Subject: [fem-women2000 212] IWTC Women's GlobalNet #141
From: lalamaziwa <lalamaziwa@jca.apc.org>
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 07:38:16 +0900
Seq: 212

グローバルネット第141号は、第44回女性の地位委員会(CSW)前半のまとめ です。

『WA2000 CSW: 特別号 - CSW44前半(通常会合)のまとめ - 03/03/00』が下敷きに
なっていますので、出典(邦訳あり)を参照してください。/lalamaziwa


Forwarded by lalamaziwa <lalamaziwa@jca.apc.org>
---------------- Original message follows ----------------
 From: iwtc <iwtc@iwtc.org>
 Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2000 13:05:46 -0800
 Subject: Women's GlobalNet #141
--

IWTC Women's GlobalNet #141
Activities and Initiatives of Women Worldwide

By Anne S. Walker

March 21, 2000


SUMMARY OF OUTCOMES FROM THE UN COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, 
FEBRUARY 28 TO MARCH 2, 2000

The 44th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) 
consisted of two parts. The first part was the regular meeting of the 
CSW (28 February to 2 March, 2000) and the second part was the 
Preparatory Committee (PrepCom- 3 March to 17 March, 2000) for Beijing 
Plus Five review (UNGASS - UN General Assembly Special Session, 5 June 
to 9 June, 2000). 

The following information concerns the first part only. 

The session began with the annual election of a Bureau for the CSW. 
Dubravka Simonovic (Croatia) was appointed Chair, and Kirsten Geelan  
(Denmark), Misako Kaji (Japan), Loreto Leyton (Chile) and Mankeur Ndiaye 
 (Senegal) were appointed Vice-Chairs. After the agenda and organization 
of work were approved, Angela King, UN Assistant Secretary-General and 
Special Adviser on Gender Issues spoke, noting both progress and 
deterioration in the advancement of women. In particular, Ms. King noted 
that the issue of resources remains critical in addressing the challenge 
of continuity and stability for the process of gender mainstreaming, 
particularly within the United Nations itself. Ms. Yakin Erturk, 
Director of the UN Division for the Advancement of Women followed with 
an explanation of the documentation for the session.

General Themes that Emerged from Governments:

Delegations presented statements relating to the advancement of women 
and to follow-up activities to the Fourth World Conference on Women, 
Beijing, 1995. While a wide variety of achievement and obstacles were 
noted, some general themes emerged. These included: a) Strong 
affirmation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action as 
fundamental documents underpinning and guiding governments' and the 
international community's efforts to ensure gender equality. Many 
mentioned their disappointment that the call for universal ratification 
of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination 
Against Women (CEDAW) by the year 2000 (as called for in the Platform 
for Action) had not been met, and stressed the need for renewed efforts 
to reach universal ratification. Many also welcomed the Optional 
Protocol to CEDAW and urged for the ratification and accession by 
governments to allow its early entry into force; b) The inclusion of 
sexual violence as a crime in the statute for the new International 
Criminal Court; c) New laws for achieving gender-equal societies adopted 
in many countries, inspired by the Platform for Action.

Frequently noted obstacles included:  a) The HIV/AIDS pandemic and the 
need for a deeper and more systematic understanding of the 
gender-differentiated impacts of HIV/AIDS; b) The need for more 
resources to support implementation, particularly for national 
machineries for the advancement of women; c) The uneven and 
gender-differentiated impact of globalization, which, as a number of 
delegations noted, has in some cases deepened women's poverty; d) The 
devastating consequences of armed conflict and internal displacement; e) 
The extent and consequences of violence against women.

Many delegations called for establishing targets to ensure stronger 
implementation of commitments and measuring progress. At the national 
level, a number of delegations reported on the impact of affirmative 
action and other special measures put in place to assist in the process 
of building gender equality and ending discrimination. 

Some delegations also welcomed new information and communications 
technologies, while noting that the gains of these technologies are, in 
some cases, accompanied by new forms of exclusion. 

In looking toward the future of the CSW itself, a number of delegations 
noted that the five-year review of the Platform for Action might also 
include a review of the Commission itself, including its functioning and 
mandate, bearing in mind the need for integrated and coordinated follow 
up to major UN world conferences and summits of the 1990s. 

Common Themes Put Forward by NGOs at the CSW:

a) The importance of looking at the negative consequences of 
globalization on women and the urgent need for adequate responses; b) 
The devastating consequences of armed conflict and internal displacement 
for women and girls, and the urgent need for more support from the UN 
and governments alike for the work of women peace activists in countries 
experiencing continuing civil unrest; c) A call for more concerted 
political will, including through the commitment of resources for the 
implementation of the Platform for Action, and the protection of women's 
human rights, especially protection from gender violence; d) Greater 
attention to particular issues of the girl-child and adolescent women, 
including their sexual and reproductive rights. 

Panel on Emerging Issues:

On 1 March, the morning session began with a panel on Emerging Issues, 
i.e. trends and new approaches to issues affecting gender equality 
between men and women.  Panelists included: Dominique Meda, (France), 
-women and work; Maitre Mame Bassine Niang, (Senegal), -the life cycle 
and access to resources including inheritance; Charlotte Abaka, (Ghana) 
-challenges to the implementation of CEDAW. Gillian Marcelle, (Jamaica), 
Chairperson of the African Information Society Gender Working Group - 
gender justice and technology; and Madhu Bala Nath, (India) 
UNAIDS/UNIFEM Gender and HIV/AIDS Advisor -women living with HIV/AIDS.

The NGO Youth Caucus drew attention to the importance (and indeed 
historic significance) of their presence at the CSW.

During the CSW 44th Session, four resolutions were adopted: 

The resolutions were: 1) Release of women and children taken hostage, 
including those subsequently imprisoned, in armed conflict (adopted 
without amendments-E/CN.6/2000/L.2); 2) Situation of women and girls in 
Afghanistan (adopted with slight oral revisions- E/CN.6/2000/L.3); 3) 
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women. (35 in favor, 1 
against - E/CN.6/2000/L.5); 4) Women, the girl-child and HIV/AIDS 
(adopted with minor revisions - E/CN.6/2000/L.6) 

Adoption of Provisional Agenda for the CSW Session in 2001:

Thematic issues to be addressed include: 1) Women, the girl child and 
HIV/AIDS; 2) Gender and multiple forms of discrimination, in particular 
issues   related to racial and ethnic discrimination, xenophobia and 
related intolerance and discrimination based on age and disability. (In 
preparation for UN World Conference Against Racism and Discrimination in 
2001.)

(Adapted from the Special Edition of the CSW Daily Bulletin "Regular CSW 
Wrap-up", Friday, March 3rd, 2000, a production of WomenAction 2000 - an
NGO women's global media network set up following the 1999 PrepCom for
Beijing Plus Five)

For more information on the 44th Session of the UN Commission on the 
Status of Women, check the web-site of the UN Division for the 
Advancement of Women at: <http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw> or write to: 
Koh Miyaoi, Information Officer, Division for the Advancement of Women, 
DC-2, 12th Floor, United Nations, New York, NY 10017. Fax: (1-212) 
963-3463. E-mail: <Beijing5@un.org>
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