As delivered
Closing remarks
by
Ms.
Angela E.V. King
Assistant
Secretary-General and
at
the
CEDAW
28th session
New
York, 31 January 2003
Madam Chairperson,
Distinguished members of the Committee,
Representatives of the UN system and
agencies,
Colleagues,
I am very pleased
to have another opportunity to speak to the distinguished members of the
Committee – now that the 28th session comes to an end.
I would like to
congratulate the new Chairperson, Ms. Feride Acar, and the new Bureau members,
Ms. María Yolanda Ferrer Gómez, Ms. Christine Kapalata, Ms. Victoria Popescu
Sandru and Ms. Heisoo Shin for having guided us all so diligently during the
past three weeks. I would also like to say how pleased I am that the newly
elected members have so easily integrated into the Committee membership. Their knowledge and expertise, combined with
the expertise and experience of their longer-serving colleagues, has indeed
resulted in a most productive session and in many invigorating discussions.
Among the
achievements of this session are that you managed to consider reports from a
diverse group of eight States Parties to the Convention – Albania, Canada, El
Salvador, Kenya, Luxembourg, Norway, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and
Switzerland. While conditions in those States differ greatly, there were a
number of cross-cutting concerns that the Committee identified. For example,
the persistence of stereotypical attitudes towards the gender roles of women
and men; violence against women, including domestic violence; trafficking in
women and girls; and the under-representation of women at the highest levels of
decision-making. I am aware of the amount of work this has been for all of you,
digesting hundreds of pages of reports and background materials submitted by
United Nations partners and non-governmental organizations. Contributions from national non-governmental
and grass roots organizations have slowly, but steadily, increased. During this
session, the Committee has taken decisions that, I am confident, will
facilitate access of those organizations to the Committee.
Madam Chairperson,
distinguished experts,
The
informal meeting last Tuesday, with States that are not yet parties to the
Convention, provided the Committee, I believe, with an excellent opportunity to
establish direct and personal contacts with representatives of those States and
to have an initial exchange of views with them. I am very pleased and encouraged by indications that some of
those States may ratify the Convention in the near future. My Office and the Division for the
Advancement of Women will follow up with them in our efforts to encourage
universal ratification of the Convention.
I am also pleased to learn of the decision of the Committee to continue
such direct contacts – namely, to convene an informal meeting during its 29th
session, with States whose reports have been overdue for more than five
years. Such a meeting is a welcome step
toward enhancing progress in the Convention’s implementation and in finding
ways to encourage the reporting process at the national level.
The
discussions with the Chairperson of the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Committee, with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, and with
officials from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights provided
useful opportunities for closer contacts with other treaty bodies and the
special procedures mechanisms. This is very much in line with the calls by the
Secretary-General in his reform proposals, for increased cooperation among treaty bodies and greater coherence of the
human rights treaty system. The Secretary-General’s reform proposals are
important and the ensuing consultation process vital. You can be assured that
my Office and the Division for the Advancement of Women will use all efforts to
facilitate the involvement of the Committee in all stages of that process.
Madam Chairperson, distinguished experts,
I would like to assure the members of
the Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol that my Office
and the Division will continue to ensure that the best possible foundations for
your work on individual complaints under the Optional Protocol are laid. To
that end, the Division will provide you at the next session with the necessary
background papers.
I thank you all
again for your hard work and wish you a safe return to your countries or your
work here in New York. Four of you will start next week with the preparations
for the 29th session that will commence on 30 June. I will still have an
opportunity to say good-bye to those at a later stage.
*