فريق خبراء الأمم المتحدة المعني بمسألة التمييز ضد المرأة يبدأ الزيارة الأولى إلى الصين

GENEVA (9 December 2013) – The United Nations Working Group on discrimination against women in law and in practice will undertake its first visit to the People’s Republic of China from 12 to 19 December 2013, to assess the progress made towards achieving gender equality and the protection and promotion of women’s human rights.

“The Working Group is particularly interested in legislative reforms and policies that have been implemented by the Government of China to promote women's rights and gender equality,” said Frances Raday, who currently heads the expert group. “We will pay specific attention to women’s economic and social life, looking at achievements and good practices to eliminate discrimination against women and also obstacles to their empowerment.”

During its eight-day visit, the Working Group’ delegation, comprised of Ms. Raday and Ms. Kamala Chandrakirana, will meet with Government officials at national and local levels, representatives of civil society organizations, as well as experts and academics.

The experts will visit Beijing and Shanghai in addition to Kunming and the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, both in the Yunnan Province, in order to gather first-hand information on issues related to discrimination against women in the country.

A press conference to share the delegation’s preliminary findings will be held on 19 December 2013 in Beijing. Further details to follow.

Following its visit, the Working Group will present a report with its conclusions and recommendations to the 26th session of the UN Human Rights Council in June 2014.

The UN Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice is composed of five independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council at its sixteenth session in March 2011: Current Chair-Rapporteur Frances Raday (Israel/United Kingdom); Kamala Chandrakirana (Indonesia); Emna Aouij (Tunisia); and Eleonora Zielinska (Poland). The GRULAC seat on the Working Group is currently vacant and a new GRULAC member will be appointed at the next session of the Human Rights Council in March 2014. Learn more, log on to:  http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/WGWomen/Pages/WGWomenIndex.aspx

UN Human Rights, country page – China: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/CNIndex.aspx

For inquiries and media requests, please contact:
In Beijing (during the visit): Ms. Zhang Wei (+8610 8532 0715 / wei.zhang@undp.org)
In Geneva (before and after the visit): Ms. Caroline Meenagh (+41 22 917 92 02 / cmeenagh@ohchr.org) or Ms. Nathalie Stadelmann (+41 22 917 91 04 / nstadelmann@ohchr.org) or write to wgdiscriminationwomen@ohchr.org

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)  

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