4-716/1

Belgische Senaat

ZITTING 2007-2008

1 JUNI 2008

De 52e sessie van de Commissie van de Verenigde Naties voor de Status van de Vrouw (25 februari - 7 maart 2008)

VERSLAG

NAMENS HET ADVIESCOMITÉ VOOR GELIJKE KANSEN VOOR VROUWEN EN MANNEN UITGEBRACHT DOOR

DE DAMES de BETHUNE EN DEFRAIGNE

I. Inleiding

De 52e sessie van de Commissie van de Verenigde Naties voor de Status van de vrouw vond plaats in New York van 25 februari tot 7 maart 2008. Het hoofdthema van deze 52e sessie was « Financiering van gendergelijkheid en de versterking van vrouwen ».

België is sinds 1995 ononderbroken lid van de Commissie Status van de Vrouw. Ons land kreeg een vierde opeenvolgend mandaat van 2007 tot 2011. Onder voorzitterschap van de heer O. Belle, Ambassadeur, Adjunct Vertegenwoordiger van België bij de VN, zat België deze 52e sessie voor en ook volgend jaar zal België de 53e sessie van de Commissie Status van de vrouw voorzitten.

De officiële Belgische delegatie in New York bestond dit jaar uit : Ambassadeur de heer J. Verbeke, de heren O. Belle en N. Nihon van de permanente vertegenwoordiging van België bij de VN in New York, de senatrices S. de Bethune, C. Defraigne en mevrouw L. Dierick (gedeputeerde), de heer M. Pasteel en mevrouw F. Fastré (Instituut voor de Gelijkheid van Vrouwen en Mannen), de dames K. De Nijs (Dienst VN, Buitenlandse Zaken), M. Franken en H. Vander Poorten (Vlaamse Gemeenschap), mevrouw A. Adriaenssens (Franstalige Gemeenschap), de dames S. Monkasa en H. Ryckmans (Commissie Vrouwen en Ontwikkeling).

De 52e sessie van de CSW is een boeiende en succesvolle sessie geworden. Dankzij het uitmuntende voorzitterschap van de Permanente Vertegenwoordiging van België bij de VN onder leiding van Ambassadeur Belle, en de dynamische inzet van alle leden van de Brusselse delegatie werd de Belgische participatie ten zeerste gewaardeerd.

Het Adviescomité voor gelijke kansen voor vrouwen en mannen heeft in het raam van zijn werkzaamheden de heer Michel Pasteel, directeur van het Instituut voor de Gelijkheid van Vrouwen en Mannen, en mevrouw Frédérique Fastré, adviseur van het Instituut, uitgenodigd (vergadering van 23 april 2008). Op dezelfde dag werden de senatrices de Bethune en Defraigne verzocht hun ervaringen en visie op de werkzaamheden van de commissie van de Verenigde Naties mee te delen.

Het Adviescomité besprak de aanbevelingen op 23 april en 28 mei 2008. Ze werden aangenomen op de vergadering van 25 juni 2008.

II. Uiteenzetting door de heer Michel Pasteel, directeur van het Instituut voor de Gelijkheid van Vrouwen en Mannen

De Commissie voor de Status van de Vrouw heeft gedurende vijftien dagen onder Belgisch voorzitterschap vergaderd. Ook de 53e sessie zal door ons land worden voorgezeten. De werkzaamheden van de 52e sessie zijn in twee delen verlopen : enerzijds werden er teksten aangenomen en anderzijds vonden er veel rondetafels en side-events plaats.

De heer Pasteel overloopt de teksten die werden aangenomen :

1. De overeengekomen conclusies met betrekking tot het belangrijkste thema van de sessie, namelijk de financiering die de gendergelijkheid en de autonomie van de vrouw moet bevorderen :

— er werd meermaals opgemerkt dat de ontwikkelingshulp nodig verhoogd moet worden. De diverse delegaties zijn het eens geworden over plannen om de status van de vrouw in de ontwikkelingslanden te verbeteren door middel van internationale hulp;

— ook is gewezen op de noodzaak om steun te bieden aan het middenveld en aan de vrouwenverenigingen. Het gaat om een specifieke boodschap aan het adres van de plaatselijke regeringen om de NGO's te steunen. Deze maatregel heeft vooral betrekking op het Instituut voor de Gelijkheid van Vrouwen en Mannen, dat de financiering van de vrouwenverenigingen als taak heeft;

— ook is er gesproken over rechten op het vlak van seksualiteit en voortplanting;

— en ten slotte werden ook de grote principes opnieuw bevestigd, zoals die waarop de Verklaring van Bejing, het CEDAW-Verdrag en het Verdrag inzake de rechten van het kind zijn gebaseerd.

2. Er werd een resolutie aangenomen over vrouwelijke genitale verminking. De heer Pasteel merkt op dat het begrip geweld tegen vrouwen en meisjes met een aantal vormen van geweld is uitgebreid (kinderhuwelijk, gedwongen huwelijk, enz). Dit thema is ook in België actueel, aangezien uit de regeringsverklaring al de intentie bleek om het begrip geweld tegen vrouwen uit te breiden. Dit zal moeten worden opgenomen in het Plan ter bestrijding van Partnergeweld, waarvan het Instituut de sturende instantie is.

3. De CSW heeft ook een resolutie aangenomen over vrouwen, meisjes en aids. De Belgische delegatie heeft actief aan die resolutie meegewerkt. Er werden nieuwe concepten ingevoerd, onder meer het concept « adherence ». Het is hierbij de bedoeling om ervoor te zorgen dat de patiënt de behandeling nauwgezet volgt en dat hij toegang heeft tot laboratoriumtests die de aanwezigheid van het virus meten.

4. Een andere resolutie werd ingediend door Azerbaïdjan en betreft de gegijzelde vrouwen en kinderen.

5. De resolutie die door de G77 en China werd ingediend in verband met het INSTRAW (International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women), een agentschap voor onderzoek en opleiding in de Dominicaanse Republiek. Tijdens de discussie was er vooral sprake van de fusie van dit instituut met andere VN-eenheden. Hierover werd geen akkoord bereikt.

6. Ook over de situatie van de Palestijnse vrouwen is een resolutie ingediend.

Wat de rondetafels, de panels en de side-events betreft, noemt de heer Pasteel er enkele op. De CSW werd geopend met een rondetafel op hoog niveau en twee interactieve panels die aan het hoofdthema gewijd waren en waaraan senator Christine Defraigne en volksvertegenwoordiger Leen Dierick hebben deelgenomen. Tijdens haar betoog heeft mevrouw Defraigne de nadruk gelegd op de wet van 1999 op de ontwikkelingssamenwerking en de wet van 2007 op de gender mainstreaming, die de Belgische Staat verplichten om zowel extern als intern rekening te houden met de vrouwelijke invalshoek. De gender mainstreaming-wet heeft trouwens duidelijk de interesse gewekt van de andere landen die op de vergadering vertegenwoordigd waren.

Senator de Bethune heeft deelgenomen aan een panel tijdens de plenaire vergadering, op de Internationale Vrouwendag.

Het Instituut was uitgenodigd om te spreken op een gelijklopend evenement, georganiseerd door de Raad van Europa en Azerbaïdjan, dat over het hoofdthema van de sessie ging. De heer Pasteel heeft daar de federale gender mainstreaming-wet inhoudelijk uiteengezet en daarnaast ook de werktuigen en de uitdagingen belicht die verband houden met de toepassing van die wet.

Tot slot heeft de directeur van het Instituut de nadruk gelegd op het feit dat men zich nu reeds over een vervolgbeleid moet buigen, zowel wat de genomen beslissingen als wat de aangenomen resoluties betreft. Hoe kunnen wij deze beslissingen en resoluties op Belgisch niveau integreren ?

Hoe moeten wij de thema's van de volgende sessie zien ? Het hoofdthema voor 2009 zal verband houden met « de gelijke verdeling van de verantwoordelijkheid tussen vrouwen en mannen, in het bijzonder wat de zorgen betreft die worden verleend in het kader van HIV/aids ». Tijdens de volgende zitting zal ook de vooruitgang worden beoordeeld wat de toepassing betreft van de conclusies van de 50e sessie, die verband hielden met de deelname van vrouwen aan de besluitvorming. Voorts moeten er dan ook nog nieuwe, actuele thema's worden vastgelegd. Het Instituut oppert om mee voorstellen uit te werken om de Belgische delegatie te helpen met het naar voren schuiven van bepaalde thema's.

III. Schriftelijk verslag van de senatrices de Bethune en Defraigne, leden van de Belgische delegatie

Het Adviescomité voor gelijke kansen voor vrouwen en mannen heeft op woensdag 23 april 2008 kennis genomen van het schriftelijke verslag van de senatrices de Bethune en Defraigne, dat hierna volgt.

De 52e sessie van de VN-Commissie voor de Status van de vrouw (CSW) had als hoofdthema « De financiering van gendergelijkheid en de versterking van vrouwen ».

Dit thema werd de eerste twee dagen van de sessie uitgebreid besproken. Er was een high-level rondetafelgesprek op 25 februari 2008 en een interactief debat op 26 februari. Tijdens het eerste debat sprak EU-voorzitter Slovenië in naam van de EU-lidstaten. Senatrice Defraigne stelde namens België tijdens het tweede debat op 26 februari 2008 de wet inzake gendermainstreaming voor.

Na afloop van de zitting werden in verband met dit thema eindconclusies bij consensus aangenomen.

Die conclusies houden concrete aanbevelingen in, die een « genderreflex » moeten teweegbrengen die nog niet in alle landen vanzelf spreekt. Het feit dat er veel ministers aan de werkzaamheden van de CSW hebben deelgenomen, toont aan dat de politieke wil er wel is om in de toekomst concretere verbintenissen aan te gaan en er ook de nodige middelen aan te spenderen.

De aanbevelingen uit het rapport van de VN-secretaris-generaal en de voorstellen die de Europese Unie ter voorbereiding van deze 52e sessie had geformuleerd, vinden we voor een groot stuk terug in deze eindconclusies.

De sterke punten uit de eindconclusies zijn :

— de herbevestiging van het belang van de Verklaring van Peking, van het Verdrag inzake de uitbanning van alle vormen van discriminatie van vrouwen (CEDAW) en van het Internationaal Verdrag inzake de rechten van het kind;

— het benadrukken van de primaire verantwoordelijkheid van een land inzake het nastreven van gendergelijkheid en versterking van vrouwen. Alle openbare beleidslijnen dienen ook rekening te houden met een genderspecifieke invalshoek;

— het creëren en versterken van nationale mechanismen die de positie van de vrouw op het hoogst mogelijke niveau verbeteren;

— het promoten van pariteit in de politieke, sociale en economische besluitvorming;

— de aanbeveling om maatregelen te nemen ter ondersteuning van de gegevensbank, de instrumenten en de methodologie voor de evaluatie van vorderingen;

— de oproep om de institutionele kaders te versterken, alsook de controlemechanismen en de mogelijkheden om een genderspecifiek perspectief in te bouwen in de budgettaire beleidsdomeinen waaraan vrouwen moeten deelnemen. Het becijferen van de kosten en het ter beschikking stellen van de budgetten worden opnieuw benadrukt;

— het benadrukken van de belangrijke rol die vrouwen spelen in de realisatie van de Millenniumdoelstellingen en de ontwikkelingshulpprogramma's in het algemeen;

— de aanbeveling om een genderdimensie op te nemen in de voorbereidingen en de resultaten van de opvolgingsconferentie van de Monterrey-consensus, voorzien in Doha, in december 2008;

— de noodzaak om de arbeidswetgeving te evalueren in het licht van de behoeften van vrouwen : toegang tot de arbeidsmarkt, bezoldiging, verzoenen van werk met het privé-leven. Hetzelfde geldt voor de successierechten, de toegang tot grondeigendom, krediet, juridische bijstand en natuurlijke rijkdommen;

— de vraag om de rol van vrouwen te versterken inzake de preventie en oplossing van conflicten en postconflictvredesopbouw;

— het herbevestigen van het verband tussen vrede, ontwikkeling en armoedebestrijding : vrouwen moeten de fundamentele rechten volledig kunnen genieten. Ook onderwijs en beroepsopleiding voor vrouwen zijn van prioritair belang.

Toch had de Europese Unie, die ook namens België sprak, in haar slotverklaring nog een aantal opmerkingen. Zo beklemtoont de EU dat de bestaande middelen op een efficiëntere en meer gendergerichte manier moeten worden aangewend. Bijkomende menselijke en financiële middelen zullen moeten worden aangeleverd door zowel nationale als internationale bronnen. Deze balans tussen nationale en internationale inspanningen geeft de idee weer die in de Monterrey-consensus over de financiering van ontwikkeling vervat ligt.

Daarnaast hecht de EU uitermate veel belang aan het werk van de civiele maatschappij en vrouwenverenigingen wereldwijd. De EU betreurt dat hun cruciale rol inzake het nastreven van gendergelijkheid en de versterking van vrouwen niet voldoende benadrukt werd in de conclusies en dat de noodzaak om hun inspanningen ten volle te ondersteunen niet genoeg benadrukt werd.

Daarnaast werden volgende resoluties goedgekeurd :

1. Resolutie inzake vrouwelijke genitale verminking :

De resolutie, die uitging van de Afrikaanse Groep en aangenomen werd bij consensus, bouwt verder op de aangenomen tekst van vorig jaar. Zo wordt in deze resolutie een uitbreiding van de vormen en praktijken van genitale verminking (zoals vroegtijdige of gedwongen huwelijken, ...) opgenomen in de tekst.

De tekst vraagt de Staten om onderwijs en opleiding te verstrekken over de rechten van meisjes aan gezinnen, aan verantwoordelijken van gemeenschappen en beoefenaars van beroepen die met de bescherming en de zelfstandigheid van meisjes te maken hebben.

De resolutie vraagt de Staten ook dat zij voldoende middelen vrijmaken om de wetgeving en de actieplannen ter afschaffing van deze praktijken, uit te voeren.

Ondanks de inspanningen die België — via EU-voorzitter Slovenië — tijdens de debatten leverde, valt het te betreuren dat ons land er niet in geslaagd is om het principe van de « extraterritorialiteit van het delict » (i.e. daders van genitale verminking kunnen strafrechtelijk vervolgd, berecht en bestraft worden ook al is het delict buiten hun grenzen gepleegd) in duidelijke bewoordingen op te nemen in de resolutie.

Tijdens deze CSW werd een gezamenlijk standpunt van tien VN-agentschappen inzake genitale verminking voorgesteld.

2. Resolutie over vrouwen, meisjes en HIV/aids :

Deze resolutie, die uitging van SADC — Southern African Development Community — en die aangenomen werd bij consensus, benadrukt dat meisjes en vrouwen extra kwetsbaar zijn voor HIV en aids en de gevolgen ervan.

Alle Belgische tekstamendementen werden opgenomen in de tekst : de noodzaak van de continuïteit in het toedienen van de nodige medicatie en zorg, alsook toegang tot laboratoriumtests. Net zoals in de resolutie inzake vrouwelijke genitale verminking wordt de overheid nadrukkelijk aangespoord om alle maatregelen te treffen om geweld tegen vrouwen — waaronder ook schadelijke traditionele praktijken, gedwongen huwelijken, ... — tegen te gaan en zo de strijd aan te binden tegen de verspreiding van HIV en aids.

De Commissie vraagt de regeringen met aandrang om alle nodige maatregelen te nemen om een omgeving tot stand te brengen die vrouwen toestaat om zelfstandiger en economisch onafhankelijker te worden, die hun recht op eigendom en erfenis versterkt, en die de volledige uitoefening van al hun grondrechten en vrijheden verdedigt en bevordert, zodat zij zich kunnen beschermen tegen besmetting met aids.

Zij vraagt de regeringen bovendien ervoor te zorgen dat vrouwen en meisjes eerlijke en constante toegang krijgen tot aidsbehandelingen die aangepast zijn aan hun leeftijd, hun gezondheid en hun nutritionele toestand, en dat zij kunnen rekenen op een volledige bescherming van hun grondrechten, met inbegrip van hun rechten inzake voortplanting en seksuele hygiëne en hun recht om beschermd te worden tegen iedere gedwongen seksuele activiteit, dat er toezicht wordt gehouden op een aangepaste behandeling naargelang van de leeftijd, het geslacht, de gezinstoestand en de continuïteit van de zorgverlening. Zij vraagt de regeringen aan vrouwen en mannen gelijke en levenslange toegang te verlenen tot de sociale diensten die verbonden zijn aan de aidsbestrijding.

Daarnaast is hier, zoals bij het debat rond de vrouwelijke genitale verminking, nogmaals het meningsverschil gebleken tussen de EU24 enerzijds en de EU3 — Polen, Ierland en Malta — samen met de Verenigde Staten van Amerika anderzijds inzake het concept « seksuele en reproductieve gezondheid en rechten ». Er werd een compromis bereikt waardoor de resolutie het enkel heeft over seksuele en reproductieve gezondheid.

3. Resolutie over de bevrijding van vrouwen en kinderen die gegijzeld of gevangen genomen worden tijdens gewapende conflicten :

Deze resolutie, die uitging van Azerbaidjan, werd met consensus aanvaard nadat de Verenigde Staten « the responsability to prosecute hostagetakers » had aangevuld met « or to bring to justice ». Dit verwijst naar Guantanamo Bay en het feit dat de VSA deze gegijzelden niet vervolgd.

Met deze resolutie veroordeelt de Commissie iedere geweldpleging tegen de burgerbevolking als dusdanig in gewapende conflicten. Zij veroordeelt ook de gevolgen van gijzelnemingen, in het bijzonder folteringen en andere wrede, onmenselijke of vernederende straffen en behandelingen. De CSW benadrukt de noodzaak om een einde te maken aan de straffeloosheid, en wijst op de verantwoordelijkheid van alle Staten in de vervolging van oorlogsmisdaden, met inbegrip van gijzelnemingen.

4. Resolutie inzake de versterking van INSTRAW :

Deze resolutie van de G77 en China wil het INSTRAW (International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women), met hoofdzetel in de Dominicaanse Republiek versterken. Ofschoon de EU, waaronder België, voorstander is van de integratie van INSTRAW bij de andere VN-organen, werd er een consensus bereikt.

De Commissie moedigt het instituut aan actief deel te nemen aan de voorbereidingen van de Internationale conferentie voor de follow-up van de financiering van de ontwikkeling, die de uitvoering van de Monterrey-consensus moet onderzoeken, om gendergelijkheid en een grotere zelfstandigheid van vrouwen te bevorderen in het raam van de financiering van de ontwikkeling.

5. Resolutie inzake de Palestijnse vrouwen :

In die tekst vraagt de Commissie de internationale gemeenschap dringende hulp en diensten te blijven verlenen om de acute humanitaire crisis waarmee de Palestijnse vrouwen en hun gezinnen worden geconfronteerd te verzachten en bij te dragen tot de reorganisatie van de belangrijke Palestijnse instellingen. De resolutie eist dat Israël de relevante internationale bepalingen volledig in acht neemt om de rechten van de Palestijnse vrouwen en hun gezin te beschermen. Ze vraagt Israël maatregelen te treffen opdat de gevluchte en ontheemde Palestijnse vrouwen en kinderen allen terug naar huis kunnen en hun bezittingen kunnen recupereren, overeenkomstig de resolutie van de Organisatie van de Verenigde Naties over dat probleem.

Tijdens de CSW rees er discussie over de opportuniteit om dit thema tijdens de CSW te bespreken. Een aantal lidstaten van de EU hebben zich onthouden bij de stemming over deze resolutie, enkel Spanje stemde voor. De EU spreekt zich niet uit over de zaak ten gronde, maar wel over de vraag of de CSW het forum is om deze problematiek te behandelen.

Zoals andere jaren werden er ook een aantal andere thema's besproken, onder andere een « dringend actueel thema ». Dit jaar werd het thema « Gender perspectieven op de klimaatsverandering » als dringend actueel thema op de agenda gezet. De huidige klimaatsverandering heeft een heel grote impact op de arme wereldbevolking. Vrouwen vormen het grootste deel van die arme bevolking en daarom zijn zij uitermate kwetsbaar voor de effecten van de klimaatsverandering. Naast slachtoffers zijn zij echter ook belangrijke actoren om deze klimaatsverandering een halt toe te roepen. Het is uitermate belangrijk dat ze betrokken worden in de besluitvorming over deze problematiek.

Het « evaluatiethema » dit jaar was « De participatie van vrouwen in conflictpreventie, -management en -oplossing en in postconflictvredesopbouw ». Dit thema werd reeds uitvoerig besproken tijdens de 48e sessie van de CSW-zitting in 2004 en waarvan nu de vooruitgang werd geëvalueerd. De Commissie Status van de vrouw wil vooral haar rol versterken in het opvolgen van de engagementen die de Staten op nationaal, regionaal en internationaal niveau hebben genomen.

Daarnaast hield de Commissie Status van de vrouw samen met de Commissie Statistiek een gezamenlijke dialoog inzake het opstellen van indicatoren die geweld tegen vrouwen kunnen meten. De gegevens die via het toepassen van dergelijke indicatoren kunnen verkregen worden zijn cruciaal om de problematiek van geweld tegen vrouwen in kaart te brengen en aan te pakken.

In 2009 zal het hoofdthema van de 53e sessie van de Commissie « De evenredige verdeling van verantwoordelijkheden en zorgverlening tussen vrouwen en mannen in de context van HIV/aids » zijn. Daarmee wil men de implicaties van de HIV-epidemie op de vrouwenpopulatie — zowel als slachtoffer als als zorgverlener — belichten. De krijtlijnen van dit onderwerp werden nu reeds besproken.

Het « evaluatiethema » van volgend jaar zal de vooruitgang inzake « De gelijke vertegenwoordiging van vrouwen en mannen in besluitvormingsprocedures op alle niveaus » evalueren. Dit was het thema van de 50e sessie van de CSW.

De 52e sessie van de VN-commissie voor de Status van de Vrouw was tevens het moment waarop de VN-secretaris-generaal Ban Ki-moon zijn campagne « Unite to end violence against women » lanceerde. Het betreft een wereldwijde sensibiliseringscampagne die een einde wil stellen aan het geweld waar meisjes en vrouwen dagelijks mee worden geconfronteerd. (http://www.un.org/women/endviolence/).

In de marge van de Commissie worden jaarlijks ook verschillende side-events georganiseerd. Zo organiseerde de Interparlementaire Unie een bijeenkomst samen met UNDAW — United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women — inzake de rol van parlementen in de financiering van gendergelijkheid. Er werd een document aangenomen met aanbevelingen voor parlementen om bij te dragen tot de financiering van gendergelijkheid en versterking van vrouwen.

Naar aanleiding van de Internationale vrouwendag organiseerde de Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI) een high level-event « Investeer in meisjes en vrouwen ». Senatrice Sabine de Bethune zetelde in het panel en gaf de rol weer van donoren (de inspanningen en de uitdagingen) inzake investeren in vrouwen en meisjes in ontwikkelingslanden.

IV. Gedachtewisseling

De voorzitter dankt de sprekers voor hun uitvoerige uiteenzettingen. Ze is ervan overtuigd dat men samen op dergelijke evenementen moet anticiperen, om ze zo goed mogelijk voor te bereiden.

Mevrouw Durant stelt vast dat de thema's van de natuurlijke hulpbronnen en de voeding niet worden behandeld in de aanbevelingen van de rapporteur. Dat onderwerp zal in de toekomst uiterst belangrijk worden en belangt vooral de vrouwen aan, over de hele wereld. De toegang tot voedsel dreigt een prioritair probleem te worden.

De voorzitter wenst te weten wanneer de volgende sessie van de CSW zal worden voorbereid.

Mevrouw Fastré antwoordt dat men eerst contact moet opnemen met de Belgische zending bij de Verenigde Naties. Het bureau, dat uit vijf leden bestaat, bereidt de volgende vergadering ongetwijfeld vanaf september voor. Het hoofd- en het evaluatiethema zijn reeds bepaald, maar er moet nog worden bepaald wat het nieuwe, aan te kaarten thema zal zijn.

Tevens bestaat er een resolutie over de werkmethodes : ze bepaalt over welke thema's moet worden gedebatteerd tot in 2009. Ook over het bepalen van de thema's waarover na 2009 moet worden gedebatteerd, zal worden overlegd en onderhandeld.

De voorzitter stelt voor dat het Adviescomité voor gelijke kansen de 53e sessie van de CSW meer in detail voorbereidt. Ze vraagt de vertegenwoordigers van het Instituut voor de Gelijkheid van Vrouwen en Mannen te melden wanneer de voorbereiding van die vergadering zal aanvatten.

Mevrouw de Bethune vindt dat de manier van werken moet worden geformaliseerd. Een aantal jaren geleden bestond een « Peking-Comité », onder het voorzitterschap de ministers van Buitenlandse Zaken en van Gelijke Kansen. Het secretariaat wordt verzorgd door het Instituut voor de Gelijkheid van Vrouwen en Mannen. De werkgroep bereidt op formele wijze de vergadering van de CSW voor. De parlementaire commissies zouden aan deze werkgroep kunnen deelnemen.

Het Adviescomité zou aan de bevoegde ministers kunnen vragen het Peking-Comité opnieuw te installeren. Zo kan alles veel vlotter verlopen. Dit zou toelaten jaarlijks het Adviescomité te betrekken bij de voorbereiding van de CSW.

De voorzitter is het met dat voorstel eens.

De heer Pasteel meldt dat er reeds contact is gelegd met de nieuwe minister bevoegd voor gelijke kansen.

V. Bespreking van de aanbevelingen

V.1. Voorstel van aanbevelingen

VRAAGT DE REGERING

1. om de conclusies van de 52e sessie van de CSW consequent in haar algemeen beleid te implementeren :

— door in overeenstemming met de wet van 12 januari 2007 inzake gendermainstreaming, de overheidsbudgetten te toetsen en te evalueren naar hun impact op vrouwen en mannen en bij elke begroting een gendernota toe te voegen;

— door de nodige middelen te voorzien om bovengenoemde wet te implementeren en de Koninklijke Besluiten ter uitvoering van de wet prioritair uit te schrijven;

— door een globaal plan uit te werken voor naar geslacht opgesplitste statistieken en genderindicatoren die als belangrijke beleidsinstrumenten worden toegepast door elke minister en haar of zijn administratie;

— door de bestaande institutionele actoren en mechanismen te versterken om de positie van vrouwen op het hoogst mogelijke overheidsniveau te verbeteren. De mechanismen moeten over duidelijk omlijnde mandaten en bevoegdheden beschikken en moeten voldoende middelen krijgen en het vermogen en de bevoegdheid hebben om het beleid te beïnvloeden en wetgeving op te stellen en te herzien;

— door het werk en de expertise van vrouwenverenigingen en andere civiele maatschappelijke organisaties die gendergelijkheid promoten, te honoreren. De regering wordt verzocht om op alle niveaus gebruik te maken van de kennis en ervaring van deze verenigingen en organisaties en voldoende budgetten te voorzien om hun werking te ondersteunen.

2. om meer aandacht te besteden aan gelijke kansen in de domeinen financiën en economie door :

— een duidelijk beleid uit te tekenen om deelname van vrouwen aan besluitvorming in de publieke en private sector te verhogen;

— in de publieke sector een gewaarborgde aanwezigheid van vrouwen te verzekeren in adviesorganen, beheersorganen en raden van bestuur van publieke overheidsbedrijven;

— een beleid te voeren ter ondersteuning van een evenwichtige deelname van vrouwen in raden van bestuur van beursgenoteerde bedrijven;

— een gendertoets op de belastingswetgeving toe te passen.

3. om de conclusies van de 52e sessie van de CSW consequent in haar buitenlands en multilateraal beleid te implementeren :

— door de nodige middelen vrij te maken om inzake gender en ontwikkelingssamenwerking een sterk beleid te voeren, wat de volgende eisen inhoudt :

• meer middelen vrij te maken in de federale begroting voor vrouwen in ontwikkelingssamenwerking door binnen het groeipad van de 0,7 % van het BNI een groeipad voor gender en ontwikkelingssamenwerking vast te leggen, of minstens cijfermatige doelstellingen voorop te stellen;

• de nodige inspanningen te leveren en interne vorming te voorzien, zodat de gender equality policy marker van de OESO niet enkel ten dele maar ten volle wordt toegepast op onze bestedingen inzake ontwikkelingssamenwerking, zodat we volle transparantie scheppen over onze bestedingen voor deze beleidsprioriteit;

• in het perspectief van de herziening van de Monterrey-consensus in Qatar eind 2008 te pleiten voor een engendering van het « Monterrey-proces » en de uitdrukkelijke budgettaire doelstellingen voor gender en ontwikkelingssamenwerking daarin te formuleren;

• binnen de begroting voor ontwikkelingssamenwerking een aparte begrotingslijn te voorzien voor de versterking (empowerment) van vrouwen en de ondersteuning van vrouwenorganisaties;

• naar eigen capaciteitsversterking te streven inzake gender en ontwikkelingssamenwerking;

— door ook in sociaal-economische domeinen een tweesporenbeleid te voeren, met name zowel een verticaal als een horizontaal gelijkekansenbeleid. Dit impliceert dat ernaar gestreefd wordt om gelijke kansen voor vrouwen en mannen ook binnen de internationale economische processen te stroomlijnen zoals onder andere in de Doha-ronde;

— door de genderdimensie te integreren in de nieuwe hulpmodaliteiten. De vaststelling dat de Paris Declaration geen rekening houdt met gelijke kansen voor vrouwen en mannen en dus eigenlijk genderblind is, moet worden bijgestuurd. Daarom pleit het Adviescomité voor Gelijke Kansen van de Senaat ervoor dat ons land ter gelegenheid van de Conferentie van Accra (Ghana) dit najaar pleit voor een aanvulling van deze teksten om ze gendervriendelijk te maken;

— door gevolg te geven aan de adviezen van de Commissie Vrouwen en Ontwikkeling om in het kader van onze bilaterale relaties met onze partnerlanden technische steun aan te bieden om de genderdimensie te integreren in hun PRSP's (Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers) en om genderbudgetting te implementeren;

— door eindelijk gevolg te geven aan de unanieme eis van de vrouwenbeweging in ons land en aan de resolutie over vrouwen, vrede en veiligheid (doc. Senaat, nr. 3-902/4 - 2004/2005) om een nationaal actieplan te maken in uitvoering van resolutie 1325 van de VN-Veiligheidsraad. Hierbij moet bijzondere aandacht besteed worden aan het betrekken en versterken van vrouwengroepen aan de basis in (post)conflictlanden;

— door in het kader van het debat van een nieuwe VN-architectuur te streven naar een sterker vrouwenspecifiek VN-agentschap. Dit agentschap moet het werk van de huidige versnipperde VN-genderorganisaties consolideren en overstijgen en moet beschikken over voldoende financiële, materiële en personeelsmiddelen, operationele capaciteit op het terrein, een sterk mandaat en leiderschap van hoog niveau. Daarnaast heeft het zowel normatieve als operationele bevoegdheden en moet het onder andere de uitvoering ondersteunen van de resolutie 1325 van de VN-Veiligheidsraad in het algemeen en capaciteit ontwikkelen voor de voorkoming en bestrijding van seksueel geweld en de gevolgen ervan in conflictgebieden in het bijzonder. De oprichting van dit agentschap zou complementair kunnen zijn ten aanzien van het principe van gendermainstreaming in alle VN-instellingen.

4. om gendergelijkheid en empowerment van vrouwen te integreren in het debat rond de klimaatsverandering door :

— te zorgen dat vrouwen op alle niveaus kansen krijgen om deel te nemen aan de besluitvorming inzake de klimaatverandering, zowel als ontwerper, planner, uitvoerder en evaluator van milieuprojecten;

— maatregelen te treffen om bij het opzetten en uitvoeren van programma's en projecten voor milieuvriendelijk en duurzaam beheer van hulpbronnen, productietechnieken en aanleg van infrastructuur een genderperspectief te integreren;

5. om de wereldwijde « Unite to end violence against women » campagne van de VN-secretaris-generaal te steunen en een proactieve rol te spelen;

6. om de 53e sessie van de CSW, die in 2009 door België wordt voorgezeten, grondig voor te bereiden door :

— het hoofdthema « De evenredige verdeling van verantwoordelijkheden en zorgverlening tussen vrouwen en mannen in de context van HIV/aids » op een transparante en gestructureerde manier met alle relevante actoren en stakeholders voor te bereiden;

— het evaluatiethema « De gelijke vertegenwoordiging van vrouwen en mannen in besluitvormingsprocedures op alle niveaus (50e sessie CSW) » eveneens grondig voor te bereiden door een evaluatie te maken van de situatie sinds 2006 tot nu en dit onder andere aan de hand van de aanbevelingen geformuleerd door het Adviescomité voor gelijke kansen van de Senaat;

— het Federaal Parlement — meer bepaald de Adviescomités bevoegd voor gelijke kansen van Kamer en Senaat — nauwer bij deze voorbereiding te betrekken en hiermee gevolg te geven aan het verslag van het Adviescomité voor gelijke kansen van de Senaat van 13 juli 2006 (doc. Senaat, nr. 3-1687/1 - 2005/2006). De regering wordt in het bijzonder gevraagd het Parlement te betrekken bij de voorbereiding van de agenda van de volgende CSW-sessie en bij het definiëren van de verschillende standpunten die België zal innemen tijdens die sessie. Hiertoe de minister van Gelijke Kansen verzoeken om het « Peking-Comité » bijeen te roepen en te laten coördineren door het Instituut voor de Gelijkheid van Vrouwen en Mannen met vertegenwoordigers van de beleidscellen en administraties belast met gelijke kansen, buitenlandse zaken en ontwikkelingssamenwerking, evenals vertegenwoordigers van de Raad voor Gelijke Kansen voor Mannen en Vrouwen, van de Commissie Vrouwen en Ontwikkeling en van de koepel van de vrouwenorganisaties.

V.2. Bespreking van het voorstel van aanbevelingen

Mevrouw de Bethune licht het voorstel van aanbevelingen toe. In de eerste reeks aanbevelingen wordt aan de regering gevraagd de conclusies van de 52e sessie van de CSW consequent in haar algemeen beleid te implementeren. Het vierde gedachtestreepje strekt ertoe de rol van het Instituut voor de Gelijkheid van Vrouwen en Mannen te versterken. In het vijfde gedachtestreepje wordt gevraagd meer financiële middelen te voorzien voor de koepelorganisaties van de vrouwenverenigingen. Daarover werd reeds een advies verstrekt naar aanleiding van honderd jaar Vrouwenraden (doc. Senaat, nr. 3-1749/1 - 2005/2006).

De tweede reeks aanbevelingen betreft de promotie van gelijke kansen in de domeinen van de financiën en de economie.

De derde reeks aanbevelingen heeft als onderwerp het buitenlands beleid. Het 4e gedachtestreepje behandelt de bilaterale relaties. Vandaag wordt het programma van bilaterale relaties afgestemd op het armoedebestrijdingsplan — Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) — dat het land zelf heeft opgesteld in overleg met de Wereldbank. Deze documenten bevatten vaak geen genderdimensie : de derdewereldlanden beschikken dikwijls niet over de technische capaciteit om dat juist te formuleren. De Commissie Vrouwen en Ontwikkeling heeft daarrond onlangs een seminarie georganiseerd. Daar werd een draaiboek voorgesteld om de integratie van de genderdimensie in de PRSP's technisch te realiseren.

In het vierde punt wordt de klimaatsverandering behandeld. Vermits het Adviescomité reeds een afzonderlijk verslag gewijd heeft aan deze problematiek (doc. Senaat, nr. 4-701/1 - 2007/2008), wordt dit punt niet te uitgebreid aangeboord.

In punt 5 wordt gevraagd de campagne van de VN-secretaris-generaal te steunen.

Tot slot wordt de zesde reeks aanbevelingen gewijd aan de grondige voorbereiding van de 53e sessie van de CSW, die zal voorgezeten worden door België. Hierin wordt onder meer gevraagd het « Peking-Comité » terug bijeen te roepen.

Mevrouw Durant stelt voor om aan het eerste punt, vijfde gedachtestreepje « en terugkerende » na « voldoende » toe te voegen. Bovendien zou de senator het tweede punt, vierde gedachtstreepje willen aanvullen met de woorden : « en sociale wetgeving ». Het betreft de hele problematiek van de individualisering van de rechten, van de thuiscontroles ...

De aanwezige leden hebben hier geen bezwaar tegen.

De voorzitter zou willen weten waarom in punt 2, derde gedachtestreepje de beursgenoteerde bedrijven beoogd worden.

Mevrouw de Bethune is voorstander van een quotum vrouwen in de raden van bestuur van beursgenoteerde bedrijven. Zij zijn wettelijk gereguleerd, beschikken over stelregels over corporate governance; bovendien mogen ze aanspraak maken op de spaarcenten van het groot publiek. Door hun grotere maatschappelijke verantwoordelijkheid, kan men van dergelijke ondernemingen verwachten dat zij een genderquotum respecteren. Verschillende Europese landen hebben daarover reeds wetten gemaakt. Ze heeft een wetsvoorstel ingediend om een derde vrouwen wettelijk verplicht te maken (doc. Senaat, nr. 4-685/1 - 2007/2008).

Mevrouw Durant stelt voor om « beursgenoteerde bedrijven » in het tweede punt, 3e gedachtestreepje te laten voorafgaan door « in het bijzonder ».

Mevrouw de Bethune bevestigt dat het hier niet gaat om de kmo's of de familiebedrijven. Beursgenoteerde bedrijven zouden zo een aantal verplichtingen opgelegd worden. Ze wijst er tevens op dat het gaat om de « evenwichtige deelname van vrouwen én mannen ». Dit moet telkens aangepast worden in de aanbevelingen.

Mevrouw Lijnen meent dat de zin moet blijven zoals hij oorspronkelijk geschreven was. Open Vld gaat niet akkoord met het voorop stellen van quota in de raden van bestuur van beursgenoteerde bedrijven : dit is een private aangelegenheid die niet door de overheid kan worden opgelegd. De suggestie om steeds te verwijzen naar « vrouwen en mannen » is wel een goed idee.

De voorzitter herinnert eraan dat de vertegenwoordiging van mannen en vrouwen binnen de overheid en in de politiek nog grote ongelijkheden vertoont. Bijgevolg stelt ze voor om een nieuw gedachtestreepje toe te voegen waarin gesproken wordt over de vertegenwoordiging van vrouwen in de politiek en in de regeringen.

Mevrouw Durant schaart zich achter dat voorstel : er zou kunnen worden geëist dat een derde van de verkozenen in de schepencolleges of in de regeringen vrouwen zijn.

Mevrouw Vienne merkt op dat het moeilijk is om exhaustief te zijn en alle sectoren te vermelden. Zo is de pariteit in de grote sociale organisaties (vakbonden, ziekenfondsen, ...) verre van bereikt.

Mevrouw de Bethune herinnert eraan dat het hier gaat om aanbevelingen gebonden aan de 52e sessie van de CSW, waar financiën en economie centraal stonden. Men moet trachten deze focus in het oog te houden. De senatrice stelt dan ook voor om bij het tweede punt een nieuw gedachtestreepje (als eerste) toe te voegen, dat als volgt luidt : « om te streven naar een gelijke deelname van vrouwen en mannen in de politieke en publieke besluitvorming ». Het huidige 1e gedachtestreepje zou dan als volgt moeten worden aangepast : « een duidelijk beeld uit te tekenen om de deelname van vrouwen aan economische en financiële besluitvorming in de publieke en de private sector te verhogen ».

Spreekster pleit ervoor niet te veel algemene begrippen te gebruiken.

Mevrouw Durant stelt voor om aan het laatste besproken punt het volgende toe te voegen « en op alle niveaus van de democratische vertegenwoordiging », waaronder gemeenteraden, schepencolleges ... vallen.

Mevrouw de Bethune zegt dat dit idee vervat ligt in het nieuwe eerste gedachtestreepje.

Mevrouw Vienne merkt op dat er een reële wanverhouding is tussen de aanbevelingen in verband met het buitenlands en multilateraal beleid (derde punt) en de overige aanbevelingen.

Mevrouw de Bethune vraagt dat de bijlagen aan alle leden worden uitgedeeld. In de agreed conclusions, gaat 80 % van de tekst over de Noord-Zuidrelaties. Aangezien zij zelf heeft deelgenomen aan de werkgroep die dat onderwerp behandelde, heeft de senator bepaalde ideeën die tijdens de vergaderingen van de werkgroep aan bod kwamen, in die aanbevelingen opgenomen. Dit betekent niet dat de overige punten niet verder uitgediept kunnen worden. Indien het Adviescomité toch zou beslissen om het derde punt te schrappen, dan zullen die aanbevelingen zeker een voorstel van resolutie over de Noord-Zuidrelaties worden.

Mevrouw Durant bevestigt dat in dat soort vergaderingen, zoals de CSW, de Noord-Zuidrelaties een prioriteit vormen. In ontwikkelingslanden hebben vrouwen minder ontwikkelingskansen en kennen zij meer armoede dan bij ons. Zij vindt het dus niet abnormaal dat die aanbevelingen meer plaats krijgen dan de andere.

Mevrouw de Bethune stelt voor aan mevrouw Vienne een toevoeging te doen omtrent de sociaal-economische besluitvorming in België. Dit zou het advies versterken.

Mevrouw Vienne merkt op dat vooral het Adviescomité alle verslagen van de CSW zal verzamelen. De commissie staat borg voor de transversaliteit van het thema. Op die manier moet ze een globale visie hebben op alles wat er gezegd en gedaan wordt op de CSW-sessie.

Aangezien België voorzitter zal zijn van de 53e sessie van de CSW, pleit de senator ervoor dat het Adviescomité die vergadering onmiddellijk na het reces begint voor te bereiden en zich de vraag stelt hoe de diverse acties gecoördineerd kunnen worden.

De voorzitter is het ermee eens dat de werkzaamheden van de CSW reeds in oktober moeten worden voorbereid.

Mevrouw Durant stelt voor een 3e streepje toe te voegen onder het vierde punt : « alle initiatieven met het oog op voedselsoevereiniteit, duurzame landbouw en verantwoorde consumptie te ondersteunen, alsook de beperking van het aantal schakels tussen producent en consument ». Daardoor wordt ervoor gezorgd dat de vrouwen op elk niveau (het gezin, de gemeenschap, het land, ...) dichter bij de productie en de organisatie van de voedselsoevereniteit staan.

Mevrouw Vienne stelt voor het verzoek om een comité ter voorbereiding van de 53e sessie van de CSW op te richten, duidelijker in de aanbevelingen te formuleren.

Mevrouw de Bethune stelt voor het laatste gedachtestreepje in het 6e punt opnieuw te formuleren.

VI. Aanbevelingen

VRAAGT DE REGERING

1. om de conclusies van de 52e sessie van de CSW consequent in haar algemeen beleid te implementeren :

— door de nodige middelen te voorzien om bovengenoemde wet te implementeren en de Koninklijke Besluiten ter uitvoering van de wet prioritair uit te schrijven;

— door het werk en de expertise van vrouwenverenigingen en andere civiele maatschappelijke organisaties die gendergelijkheid promoten, te honoreren. De regering wordt verzocht om op alle niveaus gebruik te maken van de kennis en ervaring van deze verenigingen en organisaties en voldoende en terugkerende budgetten te voorzien om hun werking te ondersteunen.

2. om meer aandacht te besteden aan gelijke kansen in de domeinen financiën en economie door :

— een gelijke deelname van vrouwen en mannen in de politieke en publieke besluitvorming te bevorderen;

— een duidelijk beleid uit te tekenen om deelname van vrouwen aan economische en financiële besluitvorming in de publieke en private sector te verhogen;

— in de publieke sector een gewaarborgde aanwezigheid van vrouwen te verzekeren in adviesorganen, beheersorganen en raden van bestuur van publieke overheidsbedrijven;

— een beleid te voeren ter ondersteuning van een evenwichtige deelname van vrouwen en mannen in raden van bestuur van beursgenoteerde bedrijven;

— een gendertoets op de belastings- en sociale wetgeving toe te passen.

3. om de conclusies van de 52e sessie van de CSW consequent in haar buitenlands en multilateraal beleid te implementeren :

— door de nodige middelen vrij te maken om inzake gender en ontwikkelingssamenwerking een sterk beleid te voeren, wat de volgende eisen inhoudt :

• meer middelen vrij te maken in de federale begroting voor vrouwen in ontwikkelingssamenwerking door binnen het groeipad van de 0,7 % van het BNI een groeipad voor gender in ontwikkelingssamenwerking vast te leggen, of minstens cijfermatige doelstellingen voorop te stellen;

• binnen de begroting voor ontwikkelingssamenwerking een aparte begrotingslijn te voorzien voor de versterking (empowerment) van vrouwen en de ondersteuning van vrouwenorganisaties;

• naar eigen capaciteitsversterking te streven inzake gender en ontwikkelingssamenwerking;

4. om gendergelijkheid en empowerment van vrouwen te integreren in het debat rond de klimaatsverandering door :

— alle initiatieven met het oog op voedselsoevereiniteit, duurzame landbouw en verantwoorde consumptie te ondersteunen, alsook de beperking van het aantal schakels tussen producent en consument.

5. om de wereldwijde « Unite to end violence against women »-campagne van de VN-secretaris-generaal te steunen en een proactieve rol te spelen;

6. om de 53e sessie van de CSW, die in 2009 door België wordt voorgezeten, grondig voor te bereiden door :

VII. Stemmingen

De aanbevelingen zijn eenparig goedgekeurd door de 9 aanwezige leden.

Dit verslag is eenparig goedgekeurd door de 9 aanwezige leden.


De rapporteurs,	De voorzitter,
Sabine de BETHUNE. Christine DEFRAIGNE.	Dominique TILMANS.

VIII. Bijlagen

1. Eindconclusies over « De financiering van gendergelijkheid en de versterking van vrouwen »;

2. Resoluties :

A. Resolutie inzake vrouwelijke genitale verminking;

B. Resolutie over vrouwen, meisjes en aids;

C. Resolutie over de bevrijding van vrouwen en kinderen die gegijzeld of gevangen genomen worden tijdens gewapende conflicten;

D. Resolutie inzake de versterking van INSTRAW;

E. Resolutie inzake de Palestijnse vrouwen;

3. EU-verklaring;

4. EU-verklaring bij de eindconclusies;

5. Speech namens de Interparlementaire Unie;

6. Speech namens senatrice Sabine de Bethune;

7. Speech namens senatrice Christine Defraigne;

8. Rapport VN-secretaris-generaal;

9. Officieel programma CSW;

10. Bijdrage van de Commissie Vrouwen en Ontwikkeling.

Annexe 1

Eindconclusies over « De financiering van gendergelijkheid en de versterking van vrouwen » — Conclusions finales concernant « le financement de l'égalité des genres et l'autonomisation des femmes »

Commission on the Status of Women Fifty-second session, 25 February — 7 March 2008

Agreed Conclusions

Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women

1. The Commission on the Status of Women reaffirms the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which emphasized the need for political commitment to make available human and financial resources for the empowerment of women and that funding had to be identified and mobilized from all sources and across all sectors to achieve the goals of gender equality and the empowerment of women, and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, which called upon Governments to incorporate a gender perspective into the design, development, adoption and execution of all policies and budgetary processes, as appropriate, in order to promote equitable, effective and appropriate resource allocation and establish adequate budgetary allocations to support gender equality and development programmes that enhance women's empowerment.

2. The Commission reaffirms the declaration adopted on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, which stressed that challenges and obstacles remained in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome documents of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, and pledged to undertake further action to ensure their full and accelerated implementation.

3. The Commission recalls the outcome of the International Conference on Financing for Development held in Monterrey in 2002, which affirms inter alia, that a holistic approach to the interconnected national, international and systemic challenges of financing for development — sustainable, gender-sensitive, people-centered development — in all parts of the globe is essential.

4. The Commission also recalls the 2005 World Summit, and reaffirms that the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, the International Conference on Population and Development and other United Nations summits and relevant Conferences are essential contributions to achieve the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration, in particular, on the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

5. The Commission reaffirms the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Optional Protocol and the Convention on the Rights of the Child and takes note of the work of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women towards the practical realization of the principle of equality between women and men and girls and boys.

6. The Commission also reaffirms that states have primary responsibility for promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls and that gender mainstreaming and national machineries are necessary and play a critical role in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and that for national machineries to be effective, a strong institutional framework with clear mandates, location at the highest possible level, accountability mechanisms, partnership with civil society, a transparent political process, adequate financial and human resources and continued strong political commitment are crucial.

7. The Commission recalls that the Platform for Action recognizes that its implementation requires adequate financial resources committed at the national and international level, and that strengthening national capacities in developing countries in this regard requires striving for the fulfillment of the agreed targets of overall official development assistance from developed countries as soon as possible. The Commission also recognizes the importance of the full utilization of all sources of development finance.

8. The Commission also recognizes the importance of gender mainstreaming as a tool for achieving gender equality and to that end the need to promote the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and social spheres, and to strengthen the capabilities of the United Nations system in the area of gender.

9. The Commission on the Status of Women reaffirms that gender equality and the promotion and protection of the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all are essential to advance development, peace and security, and stresses that peace is inextricably linked to equality between women and men and development.

10. The Commission reaffirms that the promotion and protection of, and respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women, including the right to development, which are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, should be mainstreamed into all policies and programmes aimed at the eradication of poverty, and reaffirms as well the need to take measures to ensure that every person is entitled to participate in, to contribute to and to enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development.

11. The Commission notes the growing body of evidence which demonstrates that investing in women and girls has a multiplier effect on productivity, efficiency and sustained economic growth, and that increasing women's economic empowerment is central to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and to poverty eradication and recognizes that adequate resources need to be allocated at all levels, mechanisms and capacities strengthened and gender-responsive policies enhanced to fully utilize the multiplier effect.

12. The Commission further reaffirms the goals aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality, combating HIV/AIDS and improving maternal health by 2015 as contained in the Millennium Development Goals, and reaffirms the goal to achieve universal access to reproductive health as set out in the International Conference on Population and Development, which are critical to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

13. The Commission recalls the recognition by the Platform for Action, of the role of the United Nations, including funds, programmes and specialized agencies, in particular the special roles of UNIFEM and INSTRAW, within their respective mandates, as well as recognizes the role of the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women and the Division for the Advancement of Women as part of the United Nations system in the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and therefore in the implementation of the Platform for Action.

14. The Commission further recalls that the Bretton Woods Institutions, other financial institutions, and the private sector also have an important role to play in ensuring that financing for development promotes gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

15. The Commission recognizes the importance of non-governmental organizations, as well as other civil society actors, in advancing the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

16. The Commission is concerned that insufficient political commitment and budgetary resources pose obstacles to promoting gender equality and women's empowerment and continue to undermine the effectiveness and sustainability of both national mechanisms for the advancement of women and women's organizations in advocating for, implementing, supporting and monitoring the effective implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly.

17. The Commission is concerned about the growing feminization of poverty, and reiterates that eradicating poverty is the greatest global challenge facing the world today and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, in particular for developing countries, including the least developed countries. In this regard, the Commission stresses that achieving the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals is a global effort that requires investing sufficient resources for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

18. The Commission remains concerned about the lingering negative consequences, including for women, of structural adjustment programmes, stemming from inappropriate design and application.

19. The Commission expresses its concern at the under-resourcing in the area of gender equality in the United Nations system, including UNIFEM and INSTRAW, the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women and the Division for the Advancement of Women, and stresses the need for more effective tracking of resources allocated to and spent on enhancing gender equality and the empowerment of women across the United Nations system, including on gender mainstreaming.

20. The Commission states that the global commitments for the achievement of gender equality and empowerment of women since the Fourth World Conference on Women, including through the Monterrey Consensus, have yet to be fully implemented.

21. The Commission urges Governments and/or, as appropriate, the relevant funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations system within their respective mandates, and invites the international financial institutions, civil society and non-governmental organizations, and the private sector, bearing in mind national priorities, to take the following actions :

a. Increase the investment in gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, taking into account the diversity of needs and circumstances of women and girls, including through mainstreaming a gender perspective in resource allocation and ensuring the necessary human, financial, and material resources for specific and targeted activities to ensure gender equality at the local, national, regional and international levels as well as by enhanced and increased international cooperation;

b. Ensure that sufficient resources are allocated for activities targeting the elimination of persistent obstacles to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in all critical areas of concern of the Platform for Action;

c. Design and strengthen poverty eradication strategies, with the full and effective participation of women, that reduce the feminization of poverty and enhance the capacity of women and empower them to meet the negative social and economic impacts of globalization;

d. Create an environment where women and girls can fully share the benefits from the opportunities offered by globalization;

e. Integrate a gender perspective in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and reporting of all national economic policies, strategies and plans, in a coordinated manner across all policy areas, including in national development, social protection and poverty reduction strategies, and involve national mechanisms for the advancement of women and women's organizations in the design and development of such policies, strategies and plans with the goal of gender equality and the empowerment of women;

f. Incorporate gender perspectives into all economic policy-making and increase participation of women in economic governance structures and processes to ensure policy coherence and adequate resources for gender equality and the empowerment of women;

g. Give priority to assisting the efforts of developing countries, including least developed countries, to ensure the full and effective participation of women in deciding and implementing development strategies and integrating gender concerns into national programmes, including by providing adequate resources to operational activities for development in support of the efforts to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women;

h. Remove barriers and allocate adequate resources to enable the full representation and full and equal participation of women in political, social and economic decision-making and in administrative entities, in particular those responsible for economic and public finance policies, so as to guarantee the full and equal participation of women in the formulation of all plans, programmes and policies;

i. Strengthen the capacities and mandates of institutional frameworks and accountability mechanisms, including of national machineries for the advancement of women, and ensure that they are continuously and adequately resourced and given the necessary authority to carry out their critical role in advocating for, supporting, monitoring and evaluating the integration of gender perspectives in all policy areas and the implementation of gender equality plans, programmes and legislation;

j. Strengthen a coordinated and institutionalized dialogue between national mechanisms for the advancement of women, relevant governmental agencies and entities, including ministries of finance and planning, and their gender focal points, and women's organizations, to ensure the integration of gender perspectives into all national development policies, plans and budgets;

k. Cost and adequately resource national policies, programmes, strategies and plans for gender equality and the empowerment of women, including the gender mainstreaming and affirmative action strategies, and ensure that they are incorporated into overall national development strategies and reflected in relevant sector plans and budgets to achieve international and regional commitments for gender equality, including Millennium Development Goal 3;

l. Allocate resources for capacity development in gender mainstreaming in all ministries and particularly within national women's machineries and finance ministries, and, as appropriate, local authorities, to ensure that domestic resource mobilization and allocation is carried out in a gender-responsive manner, and reinforce national efforts in capacity-building in social and gender budget policies;

m. Improve, systematize and fund the collection, analysis and dissemination of sex-disaggregated and gender-related data, including disaggregated by age and other factors, and on women's contribution to the care economy, and develop necessary input, output and outcome indicators at all levels to measure progress in financing gender equality and the empowerment of women, in particular, in introducing and implementing gender-responsive approaches to public finance;

n. Undertake and disseminate gender analysis of policies and programmes related to macroeconomic stability, structural adjustment, external debt problems, taxation, investments, employment, markets and all relevant sectors of the economy, and support and facilitate research in these areas, with a view to achieving the objectives of the Platform for Action and with respect to their impact on poverty, on inequality and particularly on women, as well as to assess their impact on family well-being and conditions and adjust them, as appropriate, to promote more equitable distribution of productive assets, wealth, opportunities, income and services;

o. Carry out gender-sensitive analysis of revenues and expenditures in all policy areas, take into account the review and evaluation results in budget planning, allocation, and revenue-raising, so as to enhance the contribution of government expenditures to accelerating the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action;

p. Develop and implement, where appropriate, methodologies and tools, including national indicators, for gender-responsive planning and budgeting, in order to systematically incorporate gender perspectives into budgetary policies at all levels, with a view to promoting gender equality in all policy areas;

q. Urges developed countries that have not yet done so in accordance with their commitments, to make concrete efforts towards meeting the target of 0.7 per cent of their gross national product for official development assistance to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of their gross national product to least developed countries, and encourages developing countries to build on the progress achieved in ensuring that official development assistance is used effectively to help meet development goals and targets, inter alia, to assist them in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women;

r. Ensure the effective and equitable participation of developing countries in the formulation of financial standards and codes, with a view to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women;

s. Strengthen focus and impact of development assistance specifically targeting gender equality and empowerment of women and girls in line with national development priorities through both gender mainstreaming and funding of targeted activities and enhanced dialogue on these issues between donors and developing countries, and strengthen mechanisms to effectively measure resources allocated to incorporating gender perspectives in all sectors and thematic areas of development assistance;

t. Encourage the integration of gender perspectives in aid modalities and efforts to enhance aid delivery mechanisms;

u. Identify and implement development-oriented and durable solutions which integrate a gender perspective to external debt and debt-servicing problems of developing countries, including least developed countries, inter alia, through debt relief, including the option of official development assistance debt cancellation, in order to help them to finance programmes and projects targeted at development, including the advancement of women;

v. Encourage international financial institutions to continue to take gender perspectives into account in the design of loans, grants, projects, programmes and strategies;

w. Identify and address the differential impact of trade policies on women and men and incorporate gender perspectives in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of trade policies, develop strategies to expand trade opportunities for women producers, and facilitate the active participation of women in national, regional and international trade decision-making structures and processes;

x. Undertake gender-sensitive assessments of national labour laws, policies and programmes, and establish gender-sensitive policies and guidelines for employment practices, including those of transnational corporations, building on appropriate multilateral instruments, including the ILO Conventions;

y. Allocate adequate resources for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women in the workplace including unequal access to labour market participation and wage inequalities, as well as reconciliation of work and private life for both women and men;

z. Establish and fund active labour market policies devoted to the promotion of full and productive employment and decent work for all, including the full participation of women in all international and national development and poverty eradication strategies, the creation of more and better jobs for women, both urban and rural, and their inclusion in social protection and social dialogue;

aa. Take measures to develop, finance, implement, monitor and evaluate gender-responsive policies and programmes aimed at promoting women's entrepreneurship and private initiative, including through microfinance, microcredit and cooperatives, and assist women-owned businesses in participating in and benefiting from, inter alia, international trade, technological innovation and transfer, investment, as well as knowledge and skills training;

bb. Fully maximize the role of, as well as ensure access to, microfinance tools, including microcredit for poverty eradication, generation of employment and especially for the empowerment of women, encourage the strengthening of existing and emerging microcredit institutions and their capacities, including through the support of international financial institutions, and ensure that best practices are widely disseminated;

cc. Undertake legislative and administrative reforms to give women full and equal access to economic resources, including the right to inheritance and to ownership of land and other property, credit, natural resources and appropriate technologies;

dd. Take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women and increase their access to and control over bank loans, mortgages and other forms of financial credit, giving special attention to poor, uneducated women; support women's access to legal assistance; encourage the financial sector to mainstream gender perspectives in their policies and programmes; ensure women's full and equal access to training and productive resources and social protection; and facilitate equal access of women, particularly women in developing and least developed countries, to markets at all levels;

ee. Strengthen education, health, and social services and effectively utilize resources to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and ensure women's and girls » rights to education at all levels and the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including sexual and reproductive health, as well as quality, affordable and universally accessible health care and services, particularly primary healthcare;

ff. Address the overall expansion and feminization of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and taking into account that women and girls bear a disproportionate share of the burden imposed by the HIV/AIDS crisis, that they are most easily infected, that they play a key role in care and that they have become more vulnerable to violence, stigma and discrimination, poverty and marginalization from their families and communities as a result of the HIV/AIDS crisis and, in this regard, scale up significantly towards the goal of universal access to comprehensive prevention programmes, treatment, care and support by 2010, and to ensure these efforts integrate and promote gender equality;

gg. Ensure adequate financing for women's full, equal and effective participation at all levels in conflict prevention, management, conflict resolution, peace negotiations and peacebuilding, including adequate national and international funding to ensure proper access to disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and other relevant programmes, for women and girls;

hh. Reduce excessive military expenditures, including global military expenditures, trade in arms and investment for arms production and acquisition, taking into consideration national security requirements, so as to permit the possible allocation of additional funds for social and economic development, including, inter alia, for gender equality and the advancement of women;

ii. Ensure adequate resources are allocated for activities targeting persistent serious obstacles to the advancement of women in situations of armed conflicts and conflicts of other types, wars of aggression, foreign occupation, colonial or other alien domination, as well as terrorism;

jj. Integrate a gender perspective in the design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of national environmental policies, strengthen mechanisms and provide adequate resources to ensure women's full and equal participation in decision-making at all levels of environmental issues, and in particular strategies related to the impact of climate change on the lives of women and girls;

kk. Strengthen coordination, accountability, effectiveness and efficiency of the United Nations system for the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women, including through more effective mainstreaming in all aspects and enhancing its capacity to effectively assist States, upon their request, in implementing their programmes on gender equality and the empowerment of women, and, to that end, make adequate and reliable human and financial resources available;

ll. Create and enhance a supportive environment for the mobilization of resources by non-governmental organizations, particularly women's organizations and networks, to enable them to increase their effectiveness and to contribute to gender equality and the empowerment of women, including through assisting in the implementation of the Platform for Action and participating in policy processes and programme delivery;

mm. Provide assistance to States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, upon their request, to support the implementation of States parties » obligations under the Convention.

22. The Commission invites the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to continue to give, while exercising its mandated functions, due consideration to financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women in its work.

23. The Commission requests Member States, with a view to strengthening financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women, to integrate gender perspectives in the preparations for and outcome of the « Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus », to be held in Qatar in 2008.

Annexe 2A

Resolutie inzake vrouwelijke genitale verminking — Résolution relaitive aux mutilations génitales féminines

Ending female genital mutilation

The Commission on the Status of Women,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 56/128 of 19 December 2001, 58/156 of 22 December 2003 and 60/141 of 16 December 2005, Commission on the Status of Women resolution 51/2 of 9 March 2007 and all other relevant resolutions, as well as all relevant agreed conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women,

Welcoming the initiative taken by the Secretary-General on 25 February 2008 to launch a multi-year campaign to end violence against women,

Reaffirming that the Convention on the Rights of the Child¹and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women², together with their Optional Protocols, constitute an important contribution to the legal framework for the protection and promotion of the human rights of girls,

Reaffirming also the Beijing Declaration³and Platform for Action⁴, the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled « Women 2000 : gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century"⁵, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development⁶and the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development⁷and their five- and ten-year reviews, as well as the United Nations Millennium Declaration⁸and the commitments relevant to the girl child made at the 2005 World Summit⁹,

Recalling the entry into force on 25 November 2005 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights¹⁰ on the Rights of Women of Africa, adopted in Maputo on 11 July 2003, which contains, inter alia, undertakings and commitments on ending female genital mutilation and marks a significant milestone towards the abandonment and ending of female genital mutilation,

Recalling also general recommendation 14, concerning female circumcision, adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at its ninth session¹¹; paragraphs 11, 20 and 24 (l) of general recommendation 19, concerning violence against women, adopted by the Committee at its eleventh session¹²; and paragraphs 15 (d) and 18 of general recommendation 24, concerning article 12 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women on women and health, adopted by the Committee at its twentieth session¹³; and taking note of paragraphs 21, 35 and 51 of general comment 14 concerning article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights¹⁴ adopted by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at its twenty-second session¹⁵,

Recognizing that female genital mutilation violates and impairs or nullifies the enjoyment of the human rights of women and girls,

Recognizing also that female genital mutilation is an irreparable, irreversible abuse that affects one hundred to one hundred and forty million women and girls alive today, and that each year a further three million girls are at risk of undergoing the procedure,

Reaffirming that harmful traditional or customary practices, including female genital mutilation, constitute a serious threat to the health of women and girls, including their psychological, sexual and reproductive health, which can increase their vulnerability to HIV and may have adverse obstetric and prenatal outcomes as well as fatal consequences, and that the abandonment of this harmful practice can be achieved only as a result of a comprehensive movement that involves all public and private stakeholders in society,

Recognizing that negative discriminatory stereotypical attitudes and behaviours have direct implications for the status and treatment of girls and that such negative stereotypes impede the implementation of legislative and normative frameworks that guarantee gender equality and prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex,

Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General on ending female genital mutilation and the recommendations contained therein¹⁶,

Welcoming also the in-depth study of the Secretary-General on all forms of violence against women¹⁷and the report of the independent expert for the United Nations study on violence against children¹⁸, and taking note of the recommendations contained therein,

Deeply concerned about discrimination against the girl child and the violation of the rights of the girl child, which often result in less access for girls to education, nutrition and physical and mental health care, in girls enjoying fewer of the rights, opportunities and benefits of childhood and adolescence than boys and in their often being subjected to various forms of cultural, social, sexual and economic exploitation and to violence and harmful practices, such as female infanticide, rape, incest, early marriage, forced marriage, prenatal sex selection and female genital mutilation,

Welcoming the call for Africa free of female genital mutilation, pledged at the African Union second Pan-African Forum on Children : midterm review, held in Cairo from 29 October to 2 November 2007, as well as the adoption of the call for accelerated action on the implementation of the Plan of Action towards Africa Fit for Children (2008-2012)¹⁹,

1. Stresses that the empowerment of girls is key to breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence and for the promotion and protection of human rights, including the right to the highest attainable standard of mental and physical health, including sexual and reproductive health, and calls upon States parties to fulfil their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child²⁰and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women²¹, as well as their commitments to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women²², the Beijing Platform for Action²³and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled « Women 2000 : gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century »²⁴, and of the twenty-seventh special session of the General Assembly on children²⁵;

2. Emphasizes that awareness-raising, community mobilization, education and training are needed to ensure that all key actors, Government officials, including law enforcement and judicial personnel, health-care providers, religious and community leaders, teachers, employers, media professionals and those directly working with girls, as well as parents, families and communities, work to eliminate attitudes and harmful practices that negatively affect girls;

3. Calls upon States to strengthen advocacy and awareness-raising programmes, to mobilize girls and boys to take an active part in developing preventive and elimination programmes to address harmful traditional practices, especially female genital mutilation, and to engage communities and religious leaders, educational institutions, the media and families and provide increased financial support to efforts at all levels to end those practices;

4. Urges States to condemn all harmful traditional practices, in particular female genital mutilation;

5. Calls upon States to strengthen the level of education for women and girls and the capacity of health-care systems to meet their needs in line with the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, as this is critical for empowering them and their communities to end female genital mutilation;

6. Urges States to take all necessary measures, including enacting and enforcing legislation to prohibit female genital mutilation and to protect girls and women from this form of violence, and to end impunity;

7. Also urges States to promote, within the general framework of integration policies, effective and specific targeted measures for refugee women and women migrants and their communities, in order to protect girl children from female genital mutilation, including when the practice occurs outside the country of residence;

8. Further urges States to promote gender-sensitive, empowering educational processes by, as appropriate, reviewing and revising school curricula, educational materials and teacher- training programmes and elaborating policies and programmes of zero tolerance for violence against girls, including female genital mutilation, and to further integrate a comprehensive understanding of the causes and consequences of such violence against girls into education and training curricula at all levels;

9. Urges States to provide education and training on the rights of girls to families, community leaders and members of all professions relevant to the protection and empowerment of girls, such as all levels of health-care providers, social workers, police officers, legal and judicial personnel and prosecutors, in order to increase awareness and commitment to the promotion and protection of the rights of girls and appropriate responses to rights violations with regard to female genital mutilation;

10. Also urges States to ensure the national implementation of international and regional commitments and obligations undertaken as States parties or as signatories to various international instruments protecting the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms of girls and women, as well as their translation and wide distribution to the population and the judiciary;

11. Further urges States to review and, where appropriate, revise, amend or abolish all laws, regulations, policies, practices and customs, in particular female genital mutilation, that discriminate against women or have a discriminatory impact on women and girls and to ensure that provisions of multiple legal systems, where they exist, comply with international human rights obligations, commitments and principles, including the principle of non-discrimination;

12. Urges States to develop social and psychological support services and care and to take measures to improve health, including sexual and reproductive health, in order to assist women and girls who are subjected to this violence;

13. Calls upon States to develop policies, protocols and rules to ensure the effective implementation of national legislative frameworks on eliminating discrimination and violence against girls, in particular female genital mutilation, and to put in place adequate accountability mechanisms at the national and local levels to monitor adherence to and implementation of these legislative frameworks;

14. Also calls upon States to develop unified methods and standards for the collection of data on all forms of discrimination and violence against girls, especially forms that are underdocumented, such as female genital mutilation, and to develop additional indicators to effectively measure progress in eliminating female genital mutilation;

15. Urges States to allocate sufficient resources to the implementation of legislation and action plans aimed at abandoning female genital mutilation;

16. Calls upon States to develop, support and implement comprehensive and integrated strategies for the prevention of female genital mutilation, including the training of social workers, medical personnel and other relevant professionals, as well as programmes of alternative professional training for the practitioners;

17. Calls upon the international community, the relevant United Nations entities and civil society to actively support, through the allocation of appropriate financial resources, targeted, innovative programmes and to disseminate best practices that address the needs and priorities of girls in vulnerable situations, such as that of female genital mutilation, who have difficulty accessing services and programmes, and in this regard welcomes the commitment often United Nations agencies in their joint statement of 27 February 2008 to continue working towards the elimination of female genital mutilation by, inter alia, providing technical and financial assistance to achieve this goal;

18. Encourages all decision makers, at all levels, with responsibilities for policies, legislation, programmes and allocation of public resources to play leadership roles in eliminating female genital mutilation;

19. Also encourages men and boys to continue to take positive initiatives and to work in partnership with women and girls to combat violence against women and girls, in particular female genital mutilation, through networks, peer programmes, information campaigns and training programmes;

20. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that all relevant organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, in particular the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Population Fund, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, the United Nations Development Programme and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, individually and collectively, take into account the protection and promotion of the rights of girls against female genital mutilation in their country programmes, as appropriate, and in accordance with national priorities, in order to further strengthen their efforts in this regard;

21. Also requests the Secretary-General to report to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-fourth session on the implementation of the present resolution using information provided by Member States and verifiable information provided by organizations and bodies of the United Nations system and by non-governmental organizations, with a view to assessing the impact of the present resolution on the well-being of girls.

Noten — Notes

¹United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.

²United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378.

³Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV. 13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex I.

⁴Ibid., chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.

⁵Genereal Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.

⁶Report of the International Conference on Population and Developement, Cairo, 5-13 September 1994 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.95.XIII.18), chap. I, resolution 1, annex.

⁷Report of the World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen, 6-12 March 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.8), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.

⁸See General Assembly resolution 55/2.

⁹See General Assembly resolution 60/1.

¹⁰United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1520, No. 26363.

¹¹See Official Records of the General Assembly, Forthy-fifth Session, Supplement No. 38 (A/45/39), chap. IV.

¹²Ibid, Forthy-seventh Session, Supplement No. 38 (A/47/38), chap. I.

¹³Ibid, Fifty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 38 (A/54/38), chap. I.

¹⁴General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.

¹⁵Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2001, Supplement No. 2 (E/2001/22), annex IV.

¹⁶E/CN.6/2008/3.

¹⁷A/61/122 and Add. 1 and Add. 1/Corr. 1.

¹⁸See A/62/209.

¹⁹A/62/653, annex.

²⁰United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.

²¹United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378.

²²See General Assembly resolution 48/104.

²³Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV. 13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.

²⁴Genereal Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.

²⁵General Assembly resolution S-27/2, annex.

Annexe 2B

Resolutie over vrouwen, meisjes en aids — Résolution relative aux femmes et aux filles face au VIH/SIDA

Women, the girl child and HIV/AIDS

The Commission on the Status of Women,

Reaffirming the Beijing Declaration¹and Platform for Action², the outcome documents of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly³, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development⁴, the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS⁵and the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS of 2006⁶, the HIV/AIDS-related goals contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration of 2000⁷and the Millennium Development Goals, in particular the aim of Member States to have halted, by 2015, and begun to reverse, the spread of HIV/AIDS, as well as the commitments on HIV/AIDS made at the 2005 World Summit,

Welcoming the in-depth study of the Secretary-General on all forms of violence against women⁸, and taking note of the recommendations contained therein,

Also welcoming the initiative taken by the Secretary-General on 25 February 2008 to launch a multi-year campaign to end violence against women,

Recalling all previous resolutions on this subject,

Reaffirming that prevention, care, support and treatment for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS are mutually reinforcing elements of an effective response that must be integrated into a comprehensive approach to combat the epidemic,

Recognizing the need to ensure the respect, protection and fulfilment of human rights in the context of HIV/AIDS,

Taking note of the Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights as adopted by the Second International Consultation on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights⁹,

Recognizing that populations destabilized by armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters, including refugees, internally displaced persons and, in particular, women and children, are at an increased risk of exposure to HIV infection and vulnerable to treatment interruption,

Deeply concerned that the global HIV/AIDS pandemic disproportionately affects women and girls and that the majority of new HIV infections occur among young people,

Deeply concerned also by the increased risk of HIV/AIDS facing women and girls with disabilities resulting from, inter alia, social, legal and economic inequalities, sexual and gender-based violence, discrimination and violations of their rights,

Concerned that the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV/AIDS is increased by their unequal legal, economic and social status, including poverty and other cultural and physiological factors, violence against women and girls and adolescents, early marriage, forced marriage, premature and early sexual relations, sexual exploitation, including for commercial purposes, trafficking and female genital mutilation,

Also concerned that HIV infection rates are at least twice as high among young people, especially young and married women, who do not finish primary school as among those who do,

Further concerned that women and girls are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and have different and unequal access to the use of health resources for the prevention, treatment, care and support of HIV/AIDS,

Stressing its deep concern that the HIV/AIDS pandemic, with its devastating scale and impact on women and girls, requires urgent action in all fields and at all levels,

Stressing that gender equality and the legal, political, social and economic empowerment of women and girls are fundamental elements in the reduction of their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and are essential to reversing the pandemic,

Expressing its concern that the HIV/AIDS pandemic reinforces gender inequalities, that women and girls are disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis, that they are more easily infected, that they bear the disproportionate burden to care for and support those infected and affected by the disease and that they become more vulnerable to poverty as a result of the HIV/AIDS crisis,

1. Reaffirms the need for Governments, supported by the relevant actors, including civil society and the private sector, to intensify national efforts and international cooperation in the implementation of the commitments contained in the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS¹⁰, the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS¹¹, the Beijing Platform for Action¹²and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development¹³;

2. Also reaffirms the commitment to achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2015, as set out in the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, integrating this goal into strategies to attain internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration¹⁴ aimed at reducing maternal mortality, improving maternal health, reducing child mortality, promoting gender equality, combating HIV/AIDS and eradicating poverty;

3. Further reaffirms the commitment to achieve universal access to comprehensive HIV prevention programmes, treatment, care and support by 2010, as set out in the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS;

4. Stresses the need to significantly increase and coordinate political and financial commitment to address gender equality and equity in national HIV/AIDS responses, and urges Governments to work towards effectively reflecting in their national policies, strategies and budgets the gender dimension of the pandemic, in line with the time-bound goals of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, the Beijing Platform for Action and the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS;

5. Urges Governments to take all necessary measures to create an enabling environment for the empowerment of women, to strengthen their economic independence, their right to property and inheritance and to protect and promote their full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms in order to enable them to protect themselves from HIV infection;

6. Urges Governments and other relevant stakeholders to address the challenges faced by older women in accessing HIV prevention, treatment, care and support as well as in caring for people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, including orphaned grandchildren;

7. Also urges Governments and other relevant stakeholders to address the increased risk of HIV/AIDS facing women and girls with disabilities, ensuring their equal access to prevention, treatment, care and support, as an integral part of their HIV/AIDS response;

8. Emphasizes the need to strengthen policy and programme linkages and coordination between HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health and their inclusion in national development plans, including poverty reduction strategies and sector-wide approaches, where they exist, as a necessary strategy for fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic and mitigating its impact on the population, which could result in more relevant and cost-effective interventions with greater impact;

9. Urges Governments to strengthen initiatives that would increase the capacities of women and adolescent girls to protect themselves from the risk of HIV infection, principally through the provision of health care and health services, including for sexual and reproductive health, in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, and that integrate HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support and include voluntary counselling and testing, including through prevention education that promotes gender equality within a culturally and gender-sensitive framework;

10. Urges Governments and other relevant stakeholders to address the situation faced by girls caring for people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS who are often forced to drop out of school;

11. Urges Governments to ensure accessible and affordable procurement of prevention commodities, in particular male and female condoms, to ensure that their supply is adequate and secure as well as to promote the ongoing research for safe and effective microbicides;

12. Reminds States to consider that flexibilities in trade-related intellectual property rights can be used by States, when necessary, to protect public health and address public health crises;

13. Urges Governments to strengthen legal, policy, administrative and other measures for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls, including harmful traditional and customary practices, female genital mutilation, abuse, early marriage and forced marriage, rape, including marital rape, and other forms of sexual violence, battering and trafficking in women and girls, and to ensure that violence against women is addressed as an integral part of the national HIV/AIDS response;

14. Also urges Governments, where they have not yet done so, to institute and ensure the enforcement of laws to protect women and girls from early and forced marriage and marital rape;

15. Further urges Governments to prioritize and expand access to treatment for all people in all settings, in a progressive and sustainable manner, including the prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections and other HIV-related diseases and effective use of and adherence to antiretroviral medication, including through access to clinical and laboratory testing and post-exposure prophylaxis, and to promote access to affordable, high quality, safe and effective drugs and related pharmaceutical products, in particular for women and girls;

16. Urges Governments to ensure that women and girls have equitable and sustained access to treatment for HIV/AIDS and opportunistic infections and other HIV-related diseases, appropriate to their age, health and nutritional status, with the full protection of their human rights, including their reproductive rights and sexual health, in accordance with, inter alia, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and other relevant international human rights instruments, and to protection from coerced sexual activity and to monitor access to treatment by age, sex, marital status and continuity of care;

17. Requests Governments to promote and provide equal and equitable access for women and men throughout their life cycle to social services related to health care, including education, clean water and safe sanitation, nutrition, food security and health, education programmes and social protection schemes, especially for women and girls living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, including treatment for opportunistic infections and other HIV- related diseases;

18. Calls upon Governments to intensify efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls in relation to HIV/AIDS, including through challenging gender stereotypes, stigmatization, discriminatory attitudes and gender inequalities, and to encourage the active involvement of men and boys in this regard;

19. Stresses that women should be empowered to protect themselves against violence and that, in this regard, women have the right to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, including their sexual and reproductive health, free of coercion, discrimination and violence;

20. Calls upon all Governments and the international donor community to integrate a gender perspective in all matters of international assistance and cooperation and to take measures to ensure that resources concomitant with the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls are made available, in particular in funding provided to national HIV/AIDS programmes to promote and protect the human rights of women and girls in the context of the epidemic, to promote economic opportunities for women, including to diminish their financial vulnerability and risk of exposure to HIV, and to achieve the gender related goals found, inter alia, in the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS;

21. Calls upon Governments to integrate HIV prevention, voluntary counselling and voluntary testing of HIV into other health services, including sexual and reproductive health, family planning, maternity and tuberculosis services, as well as the provision of services for the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections in the mother-to-child transmission services for pregnant women infected by HIV;

22. Encourages the continued collaboration among the Secretariat and co-sponsors of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and other international organizations in order to continue to scale up efforts to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, in particular in the context of emergency situations and as part of humanitarian efforts, and to seek actively the achievement of results for women and girls, and also encourages the integration of mainstreaming a gender perspective throughout their work;

23. Welcomes the decision of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to scale up a gender-sensitive response to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in order to address the vulnerabilities of women and girls to HIV infection;

24. Requests the Secretariat and co-sponsors of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and other United Nations agencies responding to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to mainstream a gender and human rights perspective throughout their HIV/AIDS-related operations, including policy, planning, monitoring and evaluation, and to ensure that programmes and policies are developed and adequately resourced to address the specific needs of women and girls;

25. Encourages the United Nations to continue to support national monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in the context of the « three ones » principles, to enable the production and dissemination of comprehensive and timely information on the gender dimension of the pandemic, including through the collection of data disaggregated by sex, age and marital status, and to raise awareness about the critical intersection between gender inequality and HIV/AIDS;

26. Requests the Secretary-General to invite Member States to work in partnership with the Global Coalition on Women and HIV/AIDS, convened by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and its partners, to mobilize and support a wide range of national actors, including women's groups and networks of women living with HIV/AIDS, in order to ensure that national HIV/AIDS programmes are better able to respond to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women and girls and adolescents;

27. Urges Governments to rapidly scale up access to treatment programmes to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and to encourage men to participate with women in programmes designed to prevent mother-tochild transmission, to encourage women and girls to participate in these programmes and to provide sustained treatment and care for the mother after pregnancy, including care and support for the family;

28. Encourages the design and implementation of programmes, including awareness-raising programmes, to encourage and enable men, including young men, to adopt safe, non-coercive and responsible sexual and reproductive behaviour and to use effective methods to prevent the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections;

29. Stresses the importance of ensuring that young men and women have access to information and education, including peer education and youthspecific HIV education, sexual education and services necessary for behavioural change, to enable them to develop the life skills required to reduce their vulnerability to HIV infection and reproductive ill health, in full partnership with young persons, parents, families, educators and health-care providers;

30. Calls for enhanced efforts by all relevant actors to include a gender perspective in the development of HIV/AIDS programmes and policies and in the training of personnel involved in implementing such programmes, including by focusing on the role of men and boys in addressing HIV/AIDS;

31. Encourages Governments and all other relevant actors to promote funding, both domestically and externally, and to support and expedite actionoriented research leading to affordable, safe and effective methods controlled by women to prevent HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, including microbicides and vaccines and research on strategies that empower women to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and methods of care, support and treatment for women of various ages, and to promote their involvement in all aspects of such research;

32. Encourages Governments to increase the provision of resources and facilities to women who find themselves having to provide care and/or economic support for those infected with HIV/AIDS or affected by the pandemic and to address the challenges faced by the survivors and caregivers, in particular children and older persons, utilizing funds earmarked for care and support to reduce women's disproportionate burden of care as well as to provide the balanced sharing of the provisions of care by both men and women;

33. Urges Governments to continue to promote the participation and the significant contribution of people living with HIV/AIDS, young people and civil society actors, in particular women's organizations, in addressing the problem of HIV/AIDS in all its aspects, including promoting a gender perspective, and to promote their full involvement and participation in the design, planning, implementation and evaluation of HIV/AIDS programmes, as well as in creating an enabling environment to combat stigmatization;

34. Also urges Governments to ensure that the dignity, rights and privacy of people living with HIV/AIDS, in particular women and girls, are protected;

35. Urges Governments, the donor community and relevant entities of the United Nations system to prioritize programmes addressing the specific needs of women and girls in HIV response and ensuring resources to support the development of capacities of women's organizations for HIV programme development and implementation and to streamline funding procedures and requirements that will facilitate resource flows to community-level services;

36. Also urges Governments, the donor community and relevant entities of the United Nations system to ensure that gender equality implications are a key component of research, implementation and evaluation of new prevention methods and that such new prevention methods are part of a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention that protects and supports the rights of women and girls;

37. Welcomes the financial contributions made to date to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, urges further contributions to sustain the Fund, and calls upon all countries to encourage the private sector to contribute to the Fund;

38. Stresses the importance of building up national competence and capacity to provide an assessment of the drivers and impact of the epidemic, which should be used in planning for comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care and support and for mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS;

39. Urges the international community to complement and supplement, through increased international development assistance, efforts of the developing countries that commit increased national funds to fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic, especially to address the needs of women and girls, in particular those countries most affected by HIV/AIDS, particularly in Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa, and in the Caribbean, countries at high risk of expansion of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and countries in other affected regions whose resources for dealing with the epidemic are seriously limited;

40. Invites the Secretary-General to take into account the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on women and the gender dimensions of the epidemic when preparing the report requested by the General Assembly in its resolution 62/178 of 19 December 2007 and in making all preparations for and in the organization of the 2008 high-level meeting for a comprehensive review of the progress achieved in realizing the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS;

41. Recommends that the 2008 comprehensive review meeting take measures to ensure the inclusion of gender-equality perspectives throughout its deliberations and that it pay attention to the situation of women and girls infected or affected by HIV/AIDS;

42. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the fifty-third session of the Commission on the Status of Women on the implementation of the present resolution by using information provided by Member States, relevant entities of the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations, with a view to assessing the impact of the present resolution in addressing the feminization of HIV/AIDS.

Noten — Notes

¹Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex I.

²Ibid., chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.

³General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.

⁴Report of the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 5-13 September 1994 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.95.XIII.18), chap. I, resolution 1, annex.

⁵General Assembly resolution S-26/2, annex.

⁶General Assembly resolution 60/262.

⁷See General Assembly resolution 55/2.

⁸A/61/122 and Add. 1 and Add. 1/Corr. 1.

⁹E/CN.4/1997/37, annex I.

¹⁰See footnote 5.

¹¹See footnote 6.

¹²See footnote 2.

¹³See footnote 4.

¹⁴ See footnote 7.

Annexe 2C

Resolutie over de bevrijding van vrouwen en kinderen die gegijzeld of gevangen genomen worden tijdens gewapende conflicten — Résolution relative à la libération des femmes et enfants pris en otage ou capturés lors de conflits armés

Release of women and children taken hostage, including those subsequently imprisoned, in armed conflicts

The Commission on the Status of Women,

Recalling all its previous resolutions on the release of women and children taken hostage, including those subsequently imprisoned, in armed conflicts, as well as all resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights concerning hostage-taking and General Assembly resolution 61/172 of 19 December 2006,

Recalling also the relevant provisions contained in the instruments of international humanitarian law relative to the protection of the civilian population as such,

Taking into account the International Convention against the Taking of Hostages, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 34/146 of 17 December 1979, which recognizes that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person and that the taking of hostages is an offence of grave concern to the international community,

Reaffirming the Beijing Declaration¹and Platform for Action², as well as the outcome document of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled « Women 2000 : gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century »³, and the outcome document of the special session of the Assembly on children entitled « A world fit for children »⁴, including the provisions therein regarding violence against women and children, and welcoming the ten-year review and appraisal of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action at the forty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003 on prevention of armed conflict, and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 on women, peace and security, as well as its resolutions 1539 (2004) of 22 April 2004 and 1612 (2005) of 26 July 2005 on children and armed conflict,

Expressing grave concern at the continuation of armed conflicts in many regions throughout the world and the human suffering and humanitarian emergencies they have caused,

Emphasizing that all forms of violence in areas of armed conflict committed against the civilian population as such, including taking women and children hostage, seriously contravene international humanitarian law, in particular as set out in the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949⁵,

Concerned that, despite the efforts of the international community, acts of hostage-taking in different forms and manifestations, inter alia, those committed by terrorists and armed groups, continue to take place and have even increased in many regions of the world,

Recognizing that hostage-taking calls for resolute, firm and concerted efforts on the part of the international community, in conformity with international humanitarian law and in accordance with international human rights standards, in order to bring such abhorrent practices to an end,

Expressing its strong belief that the rapid and unconditional release of women and children taken hostage in areas of armed conflict will promote the implementation of the noble goals enshrined in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome documents of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, as well as the outcome document of the special session of the Assembly on children, entitled « A world fit for children », including the provisions therein regarding violence against women and children,

1. Reaffirms that hostage-taking, wherever and by whomever committed, is an illegal act aimed at the destruction of human rights and is, under any circumstances, unjustifiable, including as a means to promote and protect human rights;

2. Condemns all violent acts committed against the civilian population as such, in violation of international humanitarian law in situations of armed conflict, and calls for an effective response to such acts, in particular the immediate release of women and children taken hostage, including those subsequently imprisoned, in armed conflicts, including by strengthening international cooperation in this field;

3. Also condemns the consequences of hostage-taking, in particular torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, murder, rape, slavery, and trafficking in women and children;

4. Strongly urges all parties to armed conflicts to respect fully the norms of international humanitarian law and to take all necessary measures for the protection of the civilian population as such, including measures to prevent and combat acts of hostage-taking, and to release immediately all women and children who have been taken hostage;

5. Urges all parties to armed conflicts to provide safe, unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance for those women and children, in accordance with international humanitarian law;

6. Stresses both the need to put an end to impunity and the responsibility of all States to prosecute or bring to justice in accordance with international law those responsible for war crimes, including hostage-taking;

7. Emphasizes the importance of objective, responsible and impartial information, including sex-disaggregated data, on hostages, verifiable by relevant international organizations, in facilitating their release, and calls for assistance to these organizations in this regard;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure, within the context of the present resolution, the widest possible dissemination of relevant material, in particular material relating to Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), within existing resources;

9. Also requests the Secretary-General and all relevant international organizations to use their capabilities and undertake efforts to facilitate the immediate release of civilian women and children who have been taken hostage;

10. Invites the special rapporteurs with relevant mandates, as well as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, to continue to address the issue of women and children taken hostage, including those subsequently imprisoned, in armed conflicts and its consequences;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-fourth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution, including relevant recommendations, taking into account the information provided by States and relevant international organizations;

12. Decides to consider the question at its fifty-fourth session.

Noten — Notes

¹Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), cap. I, resolution 1, annex I.

²Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), cap. I, resolution 1, annex II.

³General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.

⁴General Assembly resolution S-27/2, annex.

⁵United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, Nos. 970-973.

Annexe 2D

Resolutie inzake de versterking van INSTRAW — Résolution relative au renforcement de l'INSTRAW

Strengthening of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women

The Commission on the Status of Women,

Recalling all relevant General Assembly resolutions on the Strengthening of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women,

Recalling also Economic and Social Council resolution 2007/37 of 25 July 2007, in which the Council reaffirmed the specific mandate of the Institute to conduct research and training for gender equality and the empowerment of women as a central focal point for research and training on gender issues within the United Nations system,

Bearing in mind the request of the Economic and Social Council to increase its cooperation with the Commission on the Status of Women and with other subsidiary bodies of the Council,

Recognizing the contributions of the Institute to the ongoing efforts of mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes of the United Nations system, in accordance with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome documents of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, in order to support the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals,

Bearing in mind the strategic framework of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women for the period 2008-2011,

Recalling the research papers prepared by the Institute on the development potential of remittances from a gender perspective, as well as on financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women, which constitute valuable inputs to the discussion of the priority theme of the current session of the Commission,

Recognizing the innovative initiatives promoted by the Institute in order to strengthen the cooperation with Governments, the national mechanisms of gender equality and civil society, as well as its ongoing efforts to enhance collaboration with all relevant United Nations bodies in the promotion of the advancement of women and gender equality,

Stressing the importance of strengthening independent research, training and compilation of related databases, which are crucial elements for mainstreaming a gender perspective into policy, planning and implementation,

Expressing satisfaction with the progress that the Institute has made in the area of resource mobilization, which has enabled the Institute to fully reimburse the amount committed by the Secretary-General on an exceptional basis, which was received in 2007, and to increase the level of voluntary funding from various donors,

1. Takes note of the active participation and valuable contributions of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women to the discussions of the current session of the Commission;

2. Encourages the Institute, in accordance with its mandate, to actively participate in the preparatory process for the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus, in order to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women, in the context of financing for development;

3. Requests the Institute, in accordance with its mandate, to collaborate with the United Nations system, national machinery, non-governmental organizations and the private sector in promoting international cooperation to foster women's empowerment and gender equality, including through, inter alia, the promotion of better access to education for women and girls, and the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in all policies and programmes;

4. Also requests the Institute, within its mandate, to continue to assist countries upon their request, in promoting gender equality and empowerment of women through training programmes;

5. Stresses the importance of voluntary financial contributions by Member States to the United Nations Trust Fund for the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women to enable it to carry out its mandate;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide appropriate administrative assistance and support to the Institute, in accordance with the provisions of the statute of the Institute, including by enhancing coordination among the Institute, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Department of Management, in order to ensure that the objectives of the strategic plan, including resource mobilization efforts, are effectively and efficiently carried out;

7. Recognizes, in accordance with the decision of the Executive Board of the Institute at its fifth session, the importance of the continuity of the directorship of the Institute;

8. Decides to continue considering these issues, and requests the Secretary-General to present a report on the implementation of the present resolution to the substantive session of the Economic and Social Council in 2009 through the Commission at its fifty-third session.

Annexe 2E

Resolutie inzake de Palestijnse vrouwen — Résolution relative aux femmes palestiniennes

Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women

The Economic and Social Council,

Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women¹,

Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women², in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women³, and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled « Women 2000 : gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century »⁴,

Recalling also its resolution 2007/7 of 24 July 2007 and other relevant United Nations resolutions,

Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women⁵ as it concerns the protection of civilian populations,

Recalling the importance of the implementation of General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003, on the prevention of armed conflict, and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000, on women and peace and security,

Noting the resumption of bilateral negotiations within the Middle East peace process on its agreed basis, and expressing the need for the speedy achievement of a final and comprehensive peace settlement between the Palestinian and Israeli sides,

Reaffirming the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, and stressing the importance of their equal participation and involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security and the need to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution,

Concerned about the grave situation of Palestinian women resulting from the severe impact of ongoing illegal Israeli practices, including settlement activities and the unlawful construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, the continued imposition of closures and restrictions on the movement of persons and goods and the many severe consequences arising from Israeli military operations in and sieges of civilian areas, in particular in the Gaza Strip, which have impacted detrimentally their social and economic conditions and deepened the humanitarian crisis faced by them and their families,

Stressing the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to alleviate the dire socio-economic and humanitarian situation being faced by Palestinian women and their families,

Taking note of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights of 31 August 2005⁶ regarding Palestinian women giving birth at checkpoints, and expressing grave concern at the increasing difficulties faced by pregnant Palestinian women owing to a lack of appropriate and timely antenatal, delivery and post-natal care due to the obstruction of access to proper medical care,

Recalling the advisory opinion rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory¹, and recalling also General Assembly resolution ES-10/15 of 20 July 2004,

Recalling also the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights⁸, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights⁹and the Convention on the Rights of the Child¹⁰, and affirming that these human rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,

Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror, provocation, incitement and destruction, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinian civilians, many of them women and children, resulting in injury and loss of human life,

Expressing grave concern over the increased difficulties faced by Palestinian women, including the sharp increase in poverty, soaring unemployment, incidents of domestic violence, declining health and education standards as a result of the deterioration in the economic and social conditions on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,

Emphasizing the importance of increasing the role of women in decisionmaking with regard to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part of efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all women in the region,

1. Calls upon the concerned parties, as well as the international community, to exert all the necessary efforts to support the resumption of the peace process on its agreed basis, taking into account the common ground already gained, and calls for intensified measures to be taken for the tangible improvement of the difficult situation on the ground and the living conditions faced by Palestinian women and their families;

2. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development of their society, and encourages all women in the region to take an active role in supporting the peace process;

3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights¹¹, the Regulations annexed to The Hague Convention IV of 18 October 1907¹²and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949¹³ in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;

4. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions;

5. Calls upon the international community to continue to provide urgently needed assistance and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian women and their families, to promote their development in various fields and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions;

6. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,2 in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action3 and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled « Women 2000 : gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century »;4

7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian women by all available means, including those laid out in the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women, and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women, at its fifty-third session, a report, including information provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.

Noten — Notes

¹E/CN.6/2008/6.

²Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women : Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15-26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), cap. I, sect. A.

³Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV. 13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.

⁴General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.

⁵See General Assembly resolution 48/104.

⁶A/60/324.

⁷See A/ES-10/273 and Corr. 1.

⁸General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.

⁹Idem.

¹⁰United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.

¹¹General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).

¹²See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907 (New

York, Oxford University Press, 1915).

¹³United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.

Annexe 3

EU-verklaring — Déclaration de l'UE

EU STATEMENT FOR THE 52^nd SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN

Mr Chairman,

It is an honour and privilege to address the opening session of the 52^nd Commission on the Status of Women on behalf of the European Union.

[Alignment Paragraph]

Let me at the outset congratulate you and other members of the Bureau on assuming the important duty to guide us wisely through the work ahead. I assure you that the European Union will work in strong partnership with other Member States towards reaching agreed decisions aimed at delivering concrete and lasting results of our endeavours to empower women and achieving gender equality.

Mr Chair,

We have reached an important and crucial stage. In the Commission, we will focus for the first time specifically on financing for gender equality and empowerment of women.

All States that have ratified or acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women have thereby committed themselves to supply adequate resources for the promotion of women's empowerment and gender equality. Persistent inequalities remind us that we have to live up to our obligations.

The European Union congratulates the CEDAW Committee for its twenty-fifth anniversary and welcomes its valuable contribution to promoting the rights of women and holding governments accountable for implementing their obligations under the Convention.

Legal standards are being reinforced with the policy commitments, including the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Cairo Programme of Action, the outcome document of the 23rd Special Session of the General Assembly and the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The European Union believes that legal obligations and political commitments must be translated into resource allocation — financial as well as human — for achieving gender equality and women's full enjoyment of human rights and freedoms.

It is also our firm belief that a comprehensive strategy, in close co-operation with all UN entities dealing with gender issues, must be put in place to maximise the efficient use of resources provided for its implementation in order to generate commitments to gender equality, empowerment of women and achieving the MDGs. This would create conditions for the full enjoyment of the right to education, for enhancing the exercise and enjoyment of all human rights of girls and women and freedoms through education. European Union looks forward to examining the progress of the status of the MDG3 on gender equality and empowerment of women at the expected UN high level meeting on the implementation of the MDGs in September 2008 in New York.

Elimination of violence against women and girls is a crucial step in achieving the agreed goals. In this respect the European Union welcomes the Secretary-General's decision to spearhead a multiannual system-wide campaign to eliminate violence against women and girls through 2015. We all need to ensure adequate funding is available to eliminate discrimination against women, promote gender equality, and prevent and redress all forms and manifestations of violence against women and support and assist victims and survivors and ensure their access to justice.

The European Union considers the increase in female employment rates and the quality of jobs the crucial steps for the empowerment of women, the promotion of gender equality and the achievement of the objectives of development, the fight against poverty and for addressing the issue of demographic growth. In light of the steady pay gap between women and men and the female unemployment rates, the European Union identifies the fiscal area as a sector to be addressed to affirm gender equality. Moreover, the European Union considers that additional efforts are needed to increase the number and the quality of jobs.

The promotion of gender equality and the enjoyment of human rights by women and girls are goals in their own right and also instrumental for achieving internationally agreed development goals. The European Union affirms our strong support for and commitment to the full implementation of the Cairo Programme of Action, as well as the key actions for the further implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action agreed at ICPD+5, and the Copenhagen Declaration and Action Programme; and also emphasises that gender equality cannot be achieved without guaranteeing women's sexual and reproductive health and rights, and reaffirm that expanding access to sexual and reproductive health information and health services are essential for achieving the Beijing Platform for Action, the Cairo Programme of Action and the Millennium Development Goals.

Mr Chair,

The most important tool governments have for implementing the strategic objectives of the Platform for Action and for achieving other internationally agreed goals is the use of their national budgets in a gender-sensitive manner. The European Union attaches great importance to a dual approach, which implies allocation of adequate funds targeted at empowering women and overcoming gender inequalities and stereotypes on the one hand, and gender-sensitive planning, approving, executing, monitoring and auditing of general budgets on the other.

This view is manifested in the European Commission's multi-year programme and priorities on gender equality, which include actions to encourage gender budgeting at the European Union level and in its Member States.

The European Union recalls the Monterrey Consensus on domestic resource mobilization, which underlines the need for investments in basic economic and social infrastructure to be gender sensitive and for reinforced gender sensitive budgeting.

Mr Chair,

In 2005, while reaffirming the European Union commitments towards a full implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, European Union ministers for gender equality agreed in a declaration inter alia to ensure that gender equality bodies and structures have the human and financial resources and capacities necessary for an effective functioning.

Along the same line, in 2006 the Council adopted a set of political conclusions on institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women, including a set of indicators to assess the progress at European Union level.

The meetings of the Commission on the Status of Women have proven that without the contribution of women's organisations and other civil society organisations we would not respond proactively to the major concerns of our time, namely poverty, violence against girls and women in all its forms and manifestations, including trafficking and sexual tourism, discrimination against women manifested in gender stereotypes, violations of women's human rights resulting from traditional and cultural attitudes and practices, including in matters related to sexual and reproductive health, the devastating impact of the HIV/ADDS pandemic on women, and violations of women's and girls » human rights in armed conflicts and during peace negotiations and of women refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and internally displaced persons. To reverse the current trend of feminization of HIV/ADDS, the « Conclusions on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Development Cooperation » adopted by the Council of the European Union in 2007 recognize the need to eliminate gender inequalities, gender-based violence and abuse as well as to increase the capacity of women and girls to protect themselves.

The European Union wishes to pay tribute to the important work carried out by women's organisations and other civil society organisations promoting gender equality and calls on governments to make use of the knowledge and experience of such organisations at all levels and provide adequate funding for their activities.

Mr Chair,

The European Union is committed to effective promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment through development cooperation and partnership, and recognizes that gender equality and women's empowerment are of fundamental importance for the achievement of sustainable development and the eradication of poverty. Attaining the Millennium Development Goals is our high priority. In 2007 the Council adopted the Conclusions on « Indicators in Respect of Women and Poverty », urging the Commission and the Member States to reinforce the systematic implementation and monitoring of a gender mainstreaming in their policies for social protection and social inclusion.

The European Union therefore welcomes the opportunity offered by the priority theme of this Commission to discuss steps that can be taken to reduce gender inequalities and to take actions to empower women through mobilization of resources.

The European Union finds that effective measures to support adequate resource allocation to promote gender equality and women's empowerment are required.

Gender equality is not only based on our overall goal in itself, but is also a means of achieving other development objectives. Concerted action and increased attention to the MDG3 -promoting gender equality and empowering women — is not only important in its own right, but also for achieving all of the Midges. The importance of enhanced policy dialogue on gender equality and its effective mainstreaming in country strategy papers and in the practice of European Union development cooperation was stressed in the « Conclusions on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Development Cooperation ».

Mr Chair, allow me to highlight a few recent developments of the European Union in this respect.

The European Consensus adopted in 2005 includes guidelines for action and outlines objectives and five common principles of the European Union's institutions and Member States in development cooperation. One of these principles is gender equality. The Consensus highlights the importance of gender equality in the context of the new aid modalities.

The joint European Union commitment to gender equality as a core aspect of EU development policy was strengthened in the « Conclusions on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Development Cooperation » adopted by the Council of the European Union in 2007.

We are pleased to mention that within the new thematic programmes, the European Commission has allocated funding for actions aimed at promoting gender equality in the 2007-2013 period that is almost three times higher as compared to that of the previous years.

The EuroMed ministerial Conference « Strengthening the role of women in society » — held in Istanbul in November 2006 — endorsed a Five Year Framework of Action (2007-2011) to promote gender equality in the region. I would like to inform you that the European Union, together with its EuroMed partners, will present this experience in the course of a parallel event taking place on 29 February.

The European Union believes that adequate funding will deliver sustained results if gender equality and empowerment of women are placed clearly on the agenda of political dialogue between donors and national governments. Furthermore, the key role of women in growth and development must be neither overlooked nor sidelined. No doubt, the inclusion of civil society in the political dialogue process will ensure genuine ownership of development programmes and processes and promote more and sustained results.

Mr Chair,

The European Union considers the issue of the protection of women in situations of crisis and emergencies and women's equal and full participation in conflict prevention, management and resolution and in post-conflict peace-building and reconstruction — at all levels — to be of key importance in the guaranteeing of a lasting peace, sustainable democracy and economic development.

Consistent efforts must be employed to ensure the participation of women in peace negotiations and make their efforts for bringing about peaceful coexistence visible, and to fully recognise their work for the reconciliation of human relationships. Their participation in decision-making processes is instrumental in their engagement in setting priorities for peacebuilding and reconstruction programmes.

The European Union commitment to promote the role of women in peacebuilding and enhance the implementation of Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security is reflected in several key policy or programme documents, including the Council conclusions on « Promoting gender equality and gender mainstrearning in crisis management ». These conclusions call for a reinforcement of efforts in the implementation of UNSCR 1325, particularly in view of achieving concrete progress in this field. Furthermore, a number of European Union Member States have drafted action plans for implementing the Resolution. Moreover, in the context of the ongoing follow-up of the Beijing Platform for Action, in 2008 the European Union will develop indicators and prepare a report on the area of concern « Women in armed conflicts ».

The European Union welcomes the discussion at this Commission on the inclusion of gender and human rights perspective in the international and national climate change responses and initiatives. We are aware that female social roles, discrimination against women and poverty are some of the many factors which contribute to different although more severe impacts of climate change on their lives and well-being. The financing for gender equality and empowerment of women correlates with the financing for alleviating these impacts; therefore, we have a unique opportunity to address the promotion of gender equality, empowerment of women and climate change initiatives in a coherent manner.

Before concluding, the European Union wishes to mention an issue, which is not on our agenda, but is nevertheless very relevant for all agenda items we will be dealing with. The strengthening of the United Nations capacity to promote gender equality and women's empowerment and more effectively mainstream the gender issues, including at country level, is essential for the achievement of all our commitments. In this regard, the European Union would encourage any efforts that would lead to the strengthening of UN gender resources and coordination mechanisms; the appointment of a dedicated high level official at the Under Secretary General level is an appropriate way to achieve this objective. All existing or new negotiating avenues should be explored to ensure a speedy reform in this area. The European Union strongly believes that more coherent and coordinated gender strategies and mechanisms aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the UN will enable the UN to generate more resources to boost the gender agenda.

Thank you.

Annexe 4

EU-verklaring bij de eindconclusies — Déclaration de l'UE sur les conclusions finales

EU Statement on the AGREED CONCLUSIONS : FINANCING FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN

Mr. Chairman,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.

The European Union attaches great importance to accelerated achievement of the goal of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

It is our opinion that financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women is relevant for all, developed and developing countries alike. It requires efforts at all levels and in all sectors as well as of all actors.

The EU is firmly convinced that remaining obstacles and challenges in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the Beijing follow-up process need to be overcome effectively and in a holistic manner and therefore equally through reinforced national efforts for the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment.

Existing resources have to be used effectively and in a gender-responsive and accountable manner. Additional human and financial resources may need to be mobilized from all available sources, both nationally and internationally. Such a balance between national and international efforts would also adequately reflect the Monterrey Consensus on Financing for Development.

Furthermore, the European Union attaches great importance to the work of civil society and women's organizations around the world. We regret that their crucial role in the work for gender equality and the empowerment of women has not been rightly reflected in the conclusions, and that the need to fully support their continued efforts has not been sufficiently highlighted.

Finally, the EU understands the concern about national control over budgetary processes. However, we believe that a reference to national priorities, as now contained in the chapeau of paragraph 21 of the Agreed Conclusions, weakens the text. The EU would like to stress that the reference in paragraph 21 does not create a precedent for future agreed conclusions.

The European Union would like to reiterate its strong commitment to promoting the issue of « Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women ». In this respect the EU looks forward to working together with all UN MS to speed up our national and international action to reaching the goal of gender equality and empowerment of women.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Annexe 5

Speech namens de Interparlementaire Unie — Discours au nom de l'Union interparlementaire

Commission on the Status of Women unofficial translation

Intervention by Senator Monica Xavier (Uruguay) On behalf of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Mr. Chairman,

It's a great pleasure for me to take the floor on behalf of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. My name is Monica Xavier, I'm a Senator from Uruguay and President of the IPU Coordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians.

Yesterday, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women organized a parliamentary meeting focusing on the role that parliaments can play in financing for gender equality. I would like to thank UNDAW for its cooperation. It was the fourth parliamentary meeting that we jointly organize each year on the occasion of the CSW. I would like to underline how important it is for legislators to participate in the process of the Commission, contribute to the debate and learn from the information, exchanges and meetings that we have here. It is also important for us parliamentarians to go back home with the commitment to ensure national follow-up to the decisions that have been taken here.

Yesterday's meeting was very successful and it enjoyed a strong participation -over 130 parliamentarians from some 50 countries participated in a very engaging and constructive debate.

I would like to mention here a few of the issues that were discussed and commitments that we have taken.

The issue of financing is crucial to meeting national and international objectives for gender equality. How many times, we parliamentarians, have we found ourselves in a situation where we pass laws, approve programs, develop national plans for women and identify clear objectives, which however we cannot satisfactorily implement because of lack of resources.

If we are committed to meeting the MDGs and achieving gender equality in our countries, we need to establish priorities and provide necessary financing so that our efforts are effective. From this perspective we parliamentarians can play a key role. Our capacity to adopt proposals and exercise oversight of action by the executive gives us a central role in making sure that established objectives are also acted upon.

I would refer to just three main points from the many that we discussed yesterday. The first one relates to proposals that include a gender focus. Participants clearly emphasized that this can be a very effective mechanism to respond to the needs of both men and women. This does not imply a separate budget for women, but rather it is a question of integrating gender into all political and economic processes. One of the commitments we made yesterday was to initiate or strengthen this type of processes in our own parliaments.

If in our countries we do not implement gender-sensitive budgets, we parliamentarians have committed to ask ourselves why, and pressure our governments and question our institutions.

The second point refers to the parliaments » oversight role. In order to ably carry out this function, we have to set objectives, establish goals, defend positions and regularly monitor the situation. We should be vigilant and should examine all opportunities to secure financing for gender equality. In doing so, we need to analyze the gender impact of all economic and finance measures. We should follow more closely international aid and not be afraid of requesting the adoption of conditionalities that favor gender equality. We should also initiate discussions and analyze the impact of taxation over men and women. For example, the impact of indirect taxes such as the VAT should be analyzed with much attention, given that they have a greater impact on the lives of women. We should also think creatively and not be afraid to adopt measures such as, for example, earmarking resources for favor of gender equality. One of the experiences which we discussed yesterday was the earmarking of resources from taxation on alcohol for programs on violence against women.

The third point concerns the need to review our laws and frameworks so as to eliminate discriminatory measures. Indeed, we should avoid financing programs and systems which discriminate against women. One example that we talked a lot about is the question of financing political parties; it was said several times that we cannot increase financial support to women's political participation, without in parallel reviewing the internal functioning of political parties, which very often discriminate against women.

In order to achieve change we need political will and we need to work together. The debates in the Commission are very important for our societies. However, the responsibility to translate commitments made into effective changes does not fall exclusively upon governments. Parliaments are part of this process of change, and we call upon the Commission to include in its conclusions our role in this process. We as parliamentarians and the IPU are committed to follow up on these conclusions and contribute to their implementation in our countries.

Last but not least, I would like to mention that yesterday we presented a new Map on Women in Politics, which presents the situation of women in parliament and in government across the globes as of the 1 of January 2008. The Map shows that we are still far from parity. Only 17.7 % of parliamentarians and 16 % of ministers are women. This is without looking at the level of women in high decision making positions such as head of state or heads of parliaments, which remains very low.

The inequality that these numbers illustrate is closely linked to an inequality of resources provided to combating discrimination against women. In conclusion, we need to strengthen our efforts and action to achieve real equality between men and women.

Annexe 6

Speech namens senatrice Sabine de Bethune — Discours au nom de la sénatrice Sabine de Bethune

Presentation par Mme Sabine de Bethune — Senator- Belgium

Contribution to : United Nations Observance of International Women's Day INVESTING IN WOMEN AND GIRLS

6^th of March 2008

Monsieur le Secrétaire général, Madame la conseillère spéciale, Madame la Présidente, Mesdames et Messieurs les délégués,

1. Introduction

Cette 52º séance du CSW a pointé du doigt un paradoxe choquant en matière d'égalité des droits et des chances entre femmes et hommes. D'une part, nos états ont pris des engagements ambitieux, en ratifiant la convention visant à éliminer toute forme de discrimination à rencontre des femmes, en adoptant la plateforme d'action de Pékin (1995), et les conclusions de Pékin +5 et +10, ainsi que les objectifs du millénaire.Mais d'autre part nous avons failli dans la mise en œuvre de ces objectifs.

Au cours de cette quinzaine, nous avons analysé ce qui reste encore à accomplir. De multiples idées, études et bonnes pratiques ont été échangées.

Maintenant, alors que les négociateurs finalisent les « conclusions agréées » dans une salle parallèle, il importe que nous pensions à demain, à la façon dont nous assurerons le suivi de cette réunion. Puisque ma contribution ce matin consiste à parler au nom des pays donateurs, et à réfléchir aux pistes à suivre pour mieux investir dans l'avenir des femmes et des filles, je proposerai cinq lignes stratégiques.

Mais au préalable, je lancerai un appel pour que dans nos pays respectifs nous ouvrions le même débat, pour informer, mobiliser et réunir tous les acteurs au niveau national. Si à ce jour, nous avons manqué de concrétiser nos engagements, deux raisons peuvent théoriquement être invoquées : le manque de capacité et/ou le manque de volonté. Il est certain que le manque de moyens mobilisés dans le chef des pays donateurs doit être pris en compte, mais il faut à mon sens conclure que c'est surtout le manque d'engagement des pays donateurs qui doit être mis en cause. Seule la pression démocratique peut susciter la volonté politique.

2. Lignes stratégiques pour les pays donateurs

2.1. Créer le cadre institutionnel adéquat

La première étape est de donner une bonne assise à sa politique par la mise en place d'un cadre institutionnel adéquat. Il importe de prendre les mesures nécessaires pour traduire les engagements internationaux au niveau national et pour les rendre coercitifs.

À ce niveau, il me semble que la Belgique peut faire valoir de bonnes pratiques. Nous avons adopté une loi-cadre relative à la coopération internationale (1999), qui promeut l'égalité des droits et des chances entre les femmes et les hommes comme l' un des thèmes transversaux dont la coopération belge doit tenir compte dans les politiques, programmes et projets, quel que soit le secteur concerné. Suite à cette loi, deux notes de politique ont été adoptées en matière de genre, l'une générale datant de 2002 et l'autre spécifiquement consacrée à la santé et aux droits sexuels et reproductifs en 2007.

Depuis 1993 une commission « femmes et développement » a été mise en place, qui est un organe d'avis auprès des administrations et des ministres compétents rassemblant fonctionnaires, experts et membres de la société civile.

Finalement il importe de mentionner la nouvelle loi belge de 2007 sur le gendermainstreaming. Dorénavant le gouvernement devra définir des objectifs stratégiques sur l' égalité dans tous les domaines, mettre en place un processus de genderbudgetting, et faire rapport au Parlement tous les deux ans sur le suivi du processus de Pékin.

2.2. Se donner les moyens de sa politique

Ensuite il faut se donner les moyens de sa politique. Il faut faire plus et mieux.

Les pays donateurs doivent investir plus de moyens financiers pour le genre et le développement. En particulier, pour atteindre l'objectif 3 du millénaire, les instances internationales ont souligné que de sérieux efforts devront être faits pour rattraper le retard encouru.

De manière générale, il y a un manque de transparence. Au niveau global, nous disposons du « gender equality policy marker » de l'OCDE. Mais tous les pays donateurs n' y participent pas, et ceux qui l'ont adopté ne l'emploient pas tous pleinement.

La Belgique appartient par exemple au nombre de pays qui utilisent cet indicateur, sans l'avoir encore pleinement intégré. Pour l'année de référence 2005, la Belgique aurait investi 43 millions USD à des projets spécifiques pour l'égalité, soit 2 % de notre ODA, et 237 millions USD pour des programmes dont le genre est un objectif secondaire, soit 12 % de notre ODA. Et depuis lors cet investissement devrait aller croissant.

Lors du consensus de Monterrey, les pays donateurs se sont mis d'accord pour investir 0,7 % de leur produit national brut en coopération et développement pour 2015, sans spécifier quels montants spécifiques seraient alloués notamment aux politiques consacrées au genre.

Il est clair que les pays donateurs devront accroître leurs efforts en matière de genre dans cette perspective.

Pourquoi ne pas définir des objectifs budgétaires chiffrés, ou définir un chemin de croissance des dépenses « genre » au sein du chemin de croissance global ? Ne serait-ce pas un sujet à débattre à Qatar fin 2008, dans le cadre du suivi du consensus de Monterrey ?

Il faudra aussi affiner et généraliser les indicateurs permettant de rendre plus transparents les moyens financiers mis en œuvre pour l'égalité, et prévoir des lignes budgétaires spécifiques pour les projets visant l'autonomisation des femmes.

De manière parallèle, les pays donateurs devront veiller à améliorer leurs capacités en matière d'aide dans le domaine du genre. L'étude de l'OCDE (2007) sur l'aide et l'égalité de genre, basée sur un questionnaire adressé aux agences de développement concernées, montre que peu d'agences disposent des moyens requis pour atteindre leurs objectifs en matière d'égalité, que ce soit au niveau de l'expertise, au niveau matériel ou des procédures.

2.3. Développer une « two-track policy »

Bien entendu les pays donateurs doivent augmenter et diversifier leurs programmes et actions. Tous les acteurs sont d'accord sur l'importance du développement d'une « two-track policy », c'est à dire de mener de front une politique verticale et horizontale pour l' égalité des chances F/H.

En matière de politique spécifique, les pays du Nord et du Sud ont de multiples expériences de partenariat. Mon pays a mis en œuvre plusieurs partenariats pour protéger les droits sexuels et reproductifs des femmes. Citons l'exemple d'un programme avec le gouvernement d'Equateur(2005) pour promouvoir ces droits chez les adolescentes, ou la collaboration avec l'ong « médecins du monde », pour lutter contre la mortalité des mères lors de l'accouchement. Il importe aussi de diversifier et de conquérir de nouveaux domaines. Trop peu d'initiatives sont prises qui visent l'autonomisation économique des femmes, l'accès au travail formel et rémunéré, l'accès au crédit, ...mais aussi l'accès à certaines formations agricoles trop souvent réservées aux hommes.

Beaucoup plus récents sont les programmes de mainstreaming, non seulement au sein des programmes de coopération, mais aussi au sein de ceux qui ont pour objectifs d'introduire la dimension du genre dans tous les processus économiques internationaux, tels le processus de Doha ...

2.4. lntroduire la notion du genre dans les nouvelles modalités de l'aide

Les nouvelles modalités d'aide de coopération, au sein de toutes les relations économiques internationales sont un défi pour l' égalité entre les femmes et les hommes. Elles offrent des opportunités, mais les pays donateurs devront être vigilants, car le danger du « genderretrofitting » guette.

La « Déclaration de Paris » a force d'autorité aujourd'hui. Tous les donateurs s'orientent sur les douze indicateurs, qui sont devenus la feuille de route de la coopération. C » est un problème grave que ce document-clé soit « genderblind ». Il est de la plus grande importance que la communauté internationale réagisse et saisisse l'opportunité de la Conférence d'Accra (Ghana) cet automne, pour donner une place prépondérante au genre dans le suivi de la Déclaration de Paris.

Dans la même veine, l'aide axée sur les résultats constitue un progrès intéressant, et contraint l'aide au développement à se concentrer sur la lutte contre la pauvreté, sur base des DSRP (documents stratégiques de réduction de la pauvreté), rédigés par les pays récipiendaires. Malheureusement, l'expérience nous apprend que la référence à l'égalité est trop souvent absente dans ces documents. Et quand il y est fait référence en amont, au niveau des analyses qui font le diagnostic en matière de pauvreté, elle est souvent absente en aval, au niveau des actions prioritaires retenues. De plus, les pays donateurs auraient tendance à ne pas réagir, en se cachant derrière la notion d''ownership ».

Pourtant la coopération au développement devrait se concevoir en partenariat. Le pays donateur ne peut pas imposer ses vues, mais il peut faire valoir ses arguments. Je crois, pour ma part, que les donateurs ont la responsabilité de mettre l'objectif d'égalité F/H en avant. Et ils ont plusieurs points d'entrée dans le processus de coopération pour y parvenir, que ce soit lors du dialogue bilatéral, dans les programmes de renforcement des capacités ou dans les procédures d'évaluation.

Finalement, les donateurs peuvent proposer à leurs partenaires une assistance technique, pour intégrer la dimension du genre dans les DRSP, comme dans la mise en place du genderbudgetting.

Je sais qu' il ne faut plus convaincre personne dans cette assemblée combien le genderbudgetting est un levier important ! Aussi je tiens à mentionner que la Belgique figure parmi les pionniers en la matière pour son appui au projet Unifem en matière de genderbudgetting, dans la deuxième phase de ce projet (2004-2007), visant à mettre en œuvre dans quelques pays du Sud des mécanismes de suivi du budget national dans un nombre limité de secteurs en lien avec les objectifs du millénaire. Notre appui à une troisième phase de ce projet (2008-2011) en vue d'assurer l'appropriation nationale du Gender Responsive Budgetting est actuellement à l' examen.

2.5. Soutenir l'autonomisation des femmes

Et finalement, une attention toute particulière doit être accordée à l'autonomisation des femmes. Je tiens à souligner le lien entre les différentes formes d'empowerment : on ne peut contribuer à l'empowerment économique, sans viser aussi l'autonomisation politique, sociale et culturelle.

Dans le cadre de cette séance, je voudrais mettre l'accent sur l' empowerment des femmes dans le cadre de la résolution 1325 du Conseil de sécurité, sur les femmes, la paix et la sécurité. Nous devons oeuvrer pour renforcer le rôle des femmes dans la prévention et le règlement des conflits et dans le travail de reconstruction après les conflits. Trop peu de pays encore ont donné suite à cette Résolution de façon inclusive.

Je voudrais dans cette enceinte rendre hommage aux femmes et à leurs familles qui à plusieurs endroits dans le monde sont touchées quotidiennement par les conflits.

Tout particulièrement, je voudrais témoigner d'une action de solidarité entre les femmes belges et les femmes congolaises. Ces derniers mois, une mobilisation s'est mise en place, sous l'impulsion des mouvements de femmes de la diaspora congolaise en Belgique, à laquelle se sont ralliés le monde associatif féminin, ainsi que de nombreuses femmes et hommes politiques. À l'initiative de parlementaires de différents partis politiques, le Sénat votera la semaine prochaine une Résolution appelant à arrêter la terreur sexuelle dans l'Est du Congo, en particulier dans les provinces des deux Kivu. Ce n'est pas mon propos d'évoquer d'avantage ce conflit aujourd'hui. Il convient dans cette maison de laisser cette responsabilité au Conseil de sécurité.

Mais puisque notre propos est d'investir dans les femmes et les filles, je tiens à souligner que c'est notre responsabilité d'investir dans l'avenir de ces femmes et de ces filles-là.

Avec d'autres grands bailleurs de fonds, la coopération belge soutient le programme conjoint du Fnuap, de l'Unicef et de l'Ohchr sur « la prévention et la réponse aux violences sexuelles faites aux femmes, aux jeunes et aux enfants en République démocratique du Congo (2004-2007). Nous comptons poursuivre cet appui. Mais il est encore insuffisant.

Il importe de travailler à tous les niveaux : l'aide humanitaire, les soins de santé physique et mentale, l'aide à la reconstruction et à la lutte contre l'impunité. Mais surtout il faut prendre des mesures en vue de renforcer le rôle des femmes et des organisations de femmes au niveau local. Ce sont les femmes à la base qui souffrent dans leur chair et dans leur cœur. Ce sont ces femmes auxquelles nous devons restituer leur dignité en mettant à leur portée les moyens pour qu' elles puissent donner forme à leurs projets et prendre en main leur sort et celui de leurs familles.

Mme Sabine de Bethune — Senatrice — Belgique

Annexe 7

Speech namens senatrice Christine Defraigne — Discours au nom de la sénatrice Christine Defraigne

Le rôle des parlements dans le financement de l'égalité des sexes

Réunion organisée par l'Union Interparlementaire et la Division de la promotion de la femme de l'ONU (UNDAW)

New York, le 27 février 2008 Intervention de la Sénatrice Christine Defraigne

Thème 1 : les parlements et la budgétisation sensible au genre

Chers collègues,

En tant que Parlementaires, nous avons à notre disposition 3 grands moyens d'action pour peser et façonner la vie publique et l'organisation de notre vie en société. C'est 3 moyens sont, d'une part, l'évolution de notre cadre législatif, notre tâche de législateur, d'autre part, notre rôle de contrôle de l'exécutif et enfin, la détermination de fonds publiques, le thème de notre séance de ce matin.

En guise d'introduction, je voudrais insister sur le fait qu'en Belgique, la loi du 25 mai 1999 relative à la coopération internationale donne une force légale au principe d'égalité des droits et des chances entre les femmes et les hommes. De même, la loi du 12 janvier 2007 intègre la dimension du genre dans toutes les politiques fédérales. Voilà la dimension législative de notre fonction : il fallait rappeler ces précisions.

Mais en quelques mots, les postes budgétaires qu'il faut activer pour atteindre des résultats en matière de promotion de la femme sont, sur le plan extérieur, celui de la coopération au développement. La Commission Femmes et Développement est financée annuellement à auteur de 150 000 euros, des projets bilatéraux et multilatéraux sont financés par notre coopération ainsi que l'aide indirect pour soutenir des projets d'un certain nombre d'ONGs. Les domaines d'intervention sont principalement l'éducation, la santé et le domaine de la paix et de la sécurité.

Si on doit se réjouir de cet effort financier, il reste à identifier clairement au sein des programmes mis en œuvre la dimension du genre au sein de ceux-ci. C'est tant sur le plan financier que sur le plan technique que le Parlement à un rôle déterminant à jouer. En effet, nous pouvons à la fois questionner le ministre et adopter des résolutions qui vont obliger le pouvoir exécutif et son administration à bien cerner la problématique du genre dans ses politiques, à déterminer des indicateurs ou des cibles bien définies, à insister sur la coopération entre les différents niveau de pouvoir et les différentes administrations, et à respecter ses engagements budgétaires tout au long de l'année.

Dans notre État fédéral, sur le plan de politique nationale, chaque parlement intervient sur ses matières de compétences. En tant que Sénatrice de Communauté, j'ai le privilège d'intervenir sur les compétences régionales, de type socio-économiques — notamment les moyens du Forem en matière de formations professionnelles — et sur les compétences communautaires, de type culturelles : par exemples, la lutte contre la violence conjugale, et l'accueil de la petite enfance.

En conclusion, chaque parlementaire peut, à travers le contrôle budgétaire, veiller et attirer l'attention des gouvernements sur les engagements qu'ils ont pris, exiger que les gouvernements répondent de leurs actes et évaluent les mesures prises. Et in fine, demander d'accroître les ressources allouées aux programmes de promotion de l'autonomisation des femmes et de l'égalité des sexes, le ciblage de ces fonds et l'analyse de leur mise en œuvre. Le rôle des parlementaires est donc crucial et nous devons remplir pleinement cette mission que l'électeur nous a confiée.

Thème 2 : les mécanismes nationaux de soutien à l'apport économique des femmes

Chers collègues,

Malgré des progrès accomplis dans le monde entier, nous devons constater avec lucidité et honnêteté que les possibilités offertes par la mondialisation n'ont pas, dans une large mesure, bénéficié aux femmes. Par conséquent, pour que les femmes puissent elles aussi monter dans le train de la mondialisation, il faut d'urgence appliquer des mesures concrètes.

Alors que chaque économie nationale tente de capter les points de croissance nécessaires à sa vitalité, le rôle et la condition de la femme dans cette course au bien-être me semblent nettement sous-estimés. Souvent, les femmes sont des ressources économiques inexploitées et des atouts économiques sous-utilisés dont il faudrait prendre soin afin de construire des sociétés plus fortes et in fine plus juste. Les femmes sont souvent victimes de discrimination dans l'emploi, l'enseignement et l'attribution des postes à responsabilité.

Comment faire ? Quel est le rôle de nos Parlements pour atteindre cet objectif ?

D'abord, il faut élaborer des budgets comprenant des fonds expressément consacrés aux programmes d'action sanitaire visant lesjeunes filles, notamment la lutte contre le sida, ainsi que des programmes visant à mettre fin à la traite des femmes à des fins d'exploitation sexuelle ou par le travail. Il faut veiller à ce que nos législations contre la traite soient dissuasives et comportent des dispositions qui indemnisent ces femmes pour les préjudices subis.

Ensuite, il nous faut insister résolument dans chacun de nos pays, dans les pays développés comme dans les pays en transition, sur l'éducation et la formation continue. Ces programmes permettent aux femmes d'améliorer leurs compétences, leurs qualifications et donc leurs revenus. Faut-il instaurer une obligation légale d'égalité salariale ou faut-il laisser les partenaires sociaux négocier des conventions sectorielles ? Quelle que soit la méthode, il faut progresser vers une rémunération égale pour un même travail. Ainsi, les femmes pourront jouer un plus grand rôle dans leurs familles et leurs communautés grâce à cette simple preuve de respect.

Le Parlement doit remettre à plat la politique familiale. Une politique favorable à la famille doit garantir la possibilité de concilier travail et famille. Sur ce point, il faut que les Parlementaires soient actifs afin de favoriser fiscalement le deuxième salaire et la garde extra-familiale des enfants. De plus, le conjoint aidant doit voir son statut renforcé afin que son investissement dans la construction de sa famille ne se fasse pas au détriment de sa carrière professionnelle.

Il faut aider les femmes à monter leur entreprise. Des mesures doivent être arrêtées pour garantir une meilleure viabilité de leurs projets par l'organisation d'assurances complémentaires, par la mobilisation de l'épargne, par la création de fonds en faveur des femmes aux niveaux local, national, régional et international, et par la fourniture d'une assistance technique.

Enfin, les femmes seules forment actuellement le segment d'acheteurs qui connaît la croissance la plus rapide sur le marché du logement en propriété. Des aides spécifiques doivent être mobilisées afin de les aider à devenir propriétaire, gage d'une plus grande sécurité d'existence.

Sur le plan de l'aide au développement, nous devons veiller également à ce que les donateurs bilatéraux et multilatéraux continuent à soutenir des projets dans des secteurs, tels que l'agriculture, où les femmes représentent une importante proportion de la population active.

En conclusion, les Parlements ont un rôle normatif et budgétaire considérable pour sécuriser les parcours professionnels des femmes; ils doivent en outre veiller à ce que les aides publiques financent efficacement et spécifiquement la formation des femmes dans les pays en voie de développement.

Annexe 8

Rapport VN-secretaris-generaal — Rapport du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies

Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women

Report of the Secretary-General

I. Introduction

1. The Commission on the Status of Women will consider « Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women » as the priority theme at its fifty-second session, within its agreed programme of work for 2007-2009 (Economic and Social Council resolution 2006/9, para. 23 (b)).

2. To assist the Commission in its deliberations, the Division for the Advancement of Women organized an online discussion from 18 June to 15 July 20071 and an Expert Group Meeting, held in Oslo from 4 to 7 September 2007.²

3. The present report provides an analysis of the current situation of progress made and remaining gaps and challenges in financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women, and proposes recommendations for consideration by the Commission.

4. The Commission also has before it a report on progress in mainstreaming a gender perspective in the development, implementation and evaluation of national policies and programmes, with a particular focus on the priority theme (E/CN.6/2008/5).

II. Background

5. At the Millennium Summit in 2000, Governments committed to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women as effective ways to combat poverty, hunger and disease and to stimulate development that is truly sustainable (General Assembly resolution 55/2, para. 20). During the 2005 World Summit, Heads of State and Government reaffirmed their commitment to the full and effective implementation of the goals and objectives of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, as an essential contribution to achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration (General Assembly resolution 60/1, para. 58).

Global commitments

6. Commitments on financing for gender equality and women's empowerment have been made by Governments, including at the Fourth World Conference on Women, in 1995, the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, in 2000, the Millennium Summit, in 2000, and the International Conference on Financing for Development, in 2002. In the Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women, it was emphasized that funding had to be identified and mobilized from all sources and across all sectors.³ Governments, holding the primary responsibility for implementing the strategic objectives of the Platform for Action, should make efforts to systematically review how women benefit from public sector expenditures, adjust budgets to ensure equality of access to public sector expenditures and achieve the gender-related commitments made in other United Nations summits and conferences.⁴

7. The Platform for Action noted that sufficient resources should be allocated to national machineries for the advancement of women as well as to all institutions, as appropriate, that can contribute to the implementation and monitoring of the Platform.⁵ This was reiterated by the General Assembly at its twenty-third special session, which also urged Governments to explore innovative funding schemes, so that gender mainstreaming is integrated into all policies, programmes and projects (General Assembly resolution S-23/3, annex, para. 76 (c)).

8. Strengthening national capacities in developing countries to implement the Platform for Action would require striving for the fulfilment of the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of the gross national product (GNP) of developed countries for overall official development assistance (ODA) as soon as possible, as well as increasing the share of funding for activities designed to implement the Platform for Action.⁶ In the Millennium Declaration, concern was expressed about the obstacles developing countries face in mobilizing the resources needed to finance their sustained development, and called on industrialized countries to grant more generous development assistance, especially to countries that are genuinely making an effort to apply their resources to poverty reduction (General Assembly resolution 55/2, paras. 14-15).

9. At its twenty-third special session, the General Assembly called upon Governments to incorporate a gender perspective into the design, development, adoption and execution of all budgetary processes, as appropriate, in order to establish adequate budgetary allocations to support gender equality and development programmes that enhance women's empowerment, and to develop the necessary analytical and methodological tools and mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation (General Assembly resolution S-23/3, annex, para. 73 (b)).

10. In addition to more general calls for resources for gender equality and women's empowerment, including through a specific chapter on Financial arrangements, the Platform for Action outlined the need for resources to achieve the strategic objectives relating to each critical area of concern. In subsequent agreed conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women and resolutions of other intergovernmental bodies, including the General Assembly, there have also been calls for allocation of resources for the promotion of gender equality in specific areas.

11. In the Monterrey Consensus, adopted at the International Conference on Financing for Development, the importance of a holistic approach to the interconnected national, international and systemic challenges of financing for development, that is, sustainable, gender-sensitive and people-centred development, was highlighted.⁷

Implementation of global commitments

12. There has been limited assessment of resource allocations to translate global commitments on gender equality and women's empowerment into action at the national level. It has been estimated that the financing gap for achieving Goal 3 of the Millennium Development Goals — promote gender equality and empower women — in low-income countries, ranged from $8.6 billion in 2006 to $23.8 billion in 2015.⁸

13. The costs of persistent gender inequality also need to be explicitly highlighted and addressed. Missing the Millennium Development Goal 3 target could result in countries having 0.1-0.3 percentage points lower per capita growth rates.⁹ Estimates show that the Asia and Pacific region is losing $42 billion to $47 billion annually because of women's limited access to employment opportunities, and another $16 billion to $30 billion annually as a result of gender gaps in education.¹⁰

14. The economic gains from gender equality and women's empowerment need to be highlighted. Global leaders at the 2005 World Summit acknowledged that « progress for women is progress for all » (General Assembly resolution 60/1, para. 58). Increasing resources for gender equality and women's empowerment would contribute significantly to the achievement of all other development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. Investing in women and girls has a multiplier effect on productivity, efficiency and sustained economic growth. As the World Bank's new Gender Action Plan explains, « the business case for expanding women's economic opportunities is becoming increasingly evident; this is nothing more than smart economics"11

15. The 10-year review of the implementation of the Platform for Action indicated a significant gap between policy and practice in many countries. In the Declaration adopted by the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-ninth session, Member States pledged to undertake further action to ensure full and accelerated implementation.¹² Lack of resources is one key obstacle to effective implementation at national level.

III. Monterrey Consensus

16. In the Monterrey Consensus, Heads of State and Government resolved to address the challenges of financing for development, particularly in developing countries, and committed to mobilizing and increasing the effective use of financial resources and achieving the national and economic conditions needed to fulfil internationally agreed development goals.¹³

17. The importance of gender equality for realization of good governance and sound economic policies was noted, as was the need to empower women in the context of appropriate national policy and regulatory frameworks.¹⁴ Gender- sensitive investments in basic social and economic infrastructure, microcredit for women, and business frameworks that are sensitive to the gender implications of their undertakings were called for in the Monterrey Consensus.¹⁵

18. The upcoming Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus, to be held in Qatar in 2008, provides an opportunity to promote policy recommendations to achieve coherence between macroeconomic policies and the internationally agreed goals on gender equality.

19. The following section provides a brief overview of the gender perspectives on the six core areas of action in the Monterrey Consensus.

A. Mobilizing domestic financial resources for development

20. In the Monterrey Consensus it was acknowledged that an enabling domestic environment was vital for mobilizing domestic resources.¹⁶ Gender perspectives need to be identified and addressed in a number of key areas, including employment generation, microfinance and credit and pension schemes, to ensure that macroeconomic policies are conducive to gender equality and women's empowerment and that sufficient domestic resources are mobilized. The critical need for reinforcing national efforts in building capacity for gender budget policies was reiterated in the Consensus.¹⁷ This is an area where there has been considerable progress since 2002.

21. In the Monterrey Consensus Heads of State and Government recognized the need to pursue sound macroeconomic policies aimed at sustaining high rates of economic growth, full employment, poverty eradication, price stability and sustainable fiscal and external balances to ensure that the benefits of growth reach all people, especially the poor.¹⁸ Focusing on price stability through strict fiscal policies, however, restrains public expenditures, and may lead to cutbacks in essential public services, which may further disproportionately affect women and girls.

22. Employment generation has received increasing attention as a crucial mechanism for domestic resource mobilization (see General Assembly resolution 60/1, para. 24 (a)). Women make significant contributions to economic development and poverty eradication through both remunerated and unremunerated work. Appropriate policies and credit targeting, particularly to labour-intensive small and medium-sized enterprises, are essential for facilitating women's employment.

Increasing public investment in infrastructure, such as roads and the water supply, can reduce women's time burdens and enable them to participate in the paid labour force.¹⁹

23. The important role of microfinance and credit for enterprises, including in rural areas, particularly for women, for enhancing the social and economic impact of the financial sector was recognized in the Monterrey Consensus.²⁰ Reviews of the implementation of the Platform for Action, undertaken in 2000 and 2005 (see E/CN.6/2000/PC/2 and E/CN.6/2005/2, respectively), demonstrated the positive impact of credit, especially microcredit, on women's empowerment, while acknowledging the limited coverage and amount of credit available to women. It is estimated that 3,164 microcredit institutions reached 92 million clients in 2004. Of the poorest clients, 83.5 per cent (55.6 million) were women.²¹ Credit programmes need to be carefully designed to benefit women. Programmes are not empowering for women if they reinforce gender stereotypes within households and communities²² or increase their work burdens.²³ Situations where women have limited control over their income, or where their contribution to the household income substitutes those of male household members, can be disempowering.²³

24. Proposals to reform social security systems, including through privatization, need to be assessed from a gender perspective to ensure that they do not adversely impact women who tend to have shorter work histories in the formal sector, because of interruptions for child care and early retirement as well as lower wages. As women contribute less to the pension system than men, they are likely to earn smaller pensions.²⁴

25. Public finance reforms to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability in budget processes, through more efficient collection of revenues and targeting of expenditures, has led to a shift away from line-item budgeting focused on inputs to performance-based budgeting oriented towards outputs and outcomes.²⁵ That trend offers opportunities to make budget processes more gender-responsive through the introduction of gender equality output and outcome indicators. The emphasis on monitoring and accountability provides an enabling environment for increasing resource allocation to gender equality.²⁶

26. Over the past decade, gender-responsive budgeting initiatives have been launched in more than 50 countries to promote change in budget policies, allocations and outcomes. Many initiatives have involved the analysis of budgets but there has been less emphasis on implementation. An increasing number of initiatives utilize tools, such as budget speeches, budget call circulars and budget guidelines, to assist in the formulation and implementation of gender-responsive budgets.²⁷

27. Gender-responsive budget initiatives have mainly focused on expenditure, with limited attention to the revenue side of budgets. Tax systems can perpetuate gender inequalities. As taxes affect wages and disposable income, they can influence how women and men allocate their time to formal, informal and unpaid work.²⁸ For example, joint filing in income tax systems — with higher tax rates on higher incomes — is found to discourage women's participation in the labour market.²⁹ Indirect taxes, such as value-added tax or excise taxes, can put a greater burden on poor women because women tend to consume goods and services that benefit family health, education and nutrition.³⁰

28. The success of budget initiatives is dependent on the active involvement and collaboration of a range of stakeholders, including ministries of finance and planning, national mechanisms for the advancement of women, parliamentarians, bilateral and multilateral donors, research bodies and women's organizations.³¹

29. Challenges in implementing gender-responsive budgets include limited dialogue between ministries of finance, national machineries for the advancement of women and other critical stakeholders; lack of methodologies, tools and expertise; and the limited availability of sex-disaggregated data in many areas. Development of indicators and collection of data disaggregated by sex are crucial for measurement of progress in allocating domestic resources.

B. Mobilizing international resources for development

30. Private international capital flows, particularly foreign investment, are vital complements to national and international development efforts.³² The challenge in creating the necessary domestic and international conditions to facilitate direct investment flows conducive to achieving national development priorities in developing countries was acknowledged in the Monterrey Consensus.³² Capital inflows and foreign direct investment have the potential to increase financing for gender equality and women's empowerment if the implications for gender equality are taken into account in policies and regulations.

31. Foreign direct investment can increase employment for women in the formal sector, including in export processing zones, as well as the informal sectors, through sub-contracting or home-based work.³³ Competition to attract foreign direct investment may lead to a weakening of labour standards, particularly in export processing zones, which can be disempowering for women.³⁴ Female workers generally have lower bargaining power over their wages and working conditions.

32. Diaspora associations have emerged as a mechanism for financing for gender equality and women's empowerment. The economic, political and social connections that diasporas maintain with their countries of origin make them a potential source of financing gender-responsive poverty reduction and economic development in countries of origin.³⁵

33. Diaspora engagement takes many forms, including « home town associations », where residents of the same town or village provide social and economic support to their places of origin.³⁶ Some associations also pool remittances in support of a particular community or intervention in the country of origin.

C. International trade as an engine for development

34. At its twenty-third special session, the General Assembly called upon Governments and other relevant actors to take measures to alleviate the negative effects on women associated with structural adjustment programmes and trade liberalization and the disproportionate burden borne by women living in poverty (General Assembly resolution S-23/3, annex, para. 101 (h)). In the Monterrey Consensus, Governments reaffirmed their commitment to trade liberalization and to ensuring that trade played its full part in promoting economic growth, employment and development for all.³⁷ The Consensus did not give attention to the differential impact of trade on women and men.

35. The consequences for gender equality of the focus on market access and lack of attention to the impact of import liberalization on livelihoods have been raised.³⁸ Trade policies can have diverse effects on financial resources for gender equality creating both opportunities and constraints through its impact on employment, income and prices. Such policies can create employment opportunities for women in countries that export labour-intensive manufactured goods, but may also lead to unemployment of women if falls in import prices force local industries to shut down or lay off workers.³⁹

36. At the same time, the removal of tariffs and other trade barriers can reduce Government revenues, leading to cuts in social spending or increases in excise taxes, with adverse consequences for household budgets, and disproportionate impact on women.⁴⁰

D. Increasing international financial and technical cooperation for development

Bilateral assistance

37. In the Monterrey Consensus it was recognized that a substantial increase in development assistance and other resources was required, if developing countries were to achieve internationally agreed development goals and objectives.⁴¹ Developed countries that had not done so were urged to make concrete efforts towards the target of 0.7 per cent of GNP and developing countries were encouraged to use ODA effectively to help achieve development goals and targets.⁴²

38. Development cooperation is a critical mechanism for financing gender equality and women's empowerment. From 2001 to 2005, only $5 billion of a total $20 billion in bilateral aid allocated to specific sectors focused on activities that had gender equality as a principal or significant objective. Two thirds of that funding was directed to the social sectors, mainly health and education, and limited funds were allocated to promoting gender equality in areas such as agriculture, infrastructure or finance.⁴³ Among the countries that reported on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development-Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC) gender equality policy marker for the period 2004-2005, the percentage of aid focused on gender equality in 2005 ranged from 1 per cent to 82 per cent.⁴⁴

39. A survey of OECD-DAC members indicated that, while most of OECD-DAC members have gender equality policies, not all allocate sufficient staff and financial resources for implementation. Most donor agencies have less than 10 staff in their central gender units and few have gender advisers in other sectoral units.⁴⁵ Only three agencies included gender-related actions in most of their country strategies and programmes.⁴⁶

40. In recent years, there has been a shift in aid modalities. Sector budget support and general budget support are increasingly preferred mechanisms for aid delivery. Most agencies reported, however, spending less than half of their bilateral aid expenditures on programme-based approaches.⁴⁷

41. Challenges related to new aid modalities include lack of expertise and tools for incorporating gender perspectives into programme-based approaches among donor agency staff;⁴⁸ failure to establish effective collaboration between national machineries and ministries of finance; and lack of sex-disaggregated data.

42. Successful strategies by donors to overcome these challenges have included partnering with local civil society organizations to strengthen demand for gender equality actions; promoting the development of gender action plans; working with other donors to make poverty reduction strategies and sector-wide plans more gender-responsive; using policy dialogue as a mechanism for addressing gender equality issues; and supporting gender-responsive budget initiatives.⁴⁹

43. The biennial Development Cooperation Forum (see General Assembly resolutions 60/1 and 61/16), to be convened by the Economic and Social Council, will review trends in international development cooperation, including strategies, policies and financing; promote greater coherence among the development activities of different development partners; and strengthen the links between the normative and operational work of the United Nations. This provides an opportunity to promote gender equality and women's empowerment in development cooperation.

44. Reform of the way aid is delivered and managed is also under way. The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness acknowledged that harmonization efforts are needed on cross-cutting issues, such as gender equality and other thematic issues including those financed by dedicated funds.⁵⁰ Aid reforms to date have, however, focused more on delivery of aid — the efficiency aspects, rather than on goal-focused substantive issues, such as gender equality.⁵¹ The implementation of the five principles of ownership, mutual accountability, alignment, harmonization and managing for results in the Declaration provides an opportunity for donors and partner countries to systematically undertake gender analysis and gender impact assessments in policy development and implementation at national, sector and project levels.⁵² For example, the principle of ownership, which requires that partner countries exercise effective leadership over development policies and strategies and coordinate development actions, provides an opening for gender equality advocates to influence development policies and outcomes.

Multilateral assistance

45. In the Beijing Platform for Action specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system were urged to set out the specific actions they would undertake, including goals and targets to realign priorities and redirect resources to meet the global priorities identified in the Platform for Action.⁵³ International financial institutions were invited to examine their grants and lending, and to allocate loans and grants to programmes for implementing the Platform for Action in developing countries.⁵⁴ At its twenty-third special session, the General Assembly called upon the United Nations system and international and regional organizations to allocate sufficient resources to regional and national programmes to implement the Platform for Action in its 12 critical areas of concern (General Assembly resolution S-28/3, annex, para. 84 (c)).

46. The Platform for Action also noted the need for sufficient resources for the promotion of the empowerment of women to be provided to the United Nations funds, programmes and specialized agencies by the international community and noted further that these resources needed to be maintained at an adequate level.⁵⁵

47. Entities of the United Nations system have provided technical and financial support to the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women across all sectors at national level. Both targeted activities and gender mainstreaming efforts of Member States were supported. For example, United Nations entities have provided significant support to gender-responsive budget initiatives at the national level.

48. With the adoption of its gender equality policy in 1998, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has increased the number of loans that directly address gender disparities, and incorporated gender perspectives in its lending operations.⁵⁶ Some of the innovative approaches used by ADB to make its loan portfolio more gender-responsive included development of a gender action plan as part of project design and inclusion of gender-related policy changes and legal reforms in sector development and project loans. Around 40 per cent of ADB loans are assessed to be gender-responsive.⁵⁷ A recent review of international financial institutions⁵⁸ illustrated that weak policies and lack of resources and staff made it difficult to integrate gender perspectives into their work.⁵⁹

49. Multilateral institutions have taken steps to improve their funding for gender equality in a variety of ways. Recognizing the limited progress in achieving women's economic empowerment, the World Bank, for example, launched its Gender Action Plan « Gender equality as smart economics » to promote implementation of Millennium Development Goal 3. The launch of the Plan recognized that there is an economic return to investment in women. In addition to grants, the Bank also provides lending for investment in women's empowerment, using both investment loans and development policy loans. The Action Plan was designed to increase the World Bank utilization of credits and loans in the economic sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, finance and private sector development.

The Plan will provide $30.2 million over four years, with half the funds coming from the World Bank and half from donor countries.⁶⁰

50. Bilateral agencies have provided significant financial support to the gender equality work of the United Nations, through funding for both the gender-specific entities, the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, the Division for the Advancement of Women, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), as well as the work of other entities throughout the system. This support has strengthened the implementation of the gender mainstreaming strategy and ensured continued targeted support for gender equality.

E. External debt

51. In the Monterrey Consensus it was acknowledged that external debt relief can play a key role in liberating resources for redirection towards activities consistent with attaining sustainable growth and development, and it was noted that debt relief measures should, where appropriate, be pursued vigorously and expeditiously.⁶¹

52. The debt burden of countries can have a disproportionate impact on women and girls, especially if debt servicing leads to cuts in public spending in the areas of health and education. This reduces women and girls » access to health services and education, and increases their caregiving burden. Debt cancellation can be beneficial to women if resources can be diverted to financing for gender equality and women's empowerment. For example, some countries used debt relief to help fund education programmes on nutrition and family planning.⁶² Conditionalities on debt relief should not undermine national efforts to promote gender equality and women's empowerment.

F. Addressing systemic issues

53. In addressing systemic issues — or the need to enhance the coherence, governance and consistency of the international monetary, financial and trading systems in support of development — the Monterrey Consensus encouraged the mainstreaming of gender perspectives into development policies at all levels and in all sectors to strengthen the effectiveness of the global economic system support for development.⁶³

54. The lack of coherence between macroeconomic policies, which promote low inflation and high mobility of capital, and the internationally agreed development goals which require public investment, has been highlighted.⁶⁴ Multilateral financial institutions and regional and international bodies need to incorporate gender perspectives into all economic policymaking and increase participation of women in economic governance structures and processes to ensure policy coherence and adequate resources for gender equality and women's empowerment.

IV. Innovative sources

55. Acknowledging that financial and human resources had generally been insufficient for the advancement of women, the Platform for Action noted that mobilization of additional resources, both public and private, including resources from innovative sources of funding, might also be necessary.⁶⁵ A number of more innovative, unimplemented proposals for financing gender equality have included the Tobin Tax, a proposed tax on trade of currency across borders that is, in effect, a penalty on speculation in currencies, and the Reproductive Labour Tax that recognizes women's invisible work in the care economy and proposes a tax credit to finance gender equality initiatives.⁶⁶

56. While funds and foundations established by corporations and individuals can serve as an important source of financing, trends indicate that funding provided to women's organizations by foundations declined from 20 per cent in 2000 to 13 per cent in 2005.⁶⁷ The Association for Women's Rights in Development estimated that only 7.3 per cent of foundation funding was spent on « women and girls » programmes and initiatives », as opposed to 18 per cent on « children and youth » and 15.1 per cent on « economically disadvantaged populations ».⁶⁸

57. An emerging source of financing for gender equality and empowerment of women are women's funds — funds organized by women for women — at national, regional and global levels. In 2005, women's organizations received a total of $15 million from women's funds.⁶⁹ Women's funds are a major source of funding for women's organizations with budgets less than $50,000 and for those that work with marginalized groups of women, as they generally provide smaller amounts of grants, between $4,000 and $15,000.⁷⁰ These funds also provide women's organizations with institutional support and capacity-building in fund-raising and evaluation.⁶⁷ Challenges faced include the huge demand for funds, limited fund-raising capacity, sustainability issues and the constraints of weak infrastructure.

58. Women's funds raise revenue from donor Governments, international NGOs, foundations and individuals. They use innovative strategies to increase funding for gender equality, including through investments in real estate, diaspora fund-raising, endowments, social enterprises, special events and campaigns.⁷¹ A recent innovation, « supermarket philanthropy », involves marketing a percentage of leading brand name products under a « women's brand » with royalties from each purchase supporting women's funds.⁷²

V. Financing critical stakeholders

National mechanisms for the advancement of women

59. Over the past decade, a diverse range of mechanisms for promoting gender equality at national level have been established. In addition to national machineries for the advancement of women, countries have established gender equality committees and commissions, ombudsperson's offices and focal points in line ministries. Parliamentary networks and caucuses have also been created (see E/CN.6/2005/2, paras. 289 and 390). There has been little documented research on the mandates, roles, status and resources allocated to these mechanisms, as well as on their relationships with the existing national machineries.

60. Over the last decade, national machineries have continued to play a critical role in advocating for and monitoring the implementation of the Platform for Action. The 5- and 10-year reviews of the Platform for Action indicated that, despite the strengthening of national machineries in many countries, serious constraints in financial and human resources remained (E/CN.6/2000/PC/2 and E/CN.6/2005/2).

61. Among Member States reporting on levels of resources in 2000, the percentage of the national budget allocated to the national machinery was under 1 per cent in every case except one, where it was 1.61 per cent (E/CN.6/2000/PC/2). A recent review of Commonwealth countries also revealed that 14 out of 16 countries that provided information on funding for the national machinery had allocated less than 1 per cent in their most recent budget cycles.⁷³

62. National mechanisms with regular funding from Government may also need to seek funding from other sources. In many developing countries, the reliance of national machineries on funding from external donors raises questions of sustainability and independence.⁷⁴ Reliance on short-term project funding also poses a risk to sustainability of gender equality policies. There are concerns that new aid modalities, with increasing emphasis on direct budget support and sector-wide approaches, may decrease direct donor funding to national mechanisms.⁷⁵

Women's organizations

63. The Beijing Platform for Action emphasized that Governments should create a supportive environment for the mobilization of resources by NGOs, particularly women's organizations and networks, feminist groups, the private sector and other actors of civil society.⁷⁶

64. Women's organizations have played a key role in bringing critical issues for gender equality and women's empowerment to the global agenda, promoting and monitoring implementation at national level, through influencing research, policy and strategy development and programme delivery, and holding Governments accountable.

65. Compared to other social movements and sectors, women's organizations have very small budgets — more than 700 leading women's organizations worldwide had a collective income of $76 million in 2005.⁷⁷ according to the Association for Women's Rights in Development survey of organizations working for the rights of women, two thirds of the 845 organizations that provided information had annual budgets less than $50,000, with Latin America and the Caribbean having the majority of small-income organizations.⁷⁸

66. Most of the organizations received the majority of their funding from bilateral/multilateral agencies, large private foundations, international NGOs, individuals and local governments.⁷⁹ While for women's organizations in North America and Western Europe the major source of income was individual giving, bilateral/multilateral development assistance was the major source of income in the remaining regions.

67. Women's organizations face many challenges in mobilizing resources. Only 13 per cent of organizations had secured all the funding they needed for 2006 by August of 2006, while 61 per cent reached half or less of their budget goals for 2006.⁸⁰ Donors are increasingly channelling their assistance via government agencies for distribution to NGOs,⁸¹ or are choosing to give to international NGOs located in donor countries.⁸² In addition, some donors prefer to fund large NGOs or projects,⁸³ making access to funding difficult for smaller women's organizations. Limited funding and resources for women's organizations has created competition within the women's movement.⁸⁴

VI. Measurement challenges

68. Both the economic costs of persistent gender inequality and the resource requirements for promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment need to be calculated by Governments and multilateral and bilateral agencies. There are challenges and constraints in measurement of these costs and resource needs.

69. Attempts to estimate the cost of implementing policies to promote gender equality and women's empowerment, to date, have been limited to the Millennium Development Goals. Estimates at the national level show that financing Millennium Development Goal 3 would cost $7-$13 per capita, on average, from 2006-2015. Gender-sensitive achievement of all other Millennium Development Goals will also contribute to the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment. Of the total estimated cost of achieving all Millennium Development Goals, between 35-52 per cent (equivalent to $37-$57 per capita per year) can be directly attributed to the achievement of gender equality objectives.⁸⁵

70. The challenge is to identify the financing needs in each country, advocate for budgetary allocations and monitor allocations, implementation and impact. Efforts continue to further develop a methodology that is usable at the country level by Governments, donors and gender equality advocates, based on two categories — interventions where the main objective is to promote gender equality and interventions where the main objective is to promote other development goals, such as poverty eradication.⁸⁶

71. Sex-disaggregated data and indicators are critical for assessment of resource allocations for gender equality and empowerment of women in all areas. At the Expert Group Meeting on Financing for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women, participants called for development of indicators in all areas of financing for gender equality and empowerment of women.⁸⁷

Bilateral donors

72. Measuring progress and the accountability of bilateral donors and partners continues to be a challenge because of limited data on resource allocations to promote gender equality. For the past decade, OECD-DAC members have used a « gender equality policy marker » to report on aid focused on gender equality and women's empowerment. An activity is defined as gender equality focused if « it is intended to advance gender equality and women's empowerment or reduce discrimination and inequalities based on sex ». The marker aims to measure both targeted activities and gender mainstreaming efforts by identifying activities that have gender equality as a principal or significant objective.⁸⁸ Activities that specifically target women are considered to have gender equality as a principal objective, while activities which target communities as a whole but explicitly incorporate gender perspectives to ensure that women benefit equally with men are considered to have gender equality as a significant objective.

73. Even though reporting on the gender equality policy marker improved in recent years, OECD-DAC members face challenges in applying the methodology. As of 2004, only 15 members regularly provided data to the Credit Reporting System. Not all members use the marker in the same way and not all activities are screened against the gender equality policy marker. Further challenges in reporting include the large number of agencies and Government departments involved in aid delivery, and the increasing decentralization of aid administration.⁸⁹

United Nations system

74. Efforts have been made within the United Nations system to track resource allocation. The findings of the Task Force on Gender Mainstreaming in Programme Budget Processes (1999-2003) indicated that medium-term plans, programme budgets and other strategic planning documents inadequately incorporated the goals and activities on gender equality and women's empowerment and, as a result, tracking of resource allocation was difficult.⁹⁰

75. Some success has been achieved in tracking allocation of resources to targeted activities for gender equality. Limitations in this area include difficulties in tracking the actual use of resources at country and regional level, in part owing to inadequate reporting.

76. Many serious constraints and challenges have been identified in relation to tracking resources for implementation of the gender mainstreaming strategy. A variety of mechanisms are in place within the United Nations system to track resource allocation and utilization across sectors. A number of entities, for example, utilize the Atlas-based system to track core and non-core investments in gender equality and women's empowerment. Limitations identified in this system include incomplete data, inadequate coding and lack of systematic reporting from regional and country offices.⁹¹

77. A major problem common to all reporting systems is the lack of criteria on what constitutes gender mainstreaming and mechanisms for assessing the percentage of resources to be attributed to gender mainstreaming efforts. This results in a significant underreporting of gender equality work. The resource information systems of some entities are being further developed to facilitate improved tracking and more reliable data for reporting.

78. It is difficult to assess the proportion of regular budget funding for the gender equality work in the United Nations, compared with the funding received from extrabudgetary sources. Bilateral donors have provided funding for both implementation of gender mainstreaming and for activities targeting gender equality. Capacity-building and development of methodologies and tools for gender mainstreaming have received significant external funding.

79. Most overall evaluations and audits of implementation of gender equality policies carried out by United Nations entities have not assessed resource allocations. Some projects funded by bilateral donors require evaluation of efforts undertaken, using specific indicators. A number of entities have developed training programmes and guidelines to support staff in tracking progress in implementation. A stronger focus is required on tracking resource allocations.

80. The recent discussions of reform of the institutional arrangements for gender equality in the United Nations has revealed serious under-resourcing of the gender-specific bodies, the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, the Division for the Advancement of Women, UNIFEM and INSTRAW.

81. Challenges exist in tracking human resources dedicated to gender equality throughout the system. Many entities have established networks of gender focal points at both Headquarters and in country offices. Since many focal points work part-time, there is no accurate assessment of the time allocated to gender equality work. Similarly, technical staff in different sectors may have significant gender equality expertise but accurate assessment of the time devoted to work in this area is difficult.

82. Although inter-agency collaboration is critical to ensure coherence and coordination of United Nations work on gender equality, few resources are allocated to this work. The innovative and widely utilized inter-agency portal, WomenWatch, for example, receives no regular budget funds but is resourced by extrabudgetary funds. Similarly, the critical inter-agency work on violence against women is funded by extrabudgetary resources.

VII. Conclusions and recommendations

83. The global commitments on gender equality and empowerment of women since the Fourth World Conference on Women, including through the Monterrey Consensus, have yet to be implemented. Despite a growing body of evidence demonstrating that gender equality makes good economic sense, and the calls for gender mainstreaming in economic policies and public finance management, adequate resources have not been systematically allocated.

84. The preparations for the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus provide an opportunity to further explore the gender implications of financing for development and strengthen coherence between macroeconomic policies, plans and programmes and the internationally agreed goals. Increased attention must be given to addressing the gender perspectives in all six action areas of the Monterrey Consensus to ensure that the outcome of the follow-up process will enhance financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women.

85. In follow-up to the Monterrey Consensus, the most significant achievements have been made in the area of gender-responsive budgets. Further efforts are needed to ensure a shift from analysis to implementation, to broaden the focus to include both revenue and expenditures and to ensure the full involvement of all stakeholders.

86. Insufficient budgetary resources continue to undermine the effectiveness and sustainability of both national mechanisms for the advancement of women and women's organizations in advocating for, supporting and monitoring the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. Women's funds, foundations and diaspora associations have emerged as innovative sources of financing.

87. Although some progress has been made in reporting on resource allocations for gender equality and women's empowerment, monitoring and reporting remain insufficient. Further development of sex-disaggregated data and indicators is required to more systematically and effectively measure progress.

88. The Commission on the Status of Women may wish to call upon Governments, the United Nations system, the Bretton Woods institutions, international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society, the private sector and other relevant actors, as appropriate, to :

(a) Ensure that the preparations for and outcome of the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus fully incorporate gender perspectives;

(b) Undertake and disseminate gender analysis of macroeconomic policies, including taxation, public expenditure, investment and finances;

(c) Develop methodologies and tools to systematically incorporate a gender perspective into results-based public finance management, including through analysis of both revenues and expenditures, as well as into tools to monitor and evaluate public financial management systems;

(d) Assess the gender impacts of revenue-raising measures, including user fees as well as the taxation structure and composition, and develop mechanisms to ensure gender-sensitive revenue raising;

(e) Initiate transparent expenditure reviews, with the participation of civil society, which link the allocation of resources to overall development goals, including gender equality, and evaluate impacts on the poor, in particular women;

(f) Strengthen the dialogue between ministries of finance and planning and national mechanisms for the advancement of women, gender focal points in line ministries and women's organizations, to ensure the incorporation of gender perspectives into all economic policies, plans and budgets;

(g) Allocate resources for capacity-building in gender mainstreaming within finance and relevant line ministries, to ensure that domestic resource mobilization and allocation is carried out in a gender-sensitive manner;

(h) Identify and address the differential impacts of trade policies on women and men and develop strategies to ensure that women are protected against trade-related job losses and benefit from job-creation, and to expand access to trade opportunities for women producers;

(i) Ensure that gender perspectives are addressed in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of trade policies, and facilitate the active participation of women's organizations in national, regional and international trade decision-making structures and processes;

(j) Carry out gender-sensitive assessments of labour laws and standards, with particular attention to export processing zones, and establish policies and guidelines for the employment practices of foreign investors, including global corporations, building on existing agreed multilateral instruments, including the International Labour Organization conventions;

(k) Eliminate conditionalities in debt relief initiatives and debt financing measures that lead to the perpetuation or exacerbation of gender inequalities, and earmark resources released by debt relief to address specific gender equality targets and benchmarks agreed upon in the Beijing Platform for Action and the Millennium Development Goals;

(l) Increase the share of development assistance specifically targeting gender equality and women's empowerment, through both gender mainstreaming and targeted activities, and strengthen mechanisms to effectively measure resources allocated to incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of development assistance;

(m) Ensure that new aid modalities and efforts to enhance delivery mechanisms through the Development Cooperation Forum incorporate gender perspectives;

(n) Ensure that international financial institutions take gender perspectives into account in loan approvals, debt servicing and debt relief, in compliance with commitments to gender equality;

(o) Ensure that resource allocation is incorporated in all evaluations and audits of United Nations entities » implementation of gender equality policies and programmes;

(p) Ensure the development of a more coherent and transparent system for tracking financial resources across the United Nations system, including on gender mainstreaming, and institute systematic reporting on resources invested;

(q) Increase resources for gender equality work, including gender mainstreaming, throughout the United Nations system;

(r) Increase resources for the inter-agency work on gender equality to enhance coherence and coordination;

(s) Ensure that direct funding goes to women's organizations to advance their autonomy and sustainability, and increase support for women's funds that provide small grants to women's initiatives.

Noten — Notes

¹Online discussion report : « Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women », September 2007.

²Report of the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women, December 2007 (EGM/FFGE/2007/REPORT).

³Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II, para. 345.

⁴Ibid., para. 346.

⁵Ibid., para. 347.

⁶Para. 353.

⁷Report of the International Conference on Financing f or Development, Monterrey, Mexico, 18-22 March 2002 (A/CONF. 198/11), chap. I, resolution 1, annex, para. 8.

⁸Caren Grown, and others, « The financial requirements of achieving gender equality and women's empowerment », paper prepared for the World Bank (April 2006), p. 3.

⁹Dina Abu-Ghaida and Stephan Klasen (2004), « The costs of missing the Millennium Development Goal on gender equity », World Development (July 2004), vol. 32, Issue 7, p. 1096.

¹⁰Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2007 : Surging Ahead in Uncertain Times (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.07.II.F.4), p. 103.

¹¹"Gender equality as smart economics : A World Bank Group Gender Action Plan (Fiscal years 2007-10) » (September 2006), p. 2.

¹²See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2005, Supplement No. 7 and corrigendum (E/2005/27-E/CN.6/2005/11 and Corr.1), chap. I.A.

¹³ Paras. 1 and 3.

14 Paras. 11 and 12.

15 Paras. 16, 18 and 23.

16 Para. 10.

¹⁷ Para. 19.

18 Para. 14.

¹⁹Stephanie Seguino, « Financing gender equality : macroeconomic policies for leveraging resources », paper prepared for the presentation to the Second Committee of the General Assembly on « Financing for gender equality » (2007), p. 2.

²⁰Para. 18.

²¹Sam Daley-Harris, State of the Microcredit Summit Campaign Report 2005, Microcredit Summit Campaign (Washington, D.C.), p. 1.

²²M. Floro and others, 2004, « Gender issues and concerns in financing for development », INSTRAW Occasional Paper, No. 3 (April 2004), p. 16.

²³L. Mayoux, 2002, « Microfinance and women's empowerment : Rethinking « best practice'« , Development Bulletin, No. 57, Development Studies Network, p. 76.

²⁴World Bank (2004), « Gender-differentiated impacts of pension reform », in PREM Notes : Gender, No. 85 (April 2004), p. 1.

²⁵Rhonda Sharp, Budgeting for equity : Gender budgeting initiatives within a framework of performance oriented budgeting (New York, UNIFEM, 2003), p. 1.

²⁶Report of the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women.

²⁷Debbie Budlender (2007), « Gender-responsive call circulars and gender budget statements », Guidance sheet series, No. 1 (January 2007), produced by UNIFEM Gender Responsive Budgeting Programme.

²⁸Kathleen Barnett and Caren Grown (2004), « Gender Impact of Government Revenue Collection : the Case of Taxation » (London, Commonwealth Secretariat, 2004), p. 20.

²⁹Diane Elson (2006), Budgeting for Women 's Rights : Monitoring Government Budgets for Compliance with CEDAW (New York, UNIFEM, 2006), pp. 79-80.

³⁰Barnett, Grown and others, op. cit., p. 40.

³¹Debbie Budlender, « Gender-responsive budgets in the Commonwealth, progress report : 2005-2007 » (2007), paper prepared by the Social Transformation Programme Division, Commonwealth Secretariat, Commonwealth Finance ministers Meeting, Georgetown, 15-17 October 2007, p. 7.

³²Para. 20.

³³Day of dialogue on gender and finance for development, United Nations, 25 February 2002.

³⁴Floro and others (2004), op. cit., p. 19.

³⁵Department for International Development, Moving out of poverty — making migration work better for poor people (March 2007), p. 21.

³⁶Migration Policy Institute, « Beyond Remittances : The Role of Diaspora in Poverty Reduction in their Countries of Origin » (July 2004), p. 14

³⁷Para. 26.

³⁸Mariama Williams (2007), « Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women : Some theoretical and practical issues from a trade and macroeconomic policies perspective », expert paper prepared for the United Nations Expert Group Meeting (EGM/FFGE/2007/EP.15), p. 5.

39 1999 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development : Globalization, Gender and Work (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.99.IV.8), pp. 12-13.

⁴⁰Mariama Williams, loc. cit., p. 6.

⁴¹Para. 41.

⁴²Para. 42.

⁴³OECD-DAC secretariat (2007), « Aid to support gender equality, 2001-2005 » (Paris, January 2007).

⁴⁴ (2007), Aid in support of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, Statistics based on DAC Members » reporting on the Gender Equality Policy Maker, 2004-2005.

⁴⁵OECD (2007), Gender equality and aid delivery : what has changed in development co-operation agencies since 1999 ? (Paris, 2007), pp. 20-21.

⁴⁶Ibid., p. 28. 47 Ibid., p. 15.

⁴⁸Ibid., p. 16.

⁴⁹Ibid., pp. 7-8.

⁵⁰Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness : Ownership, Harmonisation, Alignment, Results and Mutual Accountability, High-level Forum, Paris, 28 February-2 March 2005, para. 42.

⁵¹OECD-DAC Network on Gender Equality (2007), « Understanding the connections between the Paris Declaration and work on gender equality and women's empowerment », Draft issues paper 1, p. 1.

⁵²Ibid., p. 2.

⁵³Para. 336.

⁵⁴Para. 354.

⁵⁵Ibid., para. 360

⁵⁶Shireen Lateef (2007), « Financing gender equality and the empowerment of women : Asian Development Bank », expert paper prepared for the United Nations Expert Group Meeting (EGM/FFGE/2007/EP.6), p. 6.

⁵⁷Ibid., p. 6.

⁵⁸Gender justice : A citizen's guide to gender accountability at international financial institutions, prepared by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Gender Action, sponsored by the Heinrich Böll Foundation (Washington, D.C., 2007), p. 1.

⁵⁹The review focused on the World Bank, International Finance Corporation and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, International Monetary Fund, African Development Fund, Asian Development Fund, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank and Inter-American Development Bank.

⁶⁰http://go.worldbank.org/G6CDFUOT80 (accessed on 3/12/2007).

⁶¹Para. 48.

⁶²Jubilee Debt Campaign, « Debt and women », Briefing/07, London.

⁶³Para. 64.

⁶⁴Isabella Bakker, « Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women : paradox and possibilities », background paper prepared for the United Nations Expert Group Meeting (EGM/FFGE/2007/BP.1).

⁶⁵Para. 345.

⁶⁶Isabella Bakker, op. cit.

⁶⁷The Association for Women's Rights in Development, « The second Fundher report : financial sustainability for women's movements worldwide », June 2007, p. 79.

⁶⁸The Association for Women's Rights in Development, « Where's the money for women's rights », p. 41.

⁶⁹"The second Fundher report : financial sustainability for women's movements worldwide », p. 79. Note that these are from women's funds either located outside of the United States, or granting outside the United States.

⁷⁰Ibid., pp. 79-81.

⁷¹Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, « Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women : the critical role of autonomous women's funds in strengthening women's movements », expert paper prepared for the United Nations Expert Group Meeting (EGM/FFGE/2007/EP.12), 2007.

⁷²"The second Fundher report : financial sustainability for women's movements worldwide », pp. 81-82.

⁷³Budlender, loc. cit., para. 27.

⁷⁴Report of the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on national machineries for gender equality (1998).

⁷⁵Report of the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on the role of national mechanisms in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women (2005).

⁷⁶Para. 350.

⁷⁷"The second Fundher report : financial sustainability for women's movements worldwide », p. 13.

⁷⁸Ibid., p. 17.

⁷⁹Ibid., p. 22.

^so Ibid., p. 20.

81 Ibid., p. 26.

⁸²Ibid., p. 50.

⁸³Ibid., p. 36.

⁸⁴Ibid., p. 38.

⁸⁵Grown, and others, loc. cit., p. 18.

⁸⁶Ibid., p. 11.

⁸⁷See the examples of potential indicators identified at the meeting on macroeconomic policies and public finance management, in EGM/FFGE/2007/REPORT.

⁸⁸See note 44 above, p. 2.

⁸⁹OECD (2005), « Aid Activities in Support of Gender Equality, 1999-2003 » Creditor Reporting System on Aid Activities, vol. 2005, Issue 6, pp. 14-16.

⁹⁰http://www.un.org/womenwatch/ianwge/taskforces/tfprogbudgproc.htm.

⁹¹See, for example, United Nations Development Programme, Évaluation of Gende Mainstreaming in UNDP (New York, 2006), pp. 62-64.

Annexe 9

Officieel programma CSW — Programme officiel de la CCF

Commission on the Status of Women

Fifty-second session

25 February-7 March 2008

Item 2 of the provisional agenda

Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters

Annotated provisional agenda and proposed organization of work

1. Election of officers.

2. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters.

3. Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the twenty-third

special session of the General Assembly, entitled « Women 2000 : gender

equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century » :

(a) Implementation of strategic objectives and action in critical areas of

concern and further actions and initiatives :

(i) Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women;

(ii) Evaluation of progress in the implementation of the agreed

conclusions on women's equal participation in conflict prevention, management and conflict resolution, and in post-conflict peacebuilding;

(b) Emerging issues, trends and new approaches to issues affecting the

situation of women or equality between women and men;

4. Communications concerning the status of women.

5. Follow-up to Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions.

6. Provisional agenda for the fifty-third session of the Commission.

7. Adoption of the report of the Commission on its fifty-second session.

Annotations

1. Election of officers

In accordance with rule 15 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council, and pursuant to Council resolution 1987/21 and decision 2002/234, the Commission on the Status of Women, at the first meeting of its fifty-second session on 9 March 2007, elected, by acclamation, Olivier Belle (Belgium) as Chairperson, and Ara Margarian (Armenia), Enna Park (Republic of Korea) and Julio Peralta (Paraguay) as Vice-Chairpersons of the fifty-second and fifty-third sessions of the Commission.¹ The Commission will approve the nomination of one candidate to fill the pending vacancy on the Bureau.

The Commission will appoint three candidates to fill the pending vacancies on the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women established in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1983/27.

2. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters

Rule 7 of the rules of procedure provides that the Commission shall, at the beginning of each session, adopt the agenda of that session on the basis of the provisional agenda.

The provisional agenda and documentation for the fifty-second session of the Commission were approved by the Economic and Social Council in its decision 2007/239.

Preparations for the fifty-second session of the Commission were undertaken in accordance with its agreed conclusions 1996/1 on methods of work and Economic and Social Council resolution 2006/9. accordingly, the Bureau of the Commission held several meetings as well as informal briefings and consultations with all interested delegations to consider the organization and methods of work for the session.

Following practice, statements delivered by representatives of delegations of members and observers of the Commission during general discussions shall be limited to five minutes, and statements made on behalf of groups of delegations to 10 minutes. It is also recommended that interventions from non-governmental organizations be integrated into the general debate and the thematic panel discussions, taking into consideration geographical balance.

3. Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled « Women 2000 : gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century »

(a) Implementation of strategic objectives and action in critical areas of concern and further actions and initiatives

High-level round table

In its decision 46/101, the Commission decided that, starting from its forty-seventh session, it would introduce the option of high-level round tables, and it authorized the Bureau, after consultation with all interested members of the Commission through the regional groups, to decide on the number, timing and theme of such round tables.

In its resolution 2006/9, the Economic and Social Council further decided that the annual interactive high-level round table would focus on experiences, lessons learned and good practices, including results with supporting data, where available, in relation to the implementation of previous commitments made with regard to the priority theme.

The high-level round table, at the fifty-second session, will focus on financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Documentation

Note by the Bureau of the Commission on the Status of Women : discussion guide on the high-level round table on financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women (E/CN.6/2008/CRP.3)

Priority theme

In its resolution 2006/9, the Economic and Social Council endorsed the Commission's proposed future organization and methods of work. accordingly, at its fifty-second session, the Commission will consider the theme « Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women ». The report of the Secretary-General will be before the Commission.

Documentation

Report of the Secretary-General on financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women (E/CN. 6/2008/2)

(b) Emerging issues, trends and new approaches to issues affecting the situation of women or equality between women and men

In its resolution 2006/9, the Economic and Social Council requested the Bureau of the Commission on the Status of Women, prior to each session, to identify, in consultation with all States, through their regional groups, an emerging issue for consideration by the Commission, taking into account developments at the global and regional levels as well as planned activities within the United Nations, where increased attention to gender perspectives was required.

Following consultation, the Bureau decided that the Commission would hold an interactive expert panel on the emerging issue theme « Gender perspectives on climate change ».

(c) Gender mainstreaming, situations and programmatic matters

Progress in mainstreaming a gender perspective in the development, implementation and evaluation of national policies and programmes, with a particular focus on the priority theme

The Economic and Social Council requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission, on an annual basis, a report on progress made in mainstreaming a gender perspective in the development, implementation and evaluation of national policies and programmes, with a particular focus on the priority theme (Council resolution E/2006/9).

Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women

In its resolution 2007/7 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women, the Economic and Social Council requested the Commission to continue to monitor and take action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly. It also requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian women by all available means and to submit to the Commission at its fifty-second session a report, including information provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the implementation of that resolution.

Joint workplan on the human rights of women

In accordance with resolution 39/5 of the Commission on the Status of Women and resolutions 1997/43 and 2005/42 of the Commission on Human Rights, the Commission on the Status of Women will have before it a report on the joint workplan of the Division for the Advancement of Women and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Violence against women

In resolution 50/166 on the role of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in eliminating violence against women, the General Assembly requested UNIFEM to include in its regular reports information on the establishment of a trust fund in support of national, regional and international actions to eliminate violence against women and to provide such information to the Commission on the Status of Women and the (former) Commission on Human Rights.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

In accordance with article 21.2 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the reports of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women are transmitted to the Commission for information. The report of the Committee on its thirty-seventh, thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth sessions²and a note by the Secretariat transmitting the results of the Committee's fortieth session will be before the Commission.

Ending female genital mutilation

In its resolution 51/2, the Commission requested the Secretary-General to report to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution by using information provided by Member States and verifiable information provided by organizations and bodies of the United Nations system and by non-governmental organizations, with a view to assessing the impact of the resolution on the well-being of girls.

Forced marriage of the girl child

In its resolution 51/3, the Commission recognized that early marriage and early childbearing continued to be impediments to improvements in the educational, economic and social status of women in all parts of the world, and that early motherhood could severely curtail their educational and employment opportunities and was likely to have a long-term, adverse impact on the quality of their lives and the lives of their children. The Commission requested the Secretary-General to report to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution.

Women and children taken hostage, including those subsequently imprisoned, in armed conflicts

At its fiftieth session, in resolution 50/1, the Commission on the Status of Women had expressed its strong belief that the rapid and unconditional release of women and children taken hostage in areas of armed conflict would promote the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly. In addition, the Commission requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution, including relevant recommendations, taking into account the information provided by States and relevant international organizations.

Programme questions

The Commission on the Status of Women has before it for its consideration a note by the Secretary-General on the preparation of the strategic framework for the period 2010-2011, comprising Part one : plan outline and Part two : biennial programme plan. The Commission on the Status of Women is invited to review the proposed biennial programme plan for gender equality and the empowerment of women and provide its comments to the Secretary-General. The proposed biennial programme plan, modified as appropriate, will be submitted to the Committee for Programme and Coordination at its forty-eighth session. Its recommendations thereon will be transmitted to the General Assembly at its sixty-third session when it considers the Secretary-General's proposed Strategic Framework for the biennium 2010-2011.

Documentation

Report of the Secretary-General on ending female genital mutilation

(E/CN. 6/2008/3)

Report of the Secretary-General on forced marriage of the girl child

(E/CN. 6/2008/4)

Report of the Secretary-General on progress in mainstreaming a gender perspective in the development, implementation and evaluation of national policies and programmes, with a particular focus on financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women (E/CN. 6/2008/5)

Report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women (E/CN.6/2008/6)

Report of the Secretary-General on release of women and children taken hostage, including those subsequently imprisoned, in armed conflicts (E/CN.6/2008/7)

Report on the joint workplan of the Division for the Advancement of Women and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (E/CN. 6/2008/8)

Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the United Nations Development Fund for Women on the activities of the Fund to eliminate violence against women (E/CN.6/2008/9)

Note by the Secretary-General on the strategic framework for the biennium 2010-2011 : subprogramme 2, Gender issues and advancement of women (E/CN.6/2008/CRP.4)

Documents for information

Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on its thirty-seventh, thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth sessions²

Note by the Secretariat transmitting the results of the fortieth session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (E/CN.6/2008/CRP.1)

4. Communications concerning the status of women

In its resolution 76 (V), the Economic and Social Council established a procedure by which the Commission would receive and consider communications relating to the status of women. In its resolution 304 I (XI), the Council amended resolution 76 (V) and requested the Secretary-General to compile, before each session of the Commission, a list of confidential and non-confidential communications, containing a brief indication of the substance of each communication.

In its resolution 1983/27, the Council reaffirmed the mandate of the Commission to consider confidential and non-confidential communications on the status of women and authorized the Commission to appoint a working group to consider such communications and prepare a report thereon for the Commission.

In its resolution 1993/11, the Council reaffirmed that the Commission was empowered to make recommendations to the Council on what action should be taken on emerging trends and patterns of discrimination against women revealed by such communications.

In its decision 2002/235, the Council decided, in order to make the communications procedure of the Commission more effective and efficient :

(a) That the Commission, starting at its forty-seventh session, should appoint, at each session, the members of the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women for the next session so that the members would be able to meet to enable the Secretariat to issue their report three working days before the adoption of the agenda by the Commission;

(b) To request the Secretary-General :

(i) To inform Governments about each communication pertaining to them that would be considered by the Commission and give them at least 12 weeks before the consideration of such communications by the Working Group;

(ii) To ensure that the members of the Working Group receive in advance the lists of communications, including replies from Governments, if any, to be taken into account in preparing its report for examination by the Commission.

At the 14th meeting on 10 March 2006 of its fiftieth session, the Commission decided to postpone until its fifty-second session further consideration of the report of the Secretary-General on the future work of the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women (E/CN.6/2004/11 and Add.1 and 2) and the different views and proposals put forward by Member States during the debate on the item at its forty-eighth session in 2004.

At its 13th meeting, on 9 March 2007, the Commission appointed Ivana Ko&#%C5;&#%BE;ar (Croatia) and Carlos Enrique García González (El Salvador) to serve on the Working Group for the fifty-second session of the Commission. The appointment of the remaining three members of the Working Group was deferred to the fifty-second session. At the same meeting, the Commission decided that upon their nomination by their respective regional groups, candidates for membership in the Working Group would be permitted to participate fully in the work of the Working Group for the fifty-second session.

Documentation

Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the list of confidential communications concerning the status of women (E/CN.6/2008/SW/COMM.LIST/42/R)

Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the list of confidential communications concerning the status of women (E/CN.6/2008/SW/COMM.LIST/42/Add.1/R)

Report of the Secretary-General on the future work of the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women (E/CN.6/2004/11 and Add. 1 and 2)

5. Follow-up to Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions

The Commission will have before it a letter from the President of the Economic and Social Council on follow-up to the Council's policy recommendations.

In accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 2001/27, functional commissions were invited to provide concise, action-oriented input to the Council's annual high-level segment. The Commission will have before it a note by the Secretariat as an input to the 2008 high-level segment of the Council.

Documentation

Letter dated 13 November 2007 from the President of the Economic and Social Council to the Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women (E/CN.6/2008/10); letter dated 22 October 2007 from the President of Economic and Social Council to the Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women (E.CN.6/2008/10, annex II)

Note by the Secretariat on implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to sustainable development (E/CN.6/2008/CRP.2)

6. Provisional agenda for the fifty-third session of the Commission

In accordance with rule 9 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Council, the Commission will have before it a draft provisional agenda for its fifty-third session, including the list of documents to be submitted for its consideration.

7. Adoption of the report of the Commission on its fifty-second session

In accordance with rule 37 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Council, the Commission shall submit to the Council a report on the work of its fifty-second session.

¹ The list of members of the Commission at its fifty-second session is contained in annex II to the present document.

² Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-second Session, Supplement No. 38 (A/62/38).

Annex I

Proposed organization of work


Date/time	Agenda item	Programme

Monday, 25 February
10 a.m.	1. Election of officers	Approval of the nominees to the Bureau and membership in the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women
	2. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters
	3. Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled « Women 2000 : gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century"	Introduction of reports
		General discussion
3 p.m.	3 (a) (i). Implementation of strategic objectives and action in critical areas of concern and further actions and initiatives : financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women	High-level round table on experiences, lessons learned and good practices, including results with supporting data, where available, in relation to the implementation of previous commitments made with regard to the priority theme
Tuesday, 26 February
10 a.m.	3 (a) (i). Implementation of strategic objectives and action in critical areas of concern and further actions and initiatives : financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women	Interactive expert panel on key policy initiatives on financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women
3 p.m.	3 (c). Gender mainstreaming, situations and programmatic matters	An interactive expert panel on capacity-building on mainstreaming a gender perspective in the development, implementation and evaluation of national policies and programmes for financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women


Date/time	Agenda item	Programme

Wednesday, 27 February
10 a.m.	3 (continued)	General discussion
1 p.m.	(Panel event in the margins)^a	Panel on « The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS » (2 hours)
3 p.m.	3 (continued)	General discussion
Thursday, 28 February
10 a.m.	3 (continued)	General discussion
1 p.m.	(Panel event in the margins)^a	Joint panel with the Statistics Commission on indicators on violence against women
3 p.m.	Item 3 (b). Emerging issues, trends and new approaches to issues affecting the situation of women or equality between women and men	Interactive expert panel on the theme « Gender perspectives on climate change"
Friday, 29 February
10 a.m.	3 (a) (ii). Implementation of strategic objectives and action in critical areas of concern and further actions and initiatives : evaluation of progress in the implementation of the agreed conclusions on women's equal participation in conflict prevention, management and conflict resolution, and in post-conflict peacebuilding	Interactive dialogue to evaluate progress in the implementation of the agreed conclusions on « women's participation in conflict prevention, management and conflict resolution and in post-conflict peacebuilding"
3 p.m.	3 (a) (i) (continued)	Informal consultations (Agreed conclusions)
Monday, 3 March
10 a.m.	3 (a) (i) (continued)	Informal consultations (Agreed conclusions)
3 p.m.	3 (continued)	Informal consultations


Date/time	Agenda item	Programme

Tuesday, 4 March
10 a.m.	3 (a) (i) (continued)	Informal consultations (Agreed conclusions)
3 p.m.	3 (continued)	Informal consultations
	3 (continued)
Wednesday, 5 March
10 a.m.-12 noon	4. Communications concerning the status of women	Future work of the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women
12 noon-1 p.m.	5. Follow-up to Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions
3 p.m.	4. Communications concerning the status of women	Closed meeting to consider the report of the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women
	3 (a) (i) (continued)	Introduction of draft proposals
Thursday, 6 March
10 a.m.-12 noon	(Commemorative event)^a	Observance of International Women's Day (2 hours)
12 noon-1 p.m. 3 p.m.	3 (continued)	Informal consultations (Agreed conclusions)
	3 (continued)	Action on draft proposals
	3 (a) (i) (continued)	Informal consultations
Friday, 7 March
10 a.m.	3 (continued)	Action on draft proposals
	6. Provisional agenda of the fifty-third session of the Commission	Consideration of the draft provisional agenda of the fifty-third session of the Commission
3 p.m.	7. Adoption of the report of the Commission on its fifty-second session	Adoption of the report Closure of the session
^a Informal events to be held on the margin of the fifty-second session of the Commission.

Annex II

Membership of the Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-second session (2008)

(45 members; four-year term)


Membership	Term expires at close of session in the year

Armenia	2011
Azerbaijan	2011
Belgium	2011
Belize	2009
Brazil	2011
Cambodia	2011
Cameroon	2010
China	2008
Croatia	2009
Djibouti	2010
Dominican Republic	2008
Ecuador	2010
El Salvador	2008
Gabon	2011
Germany	2009
Ghana	2008
Hungary	2008
Iceland	2008
Indonesia	2010
Iran (Islamic Republic of)	2010
Japan	2009
Kazakhstan	2008
Lesotho	2010
Malaysia	2010
Mali	2009


Membership	Term expires at close of session in the year

Mauritius	2008
Mexico	2010
Morocco	2009
Namibia	2011
Netherlands	2009
Niger	2011
Pakistan	2011
Paraguay	2011
Peru	2009
Qatar	2009
Republic of Korea	2010
Spain	2011
Suriname	2008
Togo	2010
Turkey	2011
United Arab Emirates	2010
United Kingdom of Great Britain and	2009
Northern Ireland
United Republic of Tanzania	2009
United States of America	2008
Zambia	2010

Annexe 10

Bijdrage van de Commissie Vrouwen en Ontwikkeling — Contribution de la Commission Femmes et Développement pour la 52^e session de la CSW

Financement pour l'égalité de genre

Des engagements pour l'égalité

La mise en place d'un partenariat mondial pour éradiquer la pauvreté (Objectif du Millénaire nº 8) est indissociable de la mise en œuvre des engagements de la Plateforme d'Action de Beijing. C'est un constat sur lequel il existe un consensus parmi l'ensemble des acteurs de la coopération.

Ce consensus se trouve reflété dans le fait que l'ensemble des cadres référentiels des politiques de financement du développement affichent leur volonté explicite d'atteindre l'égalité de genre, de manière transversale.

Le gender mainstreaming est une stratégie de choix pour promouvoir la thématique du genre dans les politiques de coopération. Cependant, les bailleurs ont souvent tendance à faire de la question du gender mainstreaming un objectif en soi plutôt qu'une stratégie adoptée en vue d'un ensemble de résultats.

Les nouveaux mécanismes que les bailleurs mettent en avant au niveau du financement du développement tels que le soutien budgétaire ou les « sector wide approaches » sont des armes à double tranchant. Ils pourraient constituer des outils importants pour favoriser l'égalité du genre s'ils sont reliés de manière volontariste et ambitieuse à d'autres instruments évolutifs tels que le gender budgeting. En revanche, en l'absence de cet accompagnement, ces mécanismes risquent fortement d'entraîner un affaiblissement ou une « dépriorisation » des engagements pour l'égalité de genre. Ceci risque, du même coup, de supprimer une condition nécessaire à la bonne réussite de l'éradication de la pauvreté.

En définitive, dans le cadre de la nouvelle architecture de l'aide, s'il n'y a guère de mécanismes visant à assurer la redevabilité des engagements et obligations en matière d'égalité du genre, cela ne fait que renforcer le risque de dilution (« mainstreaming »).

Allouer des ressources à l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes

Dans le domaine de la Coopération internationale, la Belgique entend mettre en avant une politique stimulante de l'égalité des sexes et de l'empowerment des femmes.

— Le réseau genre créé au sein de la DGCD a conçu et commence à utiliser systématiquement une check list pour les projets, mettant en évidence leurs objectifs attendus en matière d'égalité entre les sexes.

— L'utilisation des marqueurs genre du CAD est également stimulée : des formations du personnel ont eu lieu et l'usage de ce marqueur se répand, peu à peu

— La Coopération belge finance différents projets ou instances impliquées dans l'égalité de genre.

Ainsi par exemple, la Commission Femmes et développement, commission d'avis composée de 24 membres (14 représentant-es néerlandophones et francophones des organisations de femmes, d'organisations non gouvernementales de développement, d'universités, de la direction de la Coopération au développement ainsi que 10 expertes spécialisées en matière d'égalité de genre). Elle dispose d'un budget annuel de 150 000 euros pour remplir ses missions d'avis, de sensibilisation et de plaidoyer. La CFD mène chaque année des activités avec des groupes de femmes du Sud pour faire connaître leurs stratégies pour l'égalité.

Un certain nombre de projets bilatéraux ou multilatéraux sont menés pour renforcer l'empowerment des femmes du Sud.

Dans le cadre de la coopération indirecte, on peut relever le soutien à l'ONG Le Monde selon les femmes, ONG spécialisée sur le thème de régalité de genre. Il faut noter également que les ONG sont invitées à répondre à la question de l'égalité et à mentionner (bilatéral indirect) la manière dont elles envisagent le soutien à l'empowerment des femmes, tant dans leurs projets avec leurs partenaires, que dans leur travail d'éducation au développement.

Difficultés rencontrées

L'identification des ressources financières allouées à l'égalité du genre souffre de toute une série de lacunes importantes :

— L'introduction par le Comité d'Aide au Développement de l'OCDE du marqueur genre- spécifique (gender marker) et son utilisation en Belgique a constitué sans aucun doute un pas important. Toutefois, le marqueur genre ne donne pas d'indications quant aux effets des programmes et projets. À cet égard, les données font défaut. On peut seulement énoncer le fait que les projets et programmes intègrent la thématique du genre comme un paramètre parmi bien d'autres. Ceci risque d'entraîner une « evaporation de la dimension du genre ».

De ce fait, les décideurs, les parlementaires ou la société civile n'a pas la possibilité de suivre la progression de cet engagement pour l'égalité ni de connaître l'impact des moyens financiers mis à l'avancement de l'empowerment des femmes.

— La formation en genre du personnel, dans toutes les instances de la coopération belge, fait défaut, les priorités sont multiples et entrent en concurrence avec cet objectif transversal.

— A Monterrey, la Belgique s'est engagée à consacrer d'ici 2010, 0,7 % de son PIB à l'APD mais au rythme actuel, elle est loin d'y arriver : 0,41 % puis 0,53 % mais ensuite 0,50 % du PNB entre 2004 et 2006.

Malgré l'engagement pris par la Belgique lors du Sommet social mondial de Copenhague de 1995, d'atteindre 20 % du total de l'aide consacrée aux services sociaux de base (éducation de base et santé ...), cette part reste en deçà (14,7 % en 2004).

Concrétiser les principes :

Recommandations de la Commission Femmes et Développement

Il est indispensable de constituer un ensemble d'indicateurs plus riche et davantage qualitatif si l'on veut disposer d'une véritable grille d'analyse du degré de transversalité de la thématique du genre dans les politiques de financement du développement. Des outils existent, comme l'a proposé la CFD dans son ouvrage « Indicateurs d'empowerment ».

Le défi réel et persistant consiste à intégrer l'analyse et le diagnostique genre-spécifique dans l'ensemble des instruments et processus de financement du développement (identification, programmation, allocation budgétaire, évaluation, etc.)

Les bailleurs doivent adopter des cibles explicites en matière de financement de l'égalité du genre dans le cadre des politiques de coopération. La commission Femmes et Développement plaide pour qu'au moins la moitié des ressources additionnelles en vue d'atteindre l'obligation légale du ratio APD/RNB de 0,7 % aient une incidence significative en termes d'égalité du genre.

La Commission Femmes et Développement recommande, avec ces moyens additionnels :

— la mise en place des cibles plus claires en matière d'aide consacrée à l'empowerment des femmes, aux services sociaux de base, aux questions spécifiques genre;

— la mise en place d'une ligne budgétaire spécifique à la thématique genre et égalité dans son budget de la coopération dont les modalités seraient déclinés dans la note stratégique « genre » de la coopération au développement à adapter en conséquence;

— une attention particulière au gender budgeting dans les moyens affectés aux politiques de réduction de pauvreté au Nord et au Sud;

— l'élaboration d'un plan d'action centrée sur l'empowerment des femmes, en matière d'efficacité et de qualité de l'aide. Ce plan d'action devra associer de manière représentative les différents acteurs de la coopération belge. Il devra mettre en perspective les ajustements institutionnels nécessaires à cet effet, tels que la révision du processus d'élaboration des notes stratégiques et le système des commissions mixtes, l'adoption d'objectifs-cibles en matière de qualité et de quantité de l'aide, l'adaptation des mécanismes et procédés de financement en vigueur pour améliorer la prévisibilité de l'aide, ainsi que les adaptations nécessaires de la DGCD et de la CTB aux nouveaux instruments de l'aide, notamment le soutien budgétaire et les programmes conjoints avec les partenaires de l'UE;

— la formation du personnel en charge des projets de la coopération au développement (gestionnaires de projets). La formation permanente du personnel serait en effet de nature à préciser ce qu'est l'égalité de genre et comment la mettre en œuvre dans la pratique. La formation reste une condition indispensable pour la bonne utilisation des instruments de suivi-genre, surtout dans le cadre du genderbudgeting. Un plan de formation et une intégration des procédures sont à élaborer et à mettre en œuvre.

3. L'empowerment des femmes, dans le cadre de la résolution 1325

Dans le cadre de la résolution 1325 et dans la perspective de l'empowerment des femmes, les organisations de la société civile ont besoin de ressources financières et le cas échéant, de plus de ressources financières. Comme stipulé dans le Rapport du Secrétaire Général (E/CN.6/2008.2. par 86). il y a un besoin urgent d'allouer les ressources nécessaires, notamment à l'établissement des méthodes appropriées d'enquêtes, à la mise sur pied des mécanismes d'investigations et de monitoring par rapport aux violences faites aux femmes ainsi qu'aux atteintes portées aux droits des femmes. Le défi pour les États et notamment pour la Belgique consiste à explorer des voies et moyens de répondre à ces besoins de manière efficace.

L'une des recommandations importantes des femmes résidant dans des zones de conflit dans le cadre de la résolution 1325 est la lutte contre l'impunité. Les États devraient être en mesure d'allouer plus de moyens financiers afin de mieux assurer la lutte contre l'impunité et plus précisément de prévoir des budgets nécessaires à l'organisation et à l'accueil du tribunal international dans leur continent ou dans leur pays. Il est en effet important que les victimes des violences soient en mesure d'apprendre les décisions et, le cas échéant, de suivre les procès organisés par le Tribunal international.

Dans le cadre de la résolution 1325, la Commission Femme et Développement recommande de porter une attention toute particulière

— aux mécanismes de financement des projets de réinsertion des jeunes filles et jeunes adolescents ex-miliciens et ex-soldats

Financer des bonnes pratiques des acteurs de projets particulièrement attentifs au droit à l'égalité entre les filles et les garçons ex-miliciens et exsoldats, en vue de leur capitalisation, c'est travailler pour l'inscription de ces bonnes pratiques dans la durée et leur dissémination à travers les régions et les pays. Travailler pour des changements de mentalités, c'est promouvoir le « développement durable » des sociétés qui ont à faire face aux conflits armés.

— et aux mécanismes de responsabilisation visant à s'assurer que les acteurs chargés d'accompagner le processus de réinsertion s'engagent et s'acquittent de leurs engagements à promouvoir l'égalité des sexes et à mener une analyse comparative entre les sexes dans tous ses principaux domaines d'activités de réinsertion.

4-716/1

4-716/1

Belgische Senaat

ZITTING 2007-2008

De 52e sessie van de Commissie van de Verenigde Naties voor de Status van de Vrouw (25 februari - 7 maart 2008)

VERSLAG NAMENS HET ADVIESCOMITÉ VOOR GELIJKE KANSEN VOOR VROUWEN EN MANNEN UITGEBRACHT DOOR DE DAMES de BETHUNE EN DEFRAIGNE

VERSLAG

NAMENS HET ADVIESCOMITÉ VOOR GELIJKE KANSEN VOOR VROUWEN EN MANNEN UITGEBRACHT DOOR

DE DAMES de BETHUNE EN DEFRAIGNE