 UN NGO Update  |
The Beijing Platform
In June 2000, 3HO was once again represented at the special meeting of the United Nations. 180 Countries agreed by consensus to a document 150 pages long that agreed to new measures to accelerate the international document “The Beijing Platform.” When the press and many activists look at the document and what was not accomplished, they can see that the document lacks any specific goals or stronger action on issues of sexuality and reproductive health, is watered down from many people’s hopes, because of opposition of a small minority of Islamic and Catholic countries, does not include anything that would protect homosexuals, and does not address abortion. On the positive side the plan does insist that women have a right to health care, it has a strong declaration that girls have a right to education, it reiterates that women have a right to inherit property, and their share in the economy and politics and it continues the Beijing Platform for Action at least another five years.
For the first time in an international consensus document, forced marriage and so-called honor killings were addressed, with the governments being urged to eradicate these human rights violations. It contained an agreement to use tougher measures to combat domestic violence. The document called on governments to use international cooperation to eliminate the commercial sexual exploitation, and economic exploitation of impoverished women. And the countries agreed to seriously address the impact of HIV/AIDs and globalization on women.
CEDAW: Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Violence Against Women
President Jimmy Carter signed this treaty in 1978. Although it has not yet been ratified by the US Senate, by March of 1999, 163 countries had signed it, making it the second most widely subscribed International Human Rights treaty in existence. Yet, violations of women’s human rights continue to remain widespread in all societies and cultures. Women in many countries are not even aware of their rights or have difficulty getting remedies for violation of these rights.
In 1996 The Division for the Advancement of Women at the United Nations in cooperation with the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) working group began to construct an Optional Protocol to CEDAW.
This would review complaints from victims about specific violations of the Convention and investigate systematic violations of the Convention through an inquiry procedure. It would put the women’s convention on an equal footing with other human rights treaties that provide for international intervention when no remedy is otherwise available.
Technology Rules!
All of the Agencies, Committees, and Divisions of the United Nations and the associated agencies are most easily accessible through the Internet. This eliminates much of the exclusivity and “old-boy” systems as you no longer field your way through the maze of bureaucracy. It is as easy to reach the head person as it is to reach the secretary. The down side of this, however, is that you must have computer access and be internet savvy, or you will be rendered functionally illiterate, and not have access to the same information available to others who have access. This problem is one discussed at great length in many sessions with the overall message that we must help the “Have-Nots,” support the “Haves,” and try to win over the “Will-Nots,” to bridge the current buzzword of THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.