2005 World Summit Must Consider Women's Rights

2005 World Summit Must Consider Ways to Protect, Promote Women's Rights – UN Official

New York, Jul 5 2005 6:00PM

With many competing interests and expectations vying for attention in the run up to the 2005 World Summit, world leaders must make sure that any decisions they take in September will ultimately promote and protect the rights of women, the top United Nations adviser on women's issues said today.

Addressing the opening meeting of the 33rd session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Rachel Mayanja, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Adviser to the on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women stressed the 23-member expert body's tireless commitment to that aim – ensuring that real-life benefits were the guiding principle in gauging how women could gain from decisions taken by the international community.

The 23-member Committee of experts, which monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, also worked diligently to highlight the specific areas of concern in each of the States parties that came before it for a constructive dialogue about their compliance, Ms. Mayanja said.

She added the Committee's approach to gender equality, as reflected in its general recommendations, statements and concluding comments, made it very clear that States parties to the Convention were obliged to tackle the structural causes of discrimination against women. Only by challenging the ingrained and systemic roots of women's inequality would true equality with men be realized, she said.

ENDS

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