UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY 54TH SESSION
Third Committee - Items 109 & 110: Advancement of Women
Statement by Ms Robyn Mudie, First Secretary
13 October 1999
Mr Chairman
That women and men should enjoy all human rights equally is a fundamental principle articulated eloquently in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and subsequently given legal expression in several international instruments - no more comprehensively than in the Convention Against All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). As we approach the twentieth anniversary, to the day, of the adoption by the General Assembly on 18 December 1979 of this important Convention, it is appropriate to reflect, with some satisfaction, on the great strides taken to advance women's rights. But we cannot be complacent because the task is not complete.
It is a testament to the international community's commitment to the realisation of equal rights for women that the CEDAW Convention is among the most widely ratified of all human rights treaties. This commitment was re-affirmed at the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993 and again at the Fourth UN World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. This is because experience has shown that when women participate fully in their community, their families, communities and, indeed, countries have a better chance of reaching their full potential.
Mr Chairman
It is fitting that on this, the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of CEDAW that the General Assembly has adopted an Optional Protocol to that Convention with provisions for a communications procedure and an inquiry mechanism. The Australian government welcomed the opportunity to work with other countries at the four sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women working group to develop the text of the Optional Protocol. Its adoption by consensus by all parties to the negotiation shows the continuing recognition by the international community of the importance of women's human rights within the UN's human rights system.
In keeping with the Australian government's commitment to transparency, Australia will be undertaking extensive consultations on the Optional Protocol involving the Australian Federal Parliament, State and Territory Governments and the wider community. Consultations with all relevant parties are an established and required practice before steps can be taken toward Australia becoming a party to any new treaty.
Mr Chairman,
Since signing CEDAW in 1980, and ratifying the Convention in 1983, Australia has put in place a robust framework of anti-discrimination legislation and positive legislative measures, strategies and programs to assist women. At the national, State and Territory levels of Government in our Federal system, specialised machinery of government has been set up to advise on issues relating to the status of women and to monitor and evaluate the outcomes for women of government policies and programs.
In enacting these policies we have sought to ensure that women are able to make their own choices and have an equal opportunity to pursue and realise their individual goals and aims: be they as a nuclear physicist, a forklift driver, an athlete, an artist or a full-time parent.
Mr Chairman
Australia signed the Statute of the International Criminal Court in December 1998. Australia played an active role in the negotiation to establish the Court, including as Chairman of the like-minded group. Australia worked hard to ensure that the crimes of rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution and other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict were incorporated into the definition of 'war crimes' in the Statute.
Mr Chairman
Another area where Australia has taken practical action to protect women is in its response to the tragic developments in East Timor and Kosovo over the past year. We have provided a temporary safe haven for people fleeing the destruction in their homelands. Of more than 1500 East Timorese evacuees, 52% were women; and many of the 4,000 Kosovars given a temporary safe haven in Australia were women and children separated from the rest of their families.
Mr Chairman
Australia welcomes the opportunity presented by the forthcoming Beijing + 5 Special Session to be held in June 2000, for the international community to review progress made over the past five years in implementing the 1995 Beijing Platform For Action. The Australian Government is currently conducting extensive consultations in Australia with interested individuals and non-government organisations on the special session. Australia looks forward to the special session and will work hard with others to ensure productive outcomes.
Mr Chairman
Australia has a long history of commitment to the objectives of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Violence against women is an offence against the whole of society. By denying the fundamental rights of women, such as the right to be free from harm or harassment, the opportunity for the full participation by women in society is severely restricted.
Australia has taken decisive steps to confront this problem. We have made all forms of physical and sexual violence against women a criminal offence, and have put in place a concerted campaign to eliminate domestic violence through the Partnerships Against Domestic Violence initiative. This is a collaborative initiative between the national (Commonwealth) Government and the state and territory governments. It is designed to achieve practical outcomes through forging strategic partnerships at all levels of government and the community. The Partnerships program is underpinned by a commitment of AUD 50 million from the national Government up to June 2003.
The Australian Government will not relax the sanctions on violence against women on the grounds of customary practices or cultural prejudices. Australia abhors the practice of female genital mutilation and has introduced strategies aimed at eradicating the practice in Australia, where it exists amongst some ethnic communities. The strategy has a dual focus of supporting women who have been mutilated while preventing the mutilation of girls and young women who may be at risk. This has involved an integrated approach using legislation in combination with community education initiatives.
Mr Chairman
Australia has enacted the Child Sex Tourism Act to enable prosecution of Australians who escape the criminal justice system of the country in which the offence was committed. The Australian Government has signed Memoranda of Understanding with the Governments of Fiji and the Philippines which directly support the Child Sex Tourism legislation. These Memoranda have a particular focus on law enforcement cooperation.
Australia has also developed strong law enforcement links with many other countries in the region, including Thailand and Indonesia. These links increase the level of cooperation in tackling child abuse and bringing offenders to justice. The forms of cooperation range from informal 'police to police' assistance, to formal treaty relationships on extradition and mutual assistance in criminal matters.
Mr Chairman
It is important that the United Nations itself remains the uncompromising advocate of women's rights.
Australia has been a strong advocate of "mainstreaming" human rights in the UN system. This must also necessarily include the integration of women's issues into all UN mechanisms. There is still too much of a gap between the specialised and mainstream mechanisms. Human rights treaty monitoring bodies and special procedure mechanisms, such as special rapporteurs, need to continue to give increasing attention to the gender dimension of their work. In particular, we would emphasise the importance of an effective partnership between the Commission on the Status of Women and the Commission for Human Rights.
The leadership shown by the UN in its attention to gender equality is an important part of supporting governments in their own efforts to achieve the goal of gender equality. While it is obviously disappointing that the goal of gender equality in the UN by the Year 2000 is not going to be achieved, we welcome the Secretary General's renewed commitment to achieving gender equality in the Secretariat as set out his latest report on "The Status of Women in the Secretariat". We will be monitoring progress closely.
We welcome in particular the work to develop Action Plans on Human Resources Mann,ement for individual departments and offices which focus on improving gender balance in tandem with other aspects of human resource management such as career development, staff training and staff mobility. We note that the gender aspects of these Plans will be monitored jointly by the Office of Human Resources Management and by the office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women. Effective collaboration between these two offices is an important element in the ongoing effort to achieve gender equality.
We also welcome UN initiatives to introduce training in gender sensitivity and gender mainstreaming at the departmental level.
We would encourage the establishment of effective monitoring mechanisms to ensure the active commitment of all mangers to the promotion and recruitment of suitably qualified women for all UN positions, particularly at the D-1 level and above.
In this context, it is important for individual States, as well as the UN, to continue efforts to identify suitably qualified women for positions throughout the UN system, including as Special Representatives of the Secretary-General.
Mr Chairman
It is imperative that women's contributions to the political, economic, social and cultural life of their countries be recognised - as every society benefits from the talents of both men and women.
On the threshold of a new millennium, there are still too many women around the world excluded from enjoying the fundamental rights proclaimed in the CEDAW Convention. Let us work together with renewed vigour to achieve the full realisation of all rights, for men and women alike, so that all of society may grow and prosper.
Thank you Mr Chairman