|
|
 |
Opening for signature of the
Optional Protocol
Twenty-three countries signed the Optional
Protocol to the CEDAW Convention on 10 December, 1999, Human Rights Day. They
are: Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Senegal, Slovenia, Sweden.
Informal Consultations
Informal consultations were held by the Bureau of the Commission on the Status of Women
acting as the Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the General Assembly
entitled "Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First
Century" on 23-24, 29 November, and 2-3 December, 1999. Three issues were
brought to the attention of delegates for consultation: 1) the draft political
declaration; 2) proposed structure for the outcome document; and 3) modalities for NGO
participation in the Special Session. More>>
Workshop on "Beijing +5--Future Actions and
Initiatives"
The Division for the Advancement of Women organised a workshop on "Beijing
+5--Future Actions and Initiatives" at the Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia (ESCWA) in Beirut (Lebanon) from 8 to 10 November 1999. The workshop elaborated
action-oriented recommendations on selected emerging issues to be forwarded for discussion
to the Commission on the Status of Women acting as the Preparatory Committee for the
Special Session of the General Assembly in June 2000.
Tuvalu and Niger acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women on 6 October and 8 October 1999 respectively, bringing the
number of States parties to 165.
The Division for the Advancement of Women convened a
judicial colloquium to commemorate the 20th
anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women and the 10th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of
the Child.
 Ms Roselyn Asumwa Odera,
a national of Kenya, was elected Chair by the members of the Commission on the Status of
Women Acting as the Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the General Assembly,
"Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the 21st Century". Ms Patricia Flor, a national of Germany, chairs the Commission on the
Status of Women.
 The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women held its twenty-first session 7 to 25 June
1999 at the UN Headquarters in New York. Countries reporting were Belize, Chile, Georgia,
Ireland, Nepal, Spain and United Kingdom.
On Monday, 7 June, 1999, a special ceremony was
held in Conference Room 3, from 10:15 to 1:00 and from 3:00 to 6:00 pm, at the UN
Headquarters, commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the CEDAW
Convention.
 Georgia was the first member state of the UN to submit a reply to the questionnaire sent out by DAW to Governments. The
questionnaire is designed to obtain information on implementation of the Beijing Platform
for Action, in preparation for the Special Session: "Women 2000: Gender Equality,
Development and Peace for the 21st Century" to be held in June 2000.
 Ms. Yakin Ertürk, a national of Turkey, was
appointed on 1 March 1999 Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women.
In March
1999, the State of Maine signed a resolution to the US Senate, requesting the Senate to
ratify the CEDAW Convention, stating that "the spirit of the Convention is rooted in
the goals of the United Nations and the United States, which seeks to affirm faith in
fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the person and in the equal rights
of men and women."
CEDAW's 21st session's pre-session working group met NGO representatives to receive
country-specific information on Monday, 8 February 1999 at the UN Headquarters, from 3.00
- 5.00 p.m. Click here for details.
CEDAW's 20th session's pre-session working group met NGO representatives to receive
country-specific information on Tuesday, 12 January 1999 at the UN Headquarters, from 3.00
- 5.00 p.m. Click here for details.
Judicial colloquium on the application of
international human rights law at the domestic level, 27-29 October
Vienna, Austria |
1999 News and Events
Statements / Communiqué
Division for the Advancement of Women, News Archive
Link to
CURRENT NEWS
DAW Homepage
NEWS ARCHIVE
|
