U.N. Connection
49th Commission on the Status of Women
Dr. Dee Aker, Deputy Director of the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice (IPJ) and Shelley Lyford, IPJ Program Officer attended the 49th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations in New York where they participated in meetings discussing two major thematic issues:
(1) Review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of the special session of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century"; and (2) Current challenges and forward looking strategies for the advancement and empowerment of women and girlsTen years after the United Nations Women's Conference in Beijing, hundreds of state delegates and over 2600 non-governmental organization's representatives met at the UN to review the world's progress towards equality for women. In addition to over 6,000 non-governmental delegates and high-level representatives from 130 countries, ministers from 80 countries participated.
Commission meetings lasted two weeks and delegates had many opportunities to attend high level meetings, forums, workshops and roundtables. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened the Commission on February 28. Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of UNIFEM addressed the 49th Commission on the Status of Women at the Beijing Plus Ten and issued a statement for International Women's Day praising the many gains that have been achieved in the past 30 years of women's world conferences. Noting the passage of 1325 as an important validation of women's experiences of war and their many efforts to bring peace, Heyzer highlighted the many positives steps that have been taken in the areas of legislative reform, CEDAW implementation and HIV prevention. While these positive steps must be recognized and celebrated, Heyzer underscored that violence against women continues to rise in conflict and post-conflict zones. Further, women continue to live marginalized in unabated poverty and face threats of trafficking, HIV/AIDS, and sexual violence.
UNIFEM, (UNIFEM co-sponsored the IPJ's Fall 2004 working conference, Promoting Women's Equal Participation in Peace & Security Processes: Operationalizing UN Security Council Resolution 1325) co-sponsored several meetings at the CSW.
Widows, Inheritance and Human Rights
A major area of discussion at the 49th CSW and its side events was trafficking of persons, the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. Human trafficking provides criminals an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion dollars a year in profits. International law enforcement officials estimate that humans are now the 3rd most lucrative commodity traded illegally, after drugs and guns. Side events at the CSW underscored the complexity of this problem rooted in poverty, marginalization, inequality and inadequate protection of human rights.
The CSW was established in 1946 by United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Resolution 11(II) with the objective of promoting the principle that men and women shall have equal rights. Originally a 15-member body, it now consists of 45 members elected by ECOSOC for a period of four years. The Commission recommends and reports to ECOSOC on the promotion of women's rights in the political, economic, civil, social and educational fields and also addresses problems affecting women that require immediate attention. http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/Review/
Since 1996, the main focus of work of the CSW has been to monitor the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. At its twenty-third special session in June 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted a Political Declaration and Further Actions and Initiatives to Implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (the Outcome Document). The commission's current and future work, as determined by its multi-year programme of work 2002-2006, now focuses on the implementation of both the Platform for Action and the outcome document.
49th CSW delegates in Trafficking forum, March 2005 Enlarge
This year marks a milestone in the movement for gender equality and the advancement of women -- the 10-year review of the Beijing Conference and Platform for Action. In 1995, women gathered in Beijing and took a giant step forward on behalf of humankind. As a result, the world recognized explicitly, as never before, that gender equality is critical to the development and peace of every nation. Ten years on, women are not only more aware of their rights; they are more able to exercise them.
Over this decade, we have seen tangible progress on many fronts. Life expectancy and fertility rates have improved. More girls are enrolled in primary education. More women are earning an income than ever before. At the same time, new challenges have emerged. Consider the trafficking of women and children -- an odious but increasingly common practice. Or the increasing targeting of women in armed conflict. Or the terrifying growth of HIV/AIDS among women -- especially young women.
Yet as we look back on the past decade, one thing stands out above all else: we have learnt that the challenges facing women are not problems without solutions. We have learnt what works and what doesn't. If we are to change the historical legacy that puts women at a disadvantage in most societies, we must implement what we have learnt on a larger scale. We must take specific, targeted action in a number of areas.
