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UN CHARTER GENDER EQUALITY INCLUSION + HISTORY OF THE UN COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN - CSW

Direct Link to Full 24-Page Document:

http://www.un-ngls.org/IMG/pdf_FDS_1-08_TS_FN_1945.pdf 

By Torild Skard, Senior Researcher, Chair - Norwegian Association of Women’s Rights.

See pp. 53-55 +  

"Maybe it was the idea of a special women's commission came up too late, or it was discussed, though it does not appear in the summary records, but did not obtain sufficient support to be included in the UN Charter. And, according to the rules of the conference, the committee could not pass resolutions on other subjects. So there was no formal vote. 

The UN Charter gives ECOSOC the possibility, however, of setting up commissions as may be required in addition to those mentioned in the founding text (Article 68). Though there was no formal decision at the UNCIO (United Nations Conference on International Organisation), a clear majority expressed themselves in favour of a Commission on the Status of Women. When the United Nations held its inaugural meetings in London in February 1946, women's rights were a prominent item on the agenda. The former First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, a social. reformer and human rights advocate, was now appointed a delegate. She read 'An Open Letter to the Women of the World' from the 17 women attending the session, expressing the hope that women's involvement in the UN would grow, and calling on governments to encourage women to be active in national and international affairs and in building peace. At the meeting a subcommission on the status of women was created under the Human Rights Commission. 

Many delegates and NGO representatives felt, however, that a separate body specifically dedicated to women's issues was required.......At its first meeting, the subcommission.......recommended a fully-fledged Commission on the Status of Women. Eleanor Roosevelt was elected Chair of the Human Rights Commission and first opposed the change, but then relented. The 4-month old subcommission was upgraded to a full commission directly under ECOSOC, and women's NGO's were invited to work closely with it."

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Commission on the Status of Women Fifty-seventh session (4 - 15 March 2013)

 

Direct Link to 20-Page CSW History:

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/CSW60YRS/CSWbriefhistory.pdf

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