WUNRN
CALL FOR SIGNATURES - PETITION TO
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO PRIORITIZE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW
UN WOMEN'S AGENCY
Amnesty International plans to
deliver the petition to the General Assembly President - Dr. Ali Abdussalam
Treki (Libya) - at the start of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (1-12
March 2010).
Arabic
http://www.amnesty.
English
http://www.amnesty.
French
http://www.amnesty.
Spanish
http://www.amnesty.
Make the United
Nations more effective in realizing women’s rights
25 November 2009
Make the United Nations more effective in
realizing women’s rights
“If we wash
with a bucket of water and start from our feet, the water is wasted washing
only our feet. But if we pour the water over our heads, we can wash our whole
body.” Nepali human rights defender, explaining how a new strong international
agency for women could benefit women locally. 
The United Nations is a galvanizing force in setting new international
standards and commitments to protect and promote women’s human rights
especially those at risk of violence, or facing poverty. But the UN’s capacity
to support national implementation of these international agreements is
woefully underfunded and inadequate. This has limited the potential for women
around the world to fully enjoy their rights in practice.
The four small UN agencies exclusively dedicated to women’s issues lack the
necessary status, funding and country presence to enable the wider UN system
and national authorities to fully implement their obligations. Other, larger UN
agencies, sometimes can make a difference, but advancing women’s human rights
and gender equality is usually a small part of their mandate. And none of these
agencies are adequately supporting the important work of women’s human rights
defenders.
In September 2009, after years of persistent campaigning by women’s human
rights advocates around the world, all 192 member states of the UN
General Assembly finally adopted a resolution agreeing to the creation of a
consolidated and stronger UN agency for women.
"The General Assembly
has at last taken decisive action to create a new gender equality entity on the
eve of the 15th anniversary of the
Charlotte Bunch, Founding Director, Center for Women’s Global Leadership,
In order to achieve this, the agreed new women’s agency urgently needs
sustained political commitment from all governments and immediate, substantial
funding to ensure its effective establishment and success.
Take action! Show your support for a new strong UN women’s agency!
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