WUNRN
Full UN Press Release:http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2012/wom1905.doc.htm
Head
of UN Gender Entity Expresses ‘Deep Regret’ as Commission on Status of Women
Concludes without Adopting Agreed Conclusions
Expressing “deep regret” that the Commission on the Status of Women had failed to adopt the agreed conclusions that traditionally mark the conclusion of its annual sessions, the head of UN Women today urged delegations to move past that setback and press ahead with efforts to ensure that rural women — the focus of the current session - would be fully empowered to reach their potential.“I sincerely hope that this does not mean Member States are not ready to do what still needs to be done,” said Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for General Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). She added that, irrespective of its disappointing conclusion, the Commission’s fifty-sixth session had “witnessed passionate and dynamic discussions” on the empowerment of rural women and strengthening their role in achieving sustainable development for all.The session, which opened at Headquarters on 27 February, was scheduled to have concluded on 9 March, but protracted negotiations on the agreed conclusions forced the Commission to extend its work by one week. Delegations were unable to overcome “a disappointing inability to reach consensus”, in Ms. Bachelet’s words, and the session closed without a final document (see Press Release WOM/1904 for more information). However, the Commission did adopt its draft final report.......
9 March 2012
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Department of Public
Information • News and Media Division • |
Commission on the Status of Women
Fifty-sixth Session
17th & 18th Meetings (AM & PM)
UN
CSW Approves 7 Draft Texts, but Suspends 56th Session
Pending Approval of Agreed Conclusions on Rural Women
The Commission on the Status of
Women today sent a strong message to ensure that gender equality was woven
tightly into a blanket of initiatives spanning armed conflict to natural
disaster assistance, as it approved seven draft texts, one by recorded vote, to
be sent to the Economic and Social Council for adoption.
The 45-member Commission had been
scheduled to conclude its fifty-sixth session today, but due to ongoing
negotiations on what it calls its “agreed conclusions”, it suspended its
work. The Commission Secretary announced that the conclusion of the
current session would occur at a short meeting once that text — this year, on
empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication,
development and current challenges — was finalized and prepared in all six
official languages.
During its day-long meeting, the
Commission adopted the provisional agenda of its fifty-seventh session
(document E/CN.6/2012/L.9). It also approved a draft resolution on the
“situation of and assistance to Palestinian women” (document E/CN.6/2012/L.2),
by a recorded vote of 29 in favour to 2 against (
Deploring the dire economic and
social conditions of Palestinian women and girls in the
Speaking after the vote,
“If this is not the right forum to
address these issues, then where is?” asked the representative of the Permanent
Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations, adding that many United
Nations and human rights reports had already shown that the Israeli occupation
remained the obstacle to empowering women.
Following lengthy informal
consultations, the Commission approved an orally revised version of a draft
resolution on women, the girl child and HIV and AIDS (L.7), which had
originally contained 43 operative paragraphs. The revised version
eliminated all but two operative paragraphs, which would have the Commission
take note of the Secretary-General’s report and would request that the Secretary-General
submit a report to the Commission at its fifty-eighth session.
By consensus, Commission members
approved a draft decision on female genital mutilation (L.1), by which the
Commission would recommend for approval by the Economic and Social Council and
then adoption by the General Assembly a text recalling the Assembly’s relevant
resolutions and the conclusions of the Women’s Commission and noting the
Secretary-General’s report on ending the harmful practice and the
recommendations contained therein. Also by the text, the Assembly would
consider the issue at its sixty-seventh session.
Condemning all violent acts
committed against the civilian population, in violation of international
humanitarian law, the Commission approved a draft resolution on release of
women and children taken hostage, including those subsequently imprisoned, in
armed conflicts (L.3). The text would also have the Commission urge
States that are parties to armed conflict to take all necessary measures to
determine the identity, fate and whereabouts of women and children taken
hostage.
While unanimously approving a draft
resolution on eliminating maternal mortality and morbidity through empowerment
of women (L.5), the Commission heard some delegates’ reservations. Abortion-related
issues concerned several representatives, including those of
The
Turning to a draft resolution on
gender equality and the empowerment of women in natural disasters (L.4), the
Commission would, by that text, urge Governments and, where appropriate, United
Nations entities and civil society to design and implement gender-sensitive
economic relief and recovery projects, and to ensure women’s and men’s equal
access to natural-hazard early warning systems and promote disaster risk
reduction planning.
Another approved resolution
stressed the importance of recognizing the distinct and crucial contribution of
indigenous women and their knowledge, and their vital roles in diverse local
economies to poverty eradication, food security and sustainable development
(L.6).
In other action, the Commission
took note of a number of reports of the Secretary-General on rural women and
related issues.
In closing, Commission Chair Marjon
Kamara (
Making statements on the texts
adopted today were the representatives of
The Commission on the Status of
Women will reconvene to conclude its fifty-sixth session at a time and date to
be announced.