FW: Women's GlobalNet #158: Optional Protocol Goes Into Force!

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-----Original Message-----
From: iwtc [mailto:iwtc at iwtc.org]
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2000 8:06 PM
To: iwtc-womensglobalnet at igc.topica.com
Subject: Women's GlobalNet #158: Optional Protocol Goes Into Force!


IWTC Women's GlobalNet #158
Activities and Initiatives of Women Worldwide
By Anne S. Walker

October 2, 2000

CEDAW OPTIONAL PROTOCOL GOES INTO FORCE!!

With the ratification of Italy on 22 September, the Optional Protocol to
the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women (CEDAW) has now been ratified by the required 10 countries. It
will enter into force on 22 December, 2000.

States which ratify the Optional Protocol recognize the competence of
the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to
consider petitions from individual women or groups of women who have
exhausted all national remedies. The Optional Protocol also entitles the
Committee to conduct inquiries into grave or systematic violations of
the Convention. The Committee is the body established under the
Convention to monitor its implementation.

On 6 October 1999, in a landmark decision for women, the United Nations
General Assembly, acting without a vote, adopted the 21-article Optional
Protocol to the Convention, and called on all States parties to the
Convention to become party to the new instrument as soon as possible.
The Protocol, which was opened for signature, ratification and accession
on 10 December 1999, includes an "opt-out clause", allowing States upon
ratification or accession to declare that they do not accept the inquiry
procedure. Article 17 of the Protocol explicitly provides that no
reservations may be entered to its terms. Only States parties to the
Convention may accept the Optional Protocol. With the ratification of
Saudi Arabia on 7 September, the Convention has 166 States parties.

During the Millennium Summit of the United Nations (New York,6-8
September), ratifications to the Optional Protocol were received from
Austria, Bangladesh, Ireland and New Zealand. Other States parties to
the Protocol are Denmark, France, Namibia, Senegal and Thailand. There
are a total of 62 signatories to the Optional Protocol.

The ratification of the Optional Protocol, and its entering into force
on 22 December, represent further milestones on the road towards the
achievement for all women of their fundamental human rights and
freedoms. It is also a recognition of the universality of human rights.

For further information, please contact Elisabeth Ruzicka-Dempsey,
Development and Human Rights Section, UN Department of Public
Information. Tel.: (1-212) 963-1742. Fax: (212) 963-1186.
E-mail: <ruzicka-dempsey at un.or>,
or Abigail Loregnard-Kasmally, Coordination and Outreach Unit, Division
for the Advancement of Women. Tel.: (212) 963-3137.
Fax: (212) 963-3463.  E-mail:  <loregnard-kasmally at un.org>.
Website: <http://un.org/womenwatch/daw>


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