mémoire>>
Italy
ratifies the Optional Protocol
Italy ratified the Optional Protocol on 22 September, bringing the total number of
ratifications to the Optional Protocol to 10. With this recent ratification, the
Optional Protocol will enter into force on 22 December, 2000. More
Saudi
Arabia ratified CEDAW
Saudi Arabia ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women on 7 September, 2000, bringing the number of States parties to 166.
Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against
Women elected officers
On 31 August 2000, States Parties to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women elected nine new members to serve on the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women. The States Parties also re-elected two members of the
Committee. Members’ four-year terms would begin on 1 January 2001 and end on 31
December 2004.
Click for the members elected.
Report on consultation with African national machineries
DAW held a consultation with representatives of African national machineries on 12 June to
exchange views on the role and mandate of national machineries since Beijing and after
Beijing +5.
Expert
Group Meeting on the HIV/AIDS Pandemic and its Gender Implications
The Division for the Advancement of Women is organizing jointly with the World Health
Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) an Expert
Group Meeting on "The HIV/AIDS Pandemic and its Gender Implications". The
meeting will take place in Windhoek (Namibia) from 13 to 17 November 2000. More >>
Report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services
on the in-depth evaluation of the advancement of women programmes
Report reviews the achievements and shortcomings of the United Nations advancement of
women programme with respect to the following activities: (a) servicing of
intergovernmental bodies and the Committee of the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women; (b) monitoring of the Beijing Platform for Action,
and of gender mainstreaming and the status of women in the Secretariat; (c) coordination;
(d) outreach; and (e) gender advisory services.
Special events during Beijing +5
NGO participation in the informals
Representatives of NGOs
that are pre-registered to the special session may attend informal meetings of the
preparatory committee. Organizations that wish to send representatives should contact DAW
no later than May, 22 May, 2000. More
>>
New
PrepCom Chair elected
Ms.Christine Kapalata, a national of the United
Republic of Tanzania,was elected Chair on 20 April 2000, by the members of the Commission
on the Status of Women acting as the preparatory committee for the special session of the
General Assembly, "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the 21st
century".
New CSW Chair elected
Ms. Dubravka
Simonovic, a national of the Republic of Croatia, was elected Chair of the
Commission on the Status of Women for a two year term.
Twenty-third Session of CEDAW
The twenty-third session of CEDAW was held from 12-30 June, 2000 at the UN Headquarters in
New York. Countries reporting were Austria, Cameroon, Cuba, Iraq, Lithuania, Rep. of
Moldova, and Romania.
Concluding comments>>
NGO
participation at the special session of the GA
Decision reached at the PrepCom on arrangements regarding participation of
non-governmental organizations at the special session of the General Assembly. More >>
Accreditation of non-governmental organizations that
neither are in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council nor were
accredited to the Fourth World Conference on Women to the special session of the GA.
44th Session of CSW
The 44th session of CSW and the third session of the CSW acting as PrepCom for the GA
Special Session were held from 28 February - 17 March 2000. Eleven days of the three-week
session were allocated to the Commission acting as preparatory committee for the GA
special session, "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the 21st
century." Two panel discussions were held: one
during the 44th Session of the CSW, and one during the
PrepCom. This was the last session where the Commission acts as the preparatory
committee before the special session in June 2000. More>>
Conference
on "Women's Rights to Education: Building Global Leadership for the 21st
Century"
DAW co-sponsored a conference on women's rights to education on Friday, February 11, 2000
at the UN Headquarters in New York. More >>
NGO Consultation "Strategies for Beijing +5: 2000 and
Beyond"
DAW facilitated an NGO consultation during the third session of the PrepCom on 4 march,
2000.
Twenty-second Session of CEDAW
CEDAW concluded its twenty-second session on 4 February, 2000, at the UN Headquarters in
New York. Countries reporting were: Belarus, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Germany, India, Jordan, Luxembourg and Myanmar. Concluding
comments>>
. Opening statement by Ms Angela King
