Subject: [fem-women2000 549] Women's GlobalNer #160: "Gender, AIDS and Racism the Focus of CSW, March
From: iwtc <iwtc@iwtc.org>
Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2000 15:05:53 -0800
Seq: 549

IWTC WOMEN'S GLOBALNET
Initiatives and Activities of Women Worldwide

by Anne S. Walker

November 12, 2000

GENDER, AIDS AND RACISM THE FOCUS OF 45TH SESSION OF UN COMMISSION ON 
THE STATUS OF WOMEN, MARCH 2001

The 45th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women 
(UN/CSW) CSW will be held 5-16 March 2001. The focus will be on the 
following thematic issues: 

1 Women, the girl child and human immuno-deficiency virus/acquired 
immuno-deficiency syndrome (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.

The CSW will also adopt its new multi-year work programme for the period 
2002-2005. Two expert meetings will be held in preparation for the 45th 
session: 

1. Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on the HIV/AIDS Pandemic and its Gender 
Implications, 13 -17 November 2000, and Windhoek, Namibia, and

2. Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on Gender and Racial Discrimination, 21 to 
24 November 2000, Zagreb, Croatia

Background to EGM on HIV/AIDS and its Gender Implications: 
The CSW has repeatedly discussed women and HIV/AIDS in the follow-up to 
the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, including, most 
recently, when it reviewed the critical area of concern "Women and 
Health" at its forty-third session held in March 1999. Compelled by 
recent alarming developments with regard to women and HIV/AIDS, the 
Commission decided to consider the topic as a priority theme in its work 
programme for the year 2001. In order to contribute to a further 
understanding of the issue and provide input to the report of the 
Secretary General, it was decided to convene an Expert Group Meeting. 
The meeting will elaborate action-oriented recommendations to be 
forwarded to the Commission.  The seriousness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic 
has been pinpointed on several occasions at the international level and 
HIV/AIDS is now recognized as a phenomena with wide development and 
security implications. In January 2000, an unprecedented UN Security 
Council session was devoted exclusively to the impact of AIDS on peace 
and security in Africa and, as a follow-up to the Security Council 
debate, the Economic and Social Council is pursuing special initiatives 
with regards to HIV/AIDS. The International Partnership against AIDS in 
Africa, a joint initiative of the UN system, African Governments, donor 
countries, non-governmental organizations and the private sector is 
addressing the HIV/AIDS in Africa in a concerted effort. 

Background to EGM on Gender and Racial Discrimination:
The UN Division for the Advancement of Women (UN/DAW), in collaboration 
with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and 
the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), will convene an 
EGM on the theme of "Gender and Racial Discrimination", hosted by the 
Government of Croatia in Zagreb, Croatia,  21 to 24 November 2000. The 
results of the meeting will be made available to the CSW at its 45th 
session in March 2001where it will take up, inter alia, the thematic 
issue of gender and all forms of discrimination, in particular racism, 
racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. It is also 
anticipated that the recommendations of the EGM will be integrated into 
the preparations for the World Conference against Racism, Racial 
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, which will be 
convened in Durban, South Africa from 31 August to 7 September 2001. 

The recommendations of the EGM should also be of value to the Committee 
on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and other 
treaty bodies, including the Committee on the Elimination of Racial 
Discrimination (CERD), as they elaborate the obligations of States 
parties to these instruments to ensure that women are not affected by 
the double burden of sex and racial discrimination and are free from the 
effects of xenophobia and related intolerance. In addition, the 
recommendations should inform the work of the Commission on Human 
Rights, including that of the thematic and country-specific rapporteurs 
and working groups.

This information has been adapted from the web-site of UN/DAW. For more 
information concerning the 45th Session of CSW and the two EGMs, visit 
this web-site at: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw or contact them at: 
UN/DAW, DC-2, United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA


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  http://www.topica.com/t/17
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

Return to Index
Return to fem-women2000 HOME