Violence against women: UN human rights expert in first official visit to Argentina

GENEVA / BUENOS AIRES (9 November 2016) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its  causes and consequences, Dubravka Šimonović, will visit Argentina from 14 to 21 November to assess the overall situation of violence against women and girls, and gather first-hand information from women survivors of violence.

“Violence against women including femicides are widespread worldwide, and impunity and accountability of perpetrators remain a challenge”, Ms. Šimonović said. “I am grateful to the Government of Argentina for the invitation to conduct the first official visit to the country and for this opportunity to examine root causes and implementation of laws and policies to prevent and combat violence against women and girls.”

“I would like to engage in dialogue with the authorities in Argentina on ways and means for them to step up efforts to prevent and combat all forms of violence against women and girls with special focus on prevention of femicides,” the human rights expert noted.

Ms. Šimonović’s visit will take her to the capital, Buenos Aires, and the provinces of Tucumán, Corrientes and Buenos Aires, where she will meet with Government representatives both at federal and provincial level and non-governmental organizations. She will also visit shelters for victims of domestic violence and she will meet with women victims of violence.

The Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference on the initial findings of her visit on Tuesday, 21 November at the United Nations Information Center for Uruguay and Argentina, Junín 1940, 1st floor, Buenos Aires, at 12h30 p.m. Access to the press conference is strictly limited to journalists.

Based on the information obtained during the visit, Ms. Šimonović will present a report with final findings and recommendations to the Human Rights Council in June 2017.

Ms. Dubravka Šimonović (Croatia) was appointed as Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2015, to recommend measures, ways and means, at the national, regional and international levels, to eliminate violence against women and its causes, and to remedy its consequences. Ms. Šimonoviæ has been member of the CEDAW Committee from 2002 to 2014. She headed the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Croatia and was the Minister Plenipotentiary at the Permanent Mission of Croatia to the UN in New York. She was also Ambassador to the OSCE and UN in Vienna. She co-chaired the Ad hoc Committee (CAHVIO) of the Council of Europe that elaborated the Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention).She has a PhD in Family Law and published books and articles on human rights and women’s rights. Learn more, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/SRWomen/Pages/SRWomenIndex.aspx

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

UN Human Rights, Country Page – Argentina:  http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/LACRegion/Pages/ARIndex.aspx

For further information and media requests, please contact:
In Geneva (before and after the visit):
Antoanela Pavlova (+41 22 917 9331 / apavlova@ohchr.org) or write to vaw@ohchr.org.
In Buenos Aires (during the visit):
Gustavo Poch (+54 011 4803 7671 / Gustavo.poch@unic.org) or Antoanela Pavlova (+41 79 444 3702 / apavlova@ohchr.org)

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

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