COMMISSION HEARS NATIONAL DELEGATIONS OUTLINE COMMITMENTS TO UPHOLD WOMEN'S RIGHTS

Commission on Human Rights
AFTERNOON
6 April 2005



Continues Debate on Integration of Human Rights of Women
and the Gender Perspective


The Commission on Human Rights this afternoon continued its general debate on the integration of the human rights of women and the gender perspective, including violence against women, by hearing national delegations outline their commitments to uphold the promotion and protection of the human rights of women.

Speakers highlighted national achievements in the fight against trafficking and violence against women and the girl child, citing legislative and institutional measures, including the implementing of national plans of action and programmes to complement their efforts.

Statements were also made on how Governments were combating the phenomenon of sexual and domestic violence, sex tourism, poverty affecting women, and inequality of opportunities.

Making statements were national delegations from Ecuador, Nigeria, Mexico (on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries GRULAC), Lithuania (on behalf of the Baltic and Nordic countries), Romania, Burkina Faso, Ukraine, Dominican Republic, Qatar, United States, India, Indonesia, Japan, Honduras, Mauritania, Luxembourg (on behalf of the European Union), South Africa, Germany, Paraguay, Russian Federation, Republic of Korea, Kenya, Eritrea, China, Ireland, Armenia, Bhutan, Mexico, Brazil and Turkey.

Exercising the right of reply were Japan, Iran and the Republic of Korea.

When the Commission reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 7 April, it will continue its general debate on the integration of the human rights of women and the gender perspective. At 12.30 p.m. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, will address the Commission.

General Debate on the integration of the human rights of women and a gender perspective

LETICIA BAQUERIZO GUZMAN (Ecuador) said Ecuador's commitment to women's rights had been demonstrated by laws and reforms adopted in recent years, which sought to ensure the full exercise of women's rights, in conformity with the standards set out in international instruments, including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Ecuador had positive discrimination laws, which dealt with issues including violence against women, the family, children, labour and maternity leave. In conformity with recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, Ecuador had established a national women's organization that reported to the Office of the President and whose principal task was to coordinate public policies on gender. There had been campaigns to prevent and punish acts of violence against women, and committees for women's affairs had been established and were supported by the police and judiciary, as well as non-governmental organizations.

Ecuador maintained that women must be included in decision-making at every level, and in both the public and private spheres and wished to underscore the importance of incorporating men into that process as well, she said. All male leaders and officials must be convinced that equality in opportunities and rights was of benefit to all. Only after the gender perspective had been universalized would it be possible to ensure the full respect of human rights. She also highlighted external debt servicing as an impediment to full enjoyment of human rights, especially as it posed an obstacle to the Government's ensuring of the rights of the most vulnerable. The Government had, however, undertaken training and support programmes for poor women. Overall, the Government had guaranteed broad participation in all aspects of public policy formation. She also noted that the National Human Rights Plan was a State policy that transcended and envisaged the practical implementation of 16 operational plans, which stressed the indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights, including economic, social and cultural rights, collective rights and rights broken down by individual groups, including women.

JOSEPH U. AYALOGU (Nigeria) said the issue of human rights of women and the gender perspective was of the utmost importance in the entire gamut of international human rights matters. It was made even more so by the urgency that was required in its amelioration and final eradication. It was the belief of the delegation of Nigeria that there should be no room for tolerance on violence against women for any reason or purpose. Indeed, no culture or religion should endorse or tolerate such acts, knowing that it constituted not only a violation of the rights of women, but also detracted from the principles of humanity of all. The rights of women were the fundamental building blocks of the international human rights agenda. The international community had strived much in recent years for the advancement of those rights and much had been achieved in that regard. However, much still needed to be done in order to collectively acquit the responsibility towards ensuring that the last vestige of gender disparity and domination was removed in dealings with women.

The violation of the rights of women took various shapes and guises. In addition to the traditional form known as domestic violence, other more sinister forms had come to the fore as well. Those included the deliberate targeting of women, especially in times of conflicts, and subjecting them to such acts as rape, beatings, torture and even killings. The exploitation of women and unequal pay for their labour was also another form of violence. Furthermore, traditional cultural practices had left women worse off in many social incidents that would normally require equality between genders and justice for all. The Nigerian Government had introduced policy measures that were aimed specifically at the enhancement of the status of women and their complete integration into the fabric of society.

LUCERO SALDANA PEREZ Mexico, speaking on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC), said the principle of non-discrimination should be reaffirmed, and particular importance was attached to equality between men and women. The rights of women should be recognized as being an integral and inalienable part of human rights. The full recognition of women's rights was essential to secure that proper equity policies were applied. Legislative changes in the region had opened up avenues for the exercise of their rights for women. Recognition of gender had been associated as a step towards enhancing development. Overcoming poverty and empowering citizens in a democratic context were two of the main ways of guaranteeing women their rights.

Women faced serious obstacles in exercising their rights, as doing so required full exercise of citizenship. There was a need for pro-active programmes ensuring equal pay for equal work. Policies needed to be implemented so that women could accede to their fundamental rights, including their economic, social and cultural rights. It was essential to inform people about the transmission and treatment of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, and to ensure access to health services and education for all women, which should encourage a policy of respect for human rights, especially for women. The incorporation of the gender perspective into policies was the best way forward. GRULAC supported the United Nations' work for the advancement of women. Some areas in the Beijing Plan of Action had shown some progress, but up to now there had not been full implementation of these objectives. The international community should continue to work together in seeking mechanisms designed to eliminate the scourge of violence against women, which harmed all societies.

DARIUS STANIULIS Lithuania, speaking on behalf of the Baltic and Nordic States, said trafficking in human beings had become an integral part of the discussions on the human rights of women. That multi-facetted phenomenon, related to a wide spectrum of violations, was of great concern to the Baltic and Nordic countries. It prevented victims from enjoying the human rights they were entitled to. Also, human rights violations could lead to increased vulnerability to trafficking. The efforts already undertaken in that area should be continued, and new actions should be undertaken. He welcomed the establishment of the post of Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children. In attempting to curb trafficking, the international community was faced with a number of difficult questions. Preventive measures should not be undermined, especially the empowerment of women, poverty reduction and public information campaigns. Such campaigns carried out in the Baltic States, in cooperation with the Nordic countries, had proved very useful. They made potential victims more aware of possible risks, and provided them with another chance to reconsider their actions.

Instruments and mechanisms of regional cooperation provided additional possibilities to enhance the network against trafficking. Apart from the necessity for wider global and regional actions against traffickers, the Baltic and Nordic countries continued to develop close links between their governmental agencies. The Nordic
Baltic Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings, established in 2002, had already produced its first report. The States could engage in different activities fighting trafficking and improving the situation of victims; however, that task and especially assistance to victims could be addressed much more effectively with the active engagement of non-governmental organizations. Fighting against trafficking required action by all States, including those of origin or destination of trafficking.

STELUTA ARHIRE (Romania) said there was growing international consensus on the need for women's rights and gender analysis to constitute an automatic aspect in the planning and practice of all political initiatives, as such an approach would ensure that the most vulnerable citizens played an active role in the transformation and rebuilding of their societies. Women should be acknowledged as having valuable contributions to make in their societies, and in international relations, due to their skills and their ability to bring added value to decision-making and policy implementation; policies and decisions should not automatically categorize women as vulnerable beings, identifying them primarily as victims. Women's participation in the advancement of their societies must reflect their capacity to stand as equal partners with men in the decision-making process. The role of women as agents of development and peace transcended boundaries and cultures. Each social and political system was sufficiently rich to ensure that gender perspectives could be mainstreamed into politics and policies.

Romanian women had joined men in fighting terror, and in securing Afghanistan and Iraq, she noted. They had contributed to post-conflict reconstruction in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and had served as peacekeepers in Africa and as members of Parliament at home. A network of institutions and norms aimed at ensuring that women fully enjoyed their rights had been established; however, understanding that even just and unambiguous legal stipulations could not ensure gender equity by themselves, the Government had adopted a National Plan of Action for Equal Opportunities, which provided a comprehensive framework for all governmental agencies to develop concrete actions for promoting the economic and social rights of women, and to facilitate their participation in the decision-making process. Also recognizing that some women continued to fall victim to abuse and ill-treatment and were falling victims to trafficking, as was the case in many Eastern European countries, Romania had adopted a law on combating and preventing trafficking in human beings in 2001.

ASSETOU TOURE (Burkina Faso) said the existence of different international judicial instruments had not yet managed to put an end to the violation of women's rights. This was why the respect and promotion of women's rights remained a preoccupation of the Commission. Women in Burkina Faso were still confronted with obstacles in terms of achieving their socio-cultural rights, although many judicial acts on the promotion and protection of human rights had been approved and adopted by the Government. Violence perpetrated against women remained a daily reality which resulted in psychological, economic and negative impacts on women themselves, as well as children, families, and society as a whole. This was why the Government was committed to elaborating and implementing the necessary policies for the realization of changes allowing for the improved protection of women, while taking into account the role of women in social, economic and political affairs.

Burkina Faso was also a pioneer, as it had established a law against female genital mutilation, and had named the education of girls a national priority. The advancement of the fundamental rights of women was today a factor for the promotion of development; however, the global process of development revealed and reinforced the inequalities between men and women. There was no true development in a context of inequalities based on gender identity and usually having culture as the base for a refusal of change. The gender-specific perspective should therefore be integrated in all projects and programmes for development by elaborating equitable policies in order to achieve the goal of a sustainable human development.

VOLODYMYR BIELASHOV (Ukraine) said that much progress had been made towards the advancement of the rights and equality of women, and in the elimination of discrimination, in the 25 years since the elaboration of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and in the 10 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. However, problems related to strengthening the status of women and eliminating discrimination, exclusion or restrictions on the basis of sex remained an ongoing concern in the twenty-first century. Women continued to have unequal access to resources and opportunities, and continued to fall victim to abuse, poverty and discrimination. Gender equality and women's empowerment, as enshrined in the Millennium Declaration, constituted effective ways of combating poverty, hunger and disease, and stimulating sustainable development.

Noting that the new Prime Minister of Ukraine was a woman, he said that his country had actively contributed to the implementation of the Beijing and Millennium goals, and maintained the advancement of women and protection of their rights as a national policy priority. While taking the necessary measures to provide sustainable economic growth and enhance the well-being of every family, the Government paid close attention to the economic advancement of women, to their education, and to their awareness of their rights. Institutional mechanisms for gender equity and equality worked with non-governmental organizations in the areas of gender awareness building; improvement of statistical data collection; elimination of trafficking in women; elimination of domestic and gender-based violence; media promotion of gender issues; and health empowerment and gender mainstreaming in education at all levels. Challenges continued to be faced in terms of trafficking in women, discrimination in the labour market, and low representation in executive authorities; the level of maternal morality in rural areas also remained a source of concern.

YSSET ROMÁN MALDONADO (Dominican Republic) said that Law 24-97 of 1997 had reformed the Dominican Penal Code with the view to consolidate gender equality. The process of reform had also aimed at strengthening the position of women in society. Other legal measures had also been taken to empower the position of women in property ownership matters. The State and civil society had been working together towards the improvement of the conditions of women and protecting them from violence. Measures had been taken in the field of empowering women, poverty eradication, education, culture and media improvement, and health and violence. The Government had designed a programme for the social and political inclusion of women from which 200,000 households had thus far benefited.

Affirmative measures had also been taken to increase the participation of women in decision-making. The violation of the human rights of women had been a concern to the Government. For that reason it had adopted an equity plan for the full participation of women. A State Secretariat for Women had been set up to empower women. The Government had also taken myriad measures to strengthen its investigation procedures involving violence against women. The Government would also continue its efforts to reinforce the participation of women in all aspects of society so that all Dominican women would enjoy equal rights and their full human rights.

NOUR ABDULLA AL-MALKI (Qatar) said the empowerment of women and the promotion of their role in society had been a priority issue for the Government of Qatar since 1995. Thus, Qatari women had made remarkable achievements in all fields supported by new legislation, the creation of institutional mechanisms for women's affairs and an increase in expenditures on programmes dealing with women's health, education and culture. Education had been the most important factor in the empowerment of Qatari women. Women's participation in the economy had increased as well as in decision-making positions. They had been granted the right to vote and to run for the next parliamentary elections. The State of Qatar was committed to the rule of law and respect for human rights. Therefore, it was committed to combat the crime of trafficking in persons, especially women and children.

The present day was characterized, unfortunately, by the phenomenon of violence which affected all regions and cultures and was a threat to material and social achievements; when the target was women and children, it also threatened consciences and minds, and none should remain spectators. Concerted efforts should be made to confront this phenomenon. In Qatar, the Government sought to address the problem of violence against women in the framework of a comprehensive approach for the empowerment of women by providing them with a good education, creating a suitable environment for their work and advancement, and helping them achieve economic independence. Work was also being done to spread Islamic values and to refine Qatari traditional cultures from negative ideas about women.

GOLI AMERI (United States) said the United States had directed considerable efforts towards empowering women and protecting women and young girls from abuse for decades. The United States had adopted the Trafficking Victims Protection Act to assist victims with medical care, housing, low-cost legal aid and help from victims services organizations. The law also helped foreign countries to prevent and deter trafficking by providing funding to governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations to create specialized law enforcement units, train prosecutors and judges, strengthen anti-trafficking laws, and provide emergency shelter, medical care and vocational training. Since 2001, the United States had provided approximately $ 295 million to support anti-trafficking efforts in 120 countries. The United States had also adopted a law to allow for the prosecution of Americans who travelled abroad to have sex with minors. Operation Predator, which sought to identify, investigate and arrest child sex predators, had led to 4,300 arrests, including several individuals involved in child sex tourism. The United States remained convinced that efforts to eradicate human trafficking must address the market forces that drove victims into prostitution.

One of the most deadly outcomes of sexual exploitation was the proliferation of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, she noted. The United States continued to lead the world fight against HIV/AIDS as evidenced by the President's five-year, $15 billion Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS relief, through which $2 billion had been pledged to the Global Fund to Fights HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The United States had also engaged in funding specific projects in Asia and the western hemisphere to heighten awareness on domestic violence and other forms of violence against women. Among other initiatives, the United States continued to help women in post-conflict situations, including in Afghanistan and Iraq. Progress in those countries led to hope for progress in other countries in the region. In Iran, women had struggled to regain freedoms lost in the past two decades. It was no coincidence that the Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi -- the most visible figure in the Iranian movement to improve human rights -- was a woman. The movement for human rights in that country was full of women who had endured arrest, beatings, stoning and second-class treatment.

HARDEEP SINGH PURI (India) said India had ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1993. In addition, it had ratified other international instruments dealing with women's rights. India's national commitment to women's rights, however, dated back to the time when independent India adopted its Constitution in 1950. The Constitution was path-breaking, not only according to the standards of the newly independent countries, but also to that of many of the developed countries, in its focus on the emancipation of women and removal of all forms of discrimination against them. The guaranteeing of equal rights and privileges for women by the Constitution had marked the first step in the journey towards the transformation of the status of women in India. India's approach to women's rights rested on the belief that the progress of any society was dependent on its ability to protect and promote the rights of its women. As a result of concerted efforts and a comprehensive policy framework over the last five decades there had been significant advances in the socio-economic indicators for women. Those included a considerable rise in life expectancy at birth, increase in the average age at marriage, and a decline in the female mortality rate.

Empowerment of women was critical for the socio-economic progress of any country. The seventy-third and seventy-fourth constitutional amendments were enacted in 1993 to provide for a reservation of seats for women in the democratic institutions at the village and local levels, and had laid a strong foundation for the participation of women at the decision-making level. In addition, several programmes had been put in place for the empowerment of women through mobilization, organization and awareness generation, so as to enhance the self-confidence of women within the household and community and grant them access to resources from various available and new sources.

DIANA EMILIA SARI SUTIKNO (Indonesia) said the promotion and protection of human rights of women were vital to the development of every nation. Nevertheless the effects of globalization, poverty and migration had stunted the full realization of women's rights. Persistent gaps in policies and programmes had led to an uneven pace in the implementation and promotion of these fundamental rights and freedoms. Integrating the human rights of women throughout the United Nations system could help women combat the challenges they faced in their daily lives. Therefore, maintaining synergy and coordination in the work of various institutions in the United Nations was crucial to the advancement of women's rights, while the awareness and capacity of United Nations' personnel on the issue of gender mainstreaming, at every level, should be consciously strengthened. These efforts ultimately enhanced the constructive implementation of gender mainstreaming by Member States.

The thirty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women had highlighted the gap that still existed between policy and implementation. However, if core State policies incorporated the rights of women more systematically into the various spheres of life, significant progress would be made in furthering their rights. Women should also be encouraged to participate in more human rights fora where they could have an influence. A comprehensive and constructive approach that incorporated the assistance of global and local stakeholders was essential if qualitative improvements were to be achieved to the social, political and economic situation of women. It was time for all to deliver concrete actions, and Indonesia pledged its unreserved commitment to continue efforts to promote and protect the human rights of women.

SHIGERU ENDO (Japan) said Japan had striven to take concrete actions to advance the status of women in accordance with international human rights instruments such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Beijing Declaration and Programme of Action. The advancement of women was nothing less than the promotion of human security, which formed a pillar of the country's foreign policy. At the recent session of the Commission on the Status of Women, Japan had outlined its recently enacted gender equality policies, which had been framed around three perspectives: strengthening of the national machineries in Japan; progress made in legal and administrative measures for gender equality and women's empowerment; and international cooperation.

Among concrete actions taken to prevent violence against women, he cited an amendment of the law for the prevention of spousal violence and the protection of victims, which aimed to strengthen legal recourse against domestic violence. Japan had reaffirmed its commitment to integrate a gender perspective in every phase of its official development assistance implementation to support the self-help efforts of developing countries. That initiative had taken several basic approaches to gender mainstreaming, including strengthening integration of a gender equality perspective in ODA policies; strengthening gender analysis and promoting women's participation; assistance for policies and institutions promoting gender equality; strengthening cooperation with the international community and non-governmental organizations; and organizational and institutional capacity-building. Japan had also adopted a comprehensive action plan to combat trafficking in persons, and had made strenuous efforts to tackle the issue with three immediate priorities: the prevention of trafficking; the eradication of trafficking; and the protection of victims of trafficking.

J. BENJAMIN ZAPATA (Honduras) said the promotion and protection of women's rights in Honduras had been given priority within the context of its commitment under the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention and Elimination of Violence against Women and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The respect for the rights of women and the fight against violence against women had been high on the national agenda of Honduras since the 1980s. Punishing perpetrators of violence against women had also been a priority. A special procurator for women had been set up to prosecute those committing violence against women. The Criminal Code had also been amended to include sexual tourism crimes. In 1999, a national institute for women had been created to design national policies for women and to ensure equal opportunities in all fields.

In the field of reproductive health, the Government had taken adequate measures to protect women from any form of sexual disease. Prosecutors and police had also set up telephone lines to receive complaints from female victims of violence and the Government had taken further measures in the political, cultural and economic fields with a view to eliminating obstacles impeding women from enjoying them. Annual operational plans had also been put in place, together with strategic plans for the eliminating poverty.

MOHAMED SALECK OULD MOHAMED LEMINE (Mauritania) said women had always played an important role in Mauritanian society and, in conformity with both tradition and the needs of modern life, the promotion of women was today a major part of Mauritania's policies. On the judicial level, Mauritania had ratified all major judicial instruments related to the rights of women, and had revised its judicial system to ensure its conformity with these instruments. It had adopted in 2001 a Code of Personal Status which in particular fixed the modalities for marriage, divorce, and family litigation; in particular, the minimum age for marriage had been fixed at 18. To consolidate the political rights conferred upon women, several socio-economic programmes had been implemented that served women in a specific manner, and these programmes had seriously improved the access of women to basic services such as education, health, nutrition and housing.

Women played a great role in the conception and implementation of these programmes. Campaigns were equally undertaken against sexual violence and against the negative practices affecting the health of women and girls such as force-feeding, female genital mutilation, and early marriages, which were now forbidden by law. Still, the Government remained convinced that access to knowledge and the improvement of the economic and social situations were the best antidotes to all forms of discrimination and violence against women, as these came, in truth, from the unequal power relationship that existed between men and women. The goal aimed for was to ensure equality between men and women by creating the indispensable conditions to the economic, social and political promotion of women.

ANDRE BIEVER (Luxembourg), speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated countries, said the Union wished to emphasize that gender equality was an end in itself, and contributed to the realization of all the Millennium Development Goals. Urging the universal ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Kinds of Discrimination against Women, he said that the instrument's implementation rested at the heart of all efforts to eliminate gender-based discrimination, and to ensure women's full enjoyment of their human rights. Ten years on from the Beijing Conference, numerous challenges remained. Gender perspective must be integrated fully into the judicial system and States must integrate measures related to non-discrimination in the social, cultural and professional domains, and establish mechanisms for their implementation. In Europe, legislation constituted the driving force for equality between men and women, and a series of indicators based on comparable, quantitative data collection on issues related to the Beijing Platform for Action had been developed since 1999. The Union's members were also committed to developing new, related indicators. Achieving equality, he continued, also necessitated recognition of women's right to sexual and reproductive health. Despite the progress made, many obstacles continued to impede the full implementation of the Beijing commitments, including in the areas of employment and unemployment levels, the salary gap, lack of equality in the workplace, and violence against women, including domestic violence.

Violence against women took a number of forms, he added, including gender related violence against young girls in armed conflict. Impunity for gender-related violence must be brought to an end, and the victims of that violence protected. Female genital mutilation, early or forced marriages, and honour crimes constituted forms of violence which prevented women and girls from fully enjoying their human rights and fundamental liberties. Social, cultural and religious factors could never be invoked to justify these crimes, and States had a responsibility to eradicate such forms of violence against women and young girls. Also recalling that violence against women put them at increased risk of contracting the HIV/AIDS virus, he added that HIV-positive status increased the level of discrimination suffered by women. Other forms of violence against women included trafficking in women and young girls, and the Convention against Organized Crime should be universally ratified. The Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court had also identified torture, rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced sterilization, and any other form of sexual violence as crimes against humanity and war crimes. Finally, he stressed the importance involving women in conflict prevention and resolution structures.

GLAUDINE MTSHALI (South Africa) said despite the many challenges that South Africa faced, it had indeed made significant progress towards the attainment and implementation of women's empowerment and gender equality. South Africa had a vibrant history of women's involvement in political life that had influenced the actions and programmes of the Government since 1994. South Africa had embarked on poverty alleviation initiatives and other massive programmes to improve access to basic social services, education and business opportunities to enable women to enjoy the fruits of its democracy and freedom. A number of laws had been implemented aimed at improving the quality of life for women. Those included employment and economic opportunity legislation, safety and security legislation, such as the Domestic Violence Act, and social legislation, such as the Maintenance Act. South Africa was also party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The country strived to fulfil the obligations contained therein at all times.

South Africa's programmes to fight the twin scourge of violence against women and girls and of HIV/AIDS had included legislative reforms, and innovative campaigns and programmes. Since 1994, a number of laws had been passed or amended to deal with the abuse of women and children. There were ongoing programmes to train police and magistrates to sensitize them to issues of gender-based violence. Currently, there were over 40 specialized sexual offence courts, which were being expanded throughout the country to speed up the cases awaiting trial and to improve the conviction rate. Neither South Africa, nor the African Continent, nor the world could reach its full potential from a political, social, cultural and economic viewpoint without the active participation of women.

TOM KOENIGS (Germany) said in Germany, women had been guaranteed equal rights since 1949, and since then, the country had successively put in place a legal framework to further promote the rights of women and to ensure that these rights were not only recognized but also respected in practice. However, it was acknowledged that there were still obstacles to fully realizing gender equality. New strategies were continuing to be developed, which aimed to secure a genuine equality of women and men.

One of the most serious practices which violated a number of human rights and which primarily affected women and girls was trafficking in persons. A Bill on Human Trafficking had come into force in February 2005, which enabled the Government to intensify the fight against human trafficking. This Bill provided, on the one hand, severe sentences for perpetrators of human trafficking, and better protection and greater ease in bringing charges against their tormentors for the victims of this abhorrent practice. At the same time, existing laws against human trafficking had been reinforced by the provision of a broader, more comprehensive definition of the term. The Parliament was at present debating a draft Bill on protection from discrimination, which, if adopted, would, among other things, provide women with further instruments to better defend themselves against gender-based discrimination. The Commission should continue its valuable work of promotion and protection of women's rights worldwide.

MARICEL RIVAS CUEVAS (Paraguay) said that important progress had been made in terms of the visualization, institutionalization and conceptualization of a gender perspective in Paraguay. Women had always played an essential role in the country. Recently, important and historic steps forward had been taken in women's participation in the public sector; six women now occupied the highest posts in executive secretariats at the national level. As a result of the last general elections in 2003, a woman had been elected Governor for the region of Concepcion, and a woman had been appointed to the Supreme Court. Moreover, the country's most significant achievements in terms of the Beijing Platform for Action had been in increasing educational coverage, reducing literacy, and achieving the strategic plan for 2020.

The gender aspect had been incorporated at all political levels, and the national policy for ensuring integrated healthcare for women had been drawn up and approved in 1999, she affirmed. The second national plan for reproductive and sexual health envisaged progress in reducing infant and maternal mortality, among other goals. There had also been awareness raising efforts concerning women and HIV/AIDS, which aimed to reduce violence against women, to protect women's economic and political rights, and to increase education for prevention. Experience had also shown that poverty reduction required not just economic strategies, but also social development. A national strategy on overcoming poverty and inequality had been adopted, which conceptualized the different ways in which poverty and inequality were experienced by women and men. Another project, involving technical support from the International Organization for Migration and the Inter-American Development Bank, sought to confront the scourge of trafficking in human beings, which required a joint struggle for its eradication.

GALINA KHVAN (Russian Federation) said during the recent meeting in New York on the review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Programme of Action, States had confirmed their continued commitment to upholding the rights of women. During her visit to the Russian Federation in February this year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights was briefed on the measures taken by the Russian Federation towards the human rights of women. The Government at the federal and local levels had taken a number of measures to ensure gender equality. The problem of trafficking, which was being focused on by the Commission, had recently become a central focus of attention for other organizations that expressed their commitment to fight this phenomenon.

In the fight against trafficking and organized crime, the Russian Federation had joined efforts with others in a concerted manner. The criminal proceedings connected to trafficking had also been improved to better deal with the criminals.

HYUCK CHOI (Republic of Korea) said the integration of the human rights of women and the gender perspective had relevance in every aspect of human rights and indeed the entire scope of the Commission's work. Trafficking had often been regarded as a law and order issue, with greater focus on the prevention and punishment of perpetrators than on the protection of victims. The Government of the Republic of Korea had endeavoured to fight trafficking in persons. In particular, increased attention had been paid to the human rights of victims. New legislation had been adopted that contained protection for the victims of human trafficking and for sexual exploitation, and efforts would continue to be made in this regard.

This year marked the sixtieth anniversary of the Second World War. This was a sobering reminder of the profound misery that humankind had inflicted upon itself, but it was also a stern warning that history could repeat itself should we fail to learn from past mistakes. In this regard, it was a cause of grave concern that certain history textbooks which had been screened and approved by the Japanese Government continued to distort or omit altogether historical facts relating to gross human rights violations committed by Japan in the past, particularly the forcible mobilization and enslavement of the so-called "comfort women" by the Japanese military during the Second World War. There was deep concern and resentment that Japan still refused to come to terms with its past. Memories could be short, but the pain suffered by these women continued. It would be an irreversible shame of history if the Japanese Government did not rectify its past wrongdoings before these women passed away. The window of opportunity would soon close. The Japanese Government wanted to confine this issue to the past, but this could only happen if it showed the courage to confront its past and engage in a process of seeking the truth, sincere apology and genuine contrition. Only on this basis could there be true reconciliation and forgiveness between the two peoples and the world over.

JEAN W. KIMANI (Kenya) said the Government of Kenya remained fully committed to achieving gender equality and promoting and protecting the human rights of women and girls as sustainable development would not be possible without the full involvement of women in the nation-building process. The Government had thus made deliberate efforts to mobilize the full creative and productive potential of women to reduce gender inequality and increase women's participation in political affairs and economic activities. Since the introduction of multi-party politics in 1991, women's participation in politics had improved greatly, with the number of female parliamentarians doubling from nine in 1999 to 18 in 2002. Women's representation in local authorities had increased from eight to 13.3 per cent, and the Government had decided to appoint women to key decision-making positions. Moreover, the Government had enacted the Gender Commission Act, and had established a National Commission on Gender to mainstream gender issues in all aspects of public life.

Violence against women nullified the enjoyment of women's human rights, he acknowledged, and constituted an obstacle to achieving development objectives. The Government had thus embarked upon a sensitization campaign regarding gender violence, and had recognized the need to create special police units to deal with incidents of violence and rape. Certain cultural practices had also been recognized as retrogressive, and the Government had taken bold steps to curb such practices, including by banning the rite of female genital mutilation. The Government had also raised the age of consensual sex from 16 to 18 in an attempt to address the problem of early marriages. Education remained an important tool to correct the various social, economic and political gender disparities, and the Government had introduced a quota system in primary and secondary schools, which had increased girls' school enrolment significantly. Entrance points for public universities had also been lowered to ensure that women and other disadvantaged groups were given fair consideration. The introduction of quota systems at universities had also led to more opportunities for women to advance their studies.

AMARE TEKLE (Eritrea) said that Eritrean society, which included women who had fought for independence alongside their male compatriots and were now equally contributing to the defence and development of their country, had been, and would continue to be, committed to the full realization of their equality and empowerment to which national priority had been given. Eritrea had adhered to all the conventions and protocols on women immediately after its liberation and the Beijing Conference was one of the first major diplomatic events in which an Eritrean delegation had participated. The Government of Eritrea had, since the early days of independence, demonstrated that national commitment by taking the necessary legal, political, social, economic and financial measures to translate commitment to action. The Constitution and other subsidiary laws were replete with references to the rights and equality of women, the centrality of their role in society and the importance of their contribution to national development and the defence of the motherland.

The Government of Eritrea considered the eradication of poverty as one of its highest priorities – in fact, second only to the preservation of the country's independence. It had consequently launched a programme, including the empowerment of women, which it considered to be a precondition for success in a short period of time. Eritrea was also committed to the education of women. It had strict legal provisions related to violence against women as well as trafficking in persons, particularly women and girls. Many countries including Eritrea had tried and continued to try hard to promote and protect the rights of women and the girl child. Yet, they were faced with serious socio-cultural obstacles.

LIU ZHENHUA (China) said since the First World Conference on Women held 30 years ago, the international community had gained a markedly better common understanding on promoting women's progress and on realizing gender equality. International cooperation in this field had been constantly strengthened. With the common efforts of all concerned, elimination of discrimination against women and the principle of gender equality had found their expressions in the programmes and actions of Governments of all countries. These efforts had produced positive and far-reaching impact and should be fully acknowledged. Meanwhile, it had been noticed with concern that wars, armed conflicts, poverty, violence, discrimination and diseases were still restricting the enjoyment of human rights and equality of women in many countries, in particular in developing countries, and were limiting their right and opportunity to participate in the process of development. Currently, against the backdrop of the rapid development of economic globalization and the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor and between the developed and the developing countries, problems such as the poverty of women and HIV/AIDS were becoming ever more salient.

The issue of how to overcome difficulties and to face up to these challenges so that women could fully enjoy all their rights was important and it merited serious attention by the Commission. For the realization of women's rights, the international community should strive to safeguard world peace, strengthen cooperation and promote common development. The developed countries were duty-bound to assist developing countries in capacity building. In the meantime, the international community should continue its efforts in combating crimes such as trafficking of women and girls, forced prostitution and sexual exploitation. Countries should further strengthen relevant legislation and law enforcement, and strike hard at crimes violating the rights and interests of women, so as to promote and safeguard women's rights in real terms. This year marked the sixtieth anniversary of the United Nations, the tenth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the fifth anniversary of the Special Session of the General Assembly on Women and the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals. All countries and the international community should seize this opportunity to take action and to make greater strides for the realization of women's rights.

MARY WHELAN (Ireland) said Ireland had made major advances in the promotion of gender equality, both in terms of its legislative framework and in Irish society in general, throughout the last ten years. Among the groundbreaking legislation adopted were the Employment Equality Act of 1998, the Equal Status Act of 2000, and the Equality Act of 2004. An Equality Authority and Tribunal had also been established. Unprecedented economic growth had been a catalyst for change, and had particularly impacted the role of women, whose participation in the labour force had risen from 41.4 per cent in 1997 to 49.4 per cent today. Moreover, through policies supporting childcare provision and enabling women to reconcile their work and family lives, Ireland had ensured that fewer constraints faced women who wished to access the workforce, or to avail themselves of training and educational opportunities.

Gender mainstreaming had been incorporated into the National Development Plan, she continued, and a Gender Equality Unit had been established in the Department of Justice. There had also been significant developments in the promotion of gender equality in decision-making; the Equality for Women Measure developed under the National Development Plan had the overarching goal of reducing the barriers to women's full participation in Irish society. Among other provisions, the Measure provided for funding for political parties, which increased the number of women holding decision-making roles, or who sought to increase the number of female electoral candidates. Ireland was also conscious of the need for equal access to health and education for women. It had adopted a Plan for Women's Health, had established a Women's Health Council, and had established a gender equality unit in the Department of Education and Science.

MARTA AYVAZYAN (Armenia) said the enhancement of the institutional frameworks within which the issues of women were addressed remained a challenging issue on the agenda of the Government of Armenia. At present, the functioning institutions addressed social, health and employment issues and did not have sufficient resources or powers to pursue a comprehensive approach in implementing effective policies on the rights of women. The National Plan of Action envisaged the development of social partnerships between the Government, civil society, non-governmental organizations, and broad engagements of the international institutions. Policy formulation with respect to women's issues was viewed as a crosscutting objective in the context of the elaboration and implementation of various other strategic objects of the Government. In particular, women's issues were considerably elaborated in Armenia's Poverty Reduction Strategy. Those issues were also brought into focus in the context of legislative reform in the country.

Given that Armenia inherited the previous legal tradition, prescribing a wide range of safeguards and privileges to women, there were at present no legal provisions in Armenia prescribing discrimination against women. However, there was no room for complacency as many of those provisions lacked effective implementation due to limited resource availability. That issue was subject to particular focus in a wide range of crosscutting Government initiatives, as well as of the National Plan of Action as such.

SONAM T. RABGYE (Bhutan) said the protection of the human rights of victims of trafficking in persons, especially of women and children, was of the highest importance. All aspects of this heinous crime should be thoroughly looked into, and the Special Rapporteur should engage in formulating recommendations aimed at highlighting the human rights implications of trafficking as well as preventing trafficking through a human rights approach and at upholding the human rights of trafficked persons. Trafficking in persons, especially women and children, was prohibited by law in Bhutan. Fortunately, so far, given Bhutan's small society and strict law enforcement, there had been no reported cases in Bhutan.

There were currently 67 reported cases of HIV/AIDS infection in Bhutan, and whilst this number was relatively small, it was of great concern due to the implications of the pandemic. A very vigorous awareness and prevention campaign had therefore been instituted by the Government. While total gender parity could not be claimed, several factors showed a favourable situation of women. There was no formalized gender bias at home or at the workplace; tradition and custom favoured women in matters of inheritance and property was usually inherited through the mother. With Government support, the enrolment of girls in schools had increased. Health care was free for all citizens, with the Government providing special attention to women's health, particularly reproductive health. The Government was committed to adopting appropriate strategies for creating gender awareness, promoting measures that encouraged the retention of girls in higher levels of education, improving existing reproductive health services and paying special attention to the prevention of HIV/AIDS and any forms of sexual harassment and abuse.

CHRISTIANO SAVIO BARROS FIGUEROA (Brazil) said that the Government of Brazil had created three important secretariats for the strengthening of human rights mechanisms, and the mainstreaming of gender and racial perspectives: the Special Secretariat of Policies for Women; the Special Secretariat of Policies to Promote Racial Equality; and the Special Secretariat of Human Rights. Each of them had been established at the ministerial level, directly under the presidency. These measures attested to the country's commitment to human rights and to the fight against gender and racial inequalities. Last July, the Government had convened the first National Conference of Policies for Women, which had constituted a bottom-up process involving 120,000 women from all segments of society. The main objective had been to formulate principles and guidelines for a National Policy for Women and a corresponding Plan of Action, which had been made public in December. The Plan of Action had four main strategic points, containing 198 actions and 26 priorities; the four points were: autonomy, equality at work and citizenship; education in an inclusive and non-sexist perspective; women's health, sexual and reproductive rights; and combating violence against women.

The Government remained committed to tackling the serious problem of domestic and sexual violence against women, he said, and had devised a multi-disciplinary national policy integrating the spheres of health, security, justice, education, and social and psychological assistance. Also concerned by the phenomenon of trafficking in women and girls, and its link to poverty and sexual, commercial and labour exploitation, the Government viewed the problem as requiring coordinated action among countries of origin, transit and destination. For its part, Brazil had carried out a nationwide research in 2001, which had identified trafficking routes inside the country and abroad, and had profiled both the criminal and the victim. The report emerging from that research had been used as a reference about trafficking, and had helped the Government to establish a national programme aimed at improving women and girls' access to education, health, and the labour market, and at punishing the culprits while protecting and assisting the victims.

YONCA OZCERI (Turkey) said it was fully committed to promoting, respecting and ensuring the rights of women and substantial results had been achieved to this end. Turkey had paid particular attention to take necessary legal measures to prevent violence against women. Sexual crimes were, with this understanding, defined as crimes committed against the individual rather than crimes against public decency. Also, for the first time, marital rape and sexual harassment at the work place were defined as crimes in penal legislation. Regarding the issue of honour crimes, the Penal Code provided for the punishment of the perpetrators of these crimes with heavy sentences. Turkey had also intensified its international efforts to eliminate honour killings.

Furthermore, as a transit and destination country for human trafficking, Turkey had taken necessary measures and had cooperated with international mechanisms to combat this terrible crime which affected women and girls in particular. It had criminalized the trafficking in persons and introduced heavy punishments, and had opened, in cooperation with civil society, a centre for dealing with the problems of female victims of trafficking. Turkey, taking its inspiration from its founders, would continue to work for defending the rights of women both in national and international fora.

Right of Reply

HIDENOBU SOBASHIMA (Japan), speaking in exercise of the right of reply in response to the statement made by the Republic of Korea, said with regard to the position of the Government on its past war and colonial rule, the then Prime Minister had expressed his feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology in 1995. With respect to the issue of the so-called "war time comfort women", the Government of Japan recognized that this was a grave affront to the honour and dignity of a large number of women, and had expressed its sincere apologies and remorse to the victims in the statements of the Chief Cabinet Secretary and various other occasions. The position of the Government remained unchanged. On the other hand, with respect to the issues of property and claims arising out of the Second World War, including those related to the "wartime comfort women", the Government had fulfilled its obligations in accordance with the relevant international agreements and arrangements, and the issues were legally settled between Japan and the country which had raised these issues. Furthermore, in recognition of moral responsibility concerning the issues legally settled, the Government had provided all possible cooperation to the activities of the Asian Women's Fund. Regarding the authorization of the history textbooks, this was founded on the basic principle that a diverse range of textbooks would be presented, and without the Government defining specific historical perspectives or outlooks. The text approval system ensured that flaws, such as obvious mistakes or lack of balance, were eliminated or remedied.

FOROUZANDEH VADIATI (Iran), speaking in exercise of the right of reply, noted that the delegate from the United States had referenced the situation of women in Iran today, and said that persons living in glass houses should not throw stones. The situation of Iranian women had improved in many areas after the revolution and in recent years, notably in terms of enjoyment of political, legal, economic, social and cultural rights. All who had visited Iran had testified that the reality in Iran contradicted the statement by the United States.

HYUCK CHOI (Republic of Korea), speaking in a right of reply in response to the right of reply by Japan, said that the Japanese Government continued to argue that all the issues relating to the so-called "comfort women" had been settled legally and, once again had disappointed his delegation by appointing textbooks which distorted or omitted the historical facts concerning grave violations of human rights, such as the enslavement of Korean women for sexual exploitation. The reports submitted to the Commission on systematic rape and slavery-like practices in conflicts had been recommended that the Japanese Government accept its legal responsibilities and pay compensation to victims. The Japanese Government should react to the recommendation.


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CORRIGENDUM

In press release HR/CN/05/32 of 5 April, the speaker for the International Committee for the Respect and Application of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights - CIRAC on page 3 was misidentified. The correct name of the speaker is MALUZA WASILUADIO.

For use of information media; not an official record