14 September 2006

Success On An International Scale

The National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) is pleased to report that its two resolutions put forward to the International Council of Women (ICW) General Assembly have been passed.

The first resolution calls for the review and strengthening of laws prohibiting trafficking in persons with a particular focus on detecting and punishing attempts to exploit women and children for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It also includes the implementation of measures to assist early discovery of women and children exploited for that purpose, and to provide the means for such women and children to return to their own families or otherwise to resettle in a safe environment.

The second resolution calls upon national councils globally to lobby their Governments to undertake the necessary reviews and produce plans in consultation with community organisations to accommodate the increasing number of environmental refugees displaced each year around the world.

"The General Assembly is the most significant means available to NCWNZ to influence a vast number of civil society NGOs around the world to take further action on trafficking of women and children and to prepare their nations for environmental refugees", said Elizabeth Bang, 1st Vice-President NCWNZ. "While New Zealand has not currently been identified as a country with an extensive trafficking problem - this is a significant global problem and we shouldn't be complacent. In respect of our remit on environmental refugees, there are an estimated 10 million people displaced every year as a result of global change (environmental impact) - the public needs to be more aware of this issue."

"We are delighted with this outcome, which could only be achieved through the strong representation offered by the New Zealand Delegation, led by Christine Low, NCWNZ National President", said Elizabeth Bang. "We are also extremely grateful to our sister National Councils in Australia and Samoa, who supported the presentation of these resolutions. We also offer special mention to Jane Prichard (Vice-President of ICW and former NCWNZ Vice-President) for her valuable efforts in progressing these resolutions."

The New Zealand delegation included Christine Low (NCWNZ National President), Beryl Anderson (NCWNZ Immediate Past President), Barbara Arnold (NCWNZ Board Member and
International Secretary) Jane Prichard (ICW Board Member, newly elected Vice-President) Elizabeth Cruickshank, (ICW Officer - retiring) Christine Knock (ICW Officer) Jean Corbin-Thomas (newly elected - ICW Officer) Dame Miriam Dell (Life Member), Dame Vivian Boyd (Life Member) Rae Frampton (ICW Officer -retiring) and Betty Fitzmaurice (ICW Officer - retiring)

The ICW General Assembly was held in Kiev, Ukraine from September 5 -10, 2006. The General Assembly meets every three years. ICW was founded in 1888. It is an international, non-political, non-governmental organisation which represents millions of women in its affiliated councils in all continents of the globe. There are 63 National Council of Women affiliated to ICW.

ENDS

© Scoop Media