Subject: [fem-women2000 534] Women's GlobalNet #158: Optional Protocol Goes Into Force!
From: iwtc <iwtc@iwtc.org>
Date: Mon, 02 Oct 2000 11:06:23 -0700
Seq: 534
IWTC Women's GlobalNet #158 Activities and Initiatives of Women Worldwide By Anne S. Walker October 2, 2000 CEDAW OPTIONAL PROTOCOL GOES INTO FORCE!! With the ratification of Italy on 22 September, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has now been ratified by the required 10 countries. It will enter into force on 22 December, 2000. States which ratify the Optional Protocol recognize the competence of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to consider petitions from individual women or groups of women who have exhausted all national remedies. The Optional Protocol also entitles the Committee to conduct inquiries into grave or systematic violations of the Convention. The Committee is the body established under the Convention to monitor its implementation. On 6 October 1999, in a landmark decision for women, the United Nations General Assembly, acting without a vote, adopted the 21-article Optional Protocol to the Convention, and called on all States parties to the Convention to become party to the new instrument as soon as possible. The Protocol, which was opened for signature, ratification and accession on 10 December 1999, includes an "opt-out clause", allowing States upon ratification or accession to declare that they do not accept the inquiry procedure. Article 17 of the Protocol explicitly provides that no reservations may be entered to its terms. Only States parties to the Convention may accept the Optional Protocol. With the ratification of Saudi Arabia on 7 September, the Convention has 166 States parties. During the Millennium Summit of the United Nations (New York,6-8 September), ratifications to the Optional Protocol were received from Austria, Bangladesh, Ireland and New Zealand. Other States parties to the Protocol are Denmark, France, Namibia, Senegal and Thailand. There are a total of 62 signatories to the Optional Protocol. The ratification of the Optional Protocol, and its entering into force on 22 December, represent further milestones on the road towards the achievement for all women of their fundamental human rights and freedoms. It is also a recognition of the universality of human rights. For further information, please contact Elisabeth Ruzicka-Dempsey, Development and Human Rights Section, UN Department of Public Information. Tel.: (1-212) 963-1742. Fax: (212) 963-1186. E-mail: <ruzicka-dempsey@un.or>, or Abigail Loregnard-Kasmally, Coordination and Outreach Unit, Division for the Advancement of Women. Tel.: (212) 963-3137. Fax: (212) 963-3463. E-mail: <loregnard-kasmally@un.org>. Website: <http://un.org/womenwatch/daw> IWTC Women's GlobalNet is a production of: International Women's Tribune Centre 777 United Nations Plaza 3rd Floor New York, NY 10017, USA Tel: (1-212) 687-8633 Fax: (1-212) 661-2704 Email: <iwtc@iwtc.org> You can subscribe to this list at any time by sending a blank message to iwtc-womensglobalnet-subscribe@igc.topica.com You can unsubscribe to this list at any time by sending a blank message to iwtc-womensglobalnet-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com WOMEN, INK. For quality, cutting-edge publications on women and development by, for and about women worldwide, see Women, Ink's catalogue at our web site: <http://www.womenink.org>. Or contact Women, Ink. at 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA. Tel: Yasna Uberoi (1-212) 687-8633 ext 212 or Mary Wong (1-212) 687-8633 ext 204. Fax: (1-212) 661-2704. E-mail: <wink@womenink.org> Women, Ink. is a project of IWTC ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics _________________________________________________________________________ fem-Women2000@jca.apc.org for Women 2000, UN Special Session on Beijing+5 Searcheable Archive http://www.jca.apc.org/fem/news/women2000/index.shtml visit fem-net HomePage for other mailing lists http://www.jca.apc.org/fem