The most important commitments adopted by the Commission are the following:  

Essentiality of Gender equality and women’s empowerment on SDGs and Beijing Platform for Action as foundational basis:
The AC recognize the essentiality of gender equality and women’s empowerment and progress on all SDGs and targets. The BDPfA and the outcome documents of its reviews and the outcomes of relevant major UN conferences have laid a solid foundation for SD.

Women’s human rights affirmations and major role of civil society and feminist and youth led organizations:
The AC strongly prioritize the human rights of women and girls in the achievement of GEWE and SD implementations of the 2030 Agenda. CEDAW and CRC provide an international legal framework and comprehensive set of measures for their realization.

The AC recognize the major contributions made by civil society including feminist groups, women’s, community based and youth led organizations.

Role of a socially responsible and accountable private sector:
The AC call on a socially responsible and accountable private sector to support the full, effective and accelerated implementation of BDPfA and 2030 Agenda. 

Men and boys as allies. Changing social norms and enyouthing of CSW and the women’s movement:
Recognition of men and boys as allies in the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women as well as in the full, effective and accelerated implementation of BDPfA and gender responsive implementation of 2030 Agenda. The change of social norms was emphasized. There was an effort of enyouthing of CSW and of ensuring a gender just and youth accountable implementation of the entire 2030 Agenda. This was reflected in the references to girls throughout the text and by identifying youth led organizations as key actors and stakeholders for an open, inclusive and transparent engagement.

The implementation road map of the gender compact in the SDGs:
The AC set out a road map for the why, what and how of the implementation of all key SDGs for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The emphasis is that all SDGs have to be implemented in a gender responsive way. While there is no mention of SDG 5 significant commitments are made and actions outlined on all 6 SDG targets and 3 means of implementation.

Elimination of violence against women and girls:
The AC call upon all stakeholders to adopt, review and ensure the accelerated and effective implementation of laws that criminalize violence against women and girls as well as comprehensive, multidisciplinary and gender – sensitive, preventive, protective and prosecutorial measures and services. 

Valuing and recognizing unpaid care:
The AC call upon MS and other relevant stakeholders to value, recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care and domestic work, by promoting shared responsibility by women and men and provision of essential services and social protection.

Women’s equal participation and leadership:
The AC recognize the relevance of women’s effective and meaningful participation and need for equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in public and private sectors and in all areas of sustainable development.

Universal access to sexual and reproductive rights and health:
A robust, comprehensive and progressive commitment was secured on universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights on the basis of the text of the Agreed Conclusions of CSW58.

Holistic women’s economic empowerment agenda:
The AC recognize and set out a holistic approach that women’s equal economic rights, economic empowerment and independence are essential to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.

Interconnectedness of gender equality and women’s empowerment with other SD goals:
The AC come out strongly in making the interconnectedness between gender equality, women’s empowerment and poverty eradication, the right to education, water and sanitation, climate change, SCR1325, humanitarian and women’s mobility, food security.

The enabling environment:
The AC gave a boost to national gender mechanisms for gender equality by committing to strengthening their authority, capacity and funding and promoting their visibility and support for them.

Transformative financing of gender equality and sustainable development:
The Commission committed to significantly increased investment to close the gender resource gap by mobilizing funds from all sources, domestic and international.

Gender responsive data, indicators, monitoring, follow up and review:
The Commission stressed the need for a gender responsive data collection approach in national follow up and review taking into account where applicable the agreed global indicators framework and strengthen national statistical capacity.

Family and Gender Equality:
The Commission stressed the need for elaborating and implementing family policies aimed at achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment and at enhancing the full participation of women in society.

Presidents Newsletter June 2016 

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On 8 August 1945 The League came into being and its first President was Mrs Julia Rapke MP.    A major focus throughout its history has been to encourage young women to learn about and become involved in political issues, to meet politicians and to understand parliamentary processes.   Alliance members who attended the 2012 International Meeting in Melbourne will remember the session on  Human Rights and Seniors’ Rights enthusiastically presented by students from two high schools.

Today the theme was My Vote My Voice 2015 and we were all seated in the ornate Legislative Council Chamber of the Victorian Parliament.    The opening address was given by Safa Al Marhoun, Youth Commissioner, Victorian Multicultural Commission, and the tone for the debate was set by two articulate and passionate senior students.    Five schools were ably represented by young women speaking on a variety of issues with a strong overriding theme of gender equality.    Panel responses followed.

The day was also tied to Beijing+20 and three special guests who had attended Beijing 1995 spoke briefly – Anne Walker, former Executive Director of the International Women’s Tribune Centre in New York, spoke of the opposition to the Beijing Platform for Action;  Dr Helen Hill, Education Adviser, East Timor, saw sustainable agriculture as a basic human right, and Yueying Wang  recalled her awakening to women’s rights.

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2015 is a very important year for women’s human rights

2015 is a very important year for women’s human rights. The international community will celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) and the outcome of the 23th Special Session of the General Assembly entitled: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the 21^st century. The Commission on the Status of Women of the UN will be undertaking the review of progress and obstacles concerning the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action since 1995.

This is a very significant review in a year in which governments through the UN will be adopting the Post 2015 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Political Declaration on day 1 instead of Agreed Conclusions at the end of session

Women’s NGOs and civil society organizations are experiencing a lot of frustration as the CSW is not going to adopt as usual Agreed Conclusions at the end of the session but instead there will be a Political Declaration adopted on the first day of the session.

The reason given is because high level people such as Presidents, Heads of State, etc. will be present on Day 1 and commitments and a reaffirmation of the BPfA will be on the agenda.   Ministers can go home and say that they adopted the Declaration.  Women’s groups and networks therefore will not have real quality space and opportunity to contribute to the discussions, to inform the Political Declaration and to bring forward all the extraordinary issues that came out of their regional reviews.  Any negotiations must be done before March 9 and on the national level.

The President of NGO/CSW, Geneva Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, sent a letter to the CSW Bureau on the timing of the Adoption of the Declaration, stating that the time is very short for communities to review, consult and send in their recommendation.   Further, this simply limits participation to those civil society and women’s networks that have access to internet or other modern forms of communication.  This therefore would result in an exclusionary and elitist process that does not take into account the fundamental inequalities that exist in relation to access to information.   IAW has submitted amendments to reinforce the language of women’s human rights in the text of the Declaration.

The timing of the Adoption of the Declaration is an expression of the backlash on women’s human rights. It also shows that civil society, and in particular women’s organizations, lack decision making power and cannot influence a process that is geared to the amelioration of their lives.

Civil society is experiencing direct and indirect efforts to limit its influence by different conservative and populist forces that are questioning the principle of equality and gender.

The world has changed dramatically since the Beijing Conference. The growing dominance of finance in the economy and in people’s lives has deepened existing inequalities between countries and within countries and between men and women. In this changing context in which patriarchy still persists and legitimises women’s inferiority and the violation of women’s human rights, women have been disproportionately negatively impacted.

Since 1995 no other World Conference has taken place because Governments are against this due to economic reasons. Some of them are not in favour of women’s human rights.  NGOS are also against because they are afraid that the Beijing text would be re-opened and at the end of the day they would find themselves with much less than what has already been achieved.

What has been adopted since 2005 are renewals of commitments of Governments to the Beijing Platform for Action. This is not enough. But 2015 is even worse. The Declaration is a rather watered down text. Although the text will be negotiated until the end of February, I’m not very optimistic about the end result. Moreover women’s organizations seem very discouraged. I am quoting what some of them are saying:

– What is alarming is to re-read the Beijing Platform for Action and note the areas we have actually gone backwards.

– When I read the draft Political declaration on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, I was alarmed to see the following in point 8: “to fully realize gender equality, the empowerment of women and the human rights of women and girls by 2030”.  That’s 35 years after the 4th World Conference on Women. This is two generations later. An unacceptable timeline for realizing this goal.

– Those women and children who remain in crushing poverty, slavery, violence and in the horrors of war, cannot wait another year, another day, indeed a minute as their very survival is at hand and their human rights diminished by the absurdity of forwarding a deadline of 2030. Setting a goal of 2030 in and of itself is a form of oppression and adherence to gender based inequality.

NGOs want decision making power

Another important issue that has to do with the limited engagement and participation of women’s NGOS in the work of the CSW is the working methods of the CSW. NGOS do not want only dialogue and a chance to have inputs although they are grateful for chances to send written statements, oral statements and meeting with governments. They want to have decision making power as well.

Review of CSW working methods

The Commission on the Status of Women will be reviewing its working methods in its forthcoming 59th Session. The ways for enhancing the impact of its work were recently reviewed in a report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.6/2014/14).  It is expected that a Resolution on the working methods of the CSW will be adopted at the CSW 59 by the Commission. The text of the working methods will be negotiated until the end of February.

UN Women is keen that the Commission’s consideration of its working methods are informed by the views of civil society.   UN Women has invited civil society to develop key wants/needs and to respond to the document. UN Women has charged NGO CSW/NY with coordinating that document.

The Chair of NGO/CSW NY, Soon-Young Yoon, has written to the Chair of the Bureau of the CSW  seeking more participation by NGOs in the Commission’s work.    Soon Young is requesting:

– that NGOs be allowed to be observers during the negotiations on the outcome document – whether this be the Agreed Conclusion Declaration or Working Methods document – throughout the process

– that the NGO/CSW committees will take responsibility to select at least two observers from each region based on regional caucuses to attend negotiations.

IAW has elaborated a position paper on the working methods of the CSW putting emphasis on the catalytic role that NGOS could play in monitoring the Commission’s Agreed Conclusions at the national level. NGOS can play an important role in holding national and international leaders accountable for commitments made and results achieved.   Civil society should be given access to negotiations to enhance its contribution to the work of the Commission.

IAW is in favour of a resolution as the format to be adopted on the outcome of the negotiations on thematic issues. From an IAW point of view it would be better not to work by consensus because the Agreed Conclusions are necessarily watered down in the process. A resolution would be more action oriented and its format would give an incentive to implement it.

A number of other interesting ideas have been put forward by members of the North America-Europe Caucus like exemplifying experiences from other UN processes:

– The Human Rights Council has an Advisory Board of NGOs formed of independent experts, academics, grassroots representatives etc. Such a body could help us with the monitoring of the  implementation of the outcomes of CSW sessions.

– In the conference of the Parties negotiations around Climate Change in Lima and many treaty processes, NGOS are reserved two places at each plenary session to speak.

The way forward

A Task Force could be created that would work directly on the better functioning of the CSW and prepare an institution building package among others.

It is at the national level that women’s organizations and other networks should be bring forward their redlines both for the Declaration and the working methods of the CSW.

The way forward is a long one.  We should strive to bring changes in the CSW working methods that give decision making power to women’s NGOs in particular access to negotiations over the outcomes of the CSW. These changes will enable them to play a catalytic role concerning the monitoring of the accountability of governments regarding the implementation of the BPfA at the national level.

The women’s movement should try to create a global partnership committed to a global enabling  macroeconomic environment and to promoting and protecting women’s human rights through the full implementation of human rights instruments, especially CEDAW.

The women’s movement should strive for the acknowledgement of the above two priorities as essential structural components of the Post 2015 Sustainable Development Agenda.

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Your Excellency, Ambassador…….

Subject: Timing for the Adoption of Political Declaration at 59^TH Session of the UNCSW

I am writing on behalf of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, following members meeting of January 13,2015, where I was directed to write to you on this matter.

We have been and remain actively involved in the Beijing Plus 20 process. In November, we convened the largest NGO Forum with almost 700 participants from the UNECE region. We appreciated the collaboration with member states, with UN Women and the ECE in this process. We also received information that the 59^th Session of the CSW will not be adopting Agreed Conclusions at the end of the meeting, but will be adopting a Political Declaration.

While respecting the above decision, we are dismayed with the decision to adopt the Political Declaration during the opening session of the 59^th Session of the CSW. We understand that the rationale for this decision is because a) senior government officials may not stay for the two weeks and b) the essence of the CSW is to focus on implementation. On both points, we expect at least once a year for the Ministers and other senior officials to accord quality time to the commission as it is a singular space for normative and standard setting. It is primary because of the focus on implementation that we expect the political declaration to carry some concrete and specific messages around implementation as its core ethos.

We recommend that such Declaration should be adopted at the end of the CSW preferably or the end of the first week for the following reasons:

1. Significance of Beijing Plus 20. This is a very significant review and in a year in which the governments through the UN will be adopting the Sustainable Development Agenda post 2015. Many women especially young women were unable to participate in the regional reviews and are investing significant resources to come New York for this review. If the Political Declaration is adopted on the first day, many people will not see the need to travel to New York for two weeks without a tangible outcome.

2. Adoption of the Political Declaration deprives the participants and delegates to CSW and meaningful contribution to the ethos of the Declaration. It narrows the space for civil society engagement and participation with the inter-governmental process itself. The rich and dynamic engagement and dialogues with member states in negotiations is the ethos which brings life and collective commitment and ownership of the outcome documents of such inter-governmental processes.

3. While we understand that the Political Declaration will be made available online for civil society input this February, we recognise that the time is very short for communities to review, consult and send in their recommendation. Again this simply limits participation to those civil society and women’s networks that have access to internet or other modern forms of communications. This therefore would result in an exclusionary and elitist process that does not take into account the fundamental inequalities that exists in relation to access to information.

4. The timing of the declaration also places a damper on the CSW 5^TH Session, as it is then not clear as to what the real outcome of the two wk gathering will be and how that will be communicated. Its not clear whether there will be the Chair’s Summary or any other form of communication. A clarification on this point is essential for us to advise our members

We respected the decision of the member states not to hold a 5^th Women’s World Conference, which we had anticipated and we still recommend; and we respect the decision not to have Agreed Conclusions. We therefore feel strong that this decision to adopt the political declaration on first day of the CSW further reduces space for civil society participation. We therefore strongly recommend a review of your decision on timing for adoption of the political declaration.

We continue to value your leadership in facilitating the CSW and the collaboration with us in civil society.

With kind regards
Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda
President,
NGO Committee on the Status of Women- Geneva

Cc:

• CSW Bureau Members
• UN Women Executive Director
• UN Secretary General
• NGO CSW Members

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Analysis of  the report of the UN Secretary General

The Secretary General’s report for the session of the Commission on the Status of Women to take place in March 2015 reviews the functioning of the Commission’s methods of work in the light of experience gained, and makes recommendations for consideration by the Commission with a view to further enhancing the impact of its work.

Recommendations:
– More interaction with other commissions
The report recommends that CSW interacts more with other ECOSOC commissions in order to get gender mainstreaming accepted everywhere in the UN system. And many commissions are relevant to the work of CSW, for instance the Commission on Population and Development, the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, the Commission for Social Development, the Commission on Sustainable Development, the Statistical Commission and the Commission on Crime and Crime prevention. The report also recommends that CSW works more closely with CEDAW.

Cooperation does take place sometimes. CSW worked out a minimum set of Gender Indicators together with the Statistical Commmission, and it contributed.to the work of the Commission on Sustainable Development about the Social Development Goals after 2015.
It would not be difficult to think of other issues where cooperation would be a step forward.

– A ministerial declaration rather than Agreed Conclusions
CSW is the only functional commission that concludes its sessions with ‘agreed conclusions’, which is a consensus document. Of course, from an IAW point of view, it would be better not to work by consensus, because the conclusions are necessarily watered down in the process. Other Commissions use a resolution or a ministerial declaration as the outcome of their work.
A ministerial declaration would carry more weight, and its format would be an incentive to implement it, especially if CSW decided to have a ministerial segment at the end of its session.

– Expanding opportunities for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to contribute to the work of CSW
This can be done through allocating more time for interventions by non-governmental organizations during the general discussion, according greater priority to their interventions during panel discussions and granting access to negotiations to a limited number of regionally diverse representatives.

The report describes the current problems facing representatives of NGOs:
“While representatives are welcomed at formal meetings very few seats are available. Aside from the limited seating, it has been necessary under the capital master plan to restrict entry for representatives of non-governmental organizations to the building in which the formal meetings are held to two representatives per organization. This issue hampers the efforts of non-governmental organizations to interact and advocate their views with government delegations on critical and strategic issues being discussed at the Commission.
Non-governmental organizations convene a large number of parallel events in the vicinity of United Nations Headquarters. They also frequently co-sponsor side events organized by Member States and entities of the United Nations system at Headquarters. Representatives of non-governmental organizations attend these parallel and side events in large numbers.”

– Continuing the multi-year programme of work
The multi-year programme consists of a priority theme, for which the Secretary General writes two reports, a review theme and an emerging theme. However, the recommendation is that panels are more interactive and that there should be more time for non- governmental organizations (NGOs) to exert their influence.

The preparation of the emerging theme is a good opportunity for the Commission to align its thematic priorities with those of ECOSOC and other functional commissions.

Especially convening with the Executive Board of UN-Women would be a good opportunity to further implement its mandate.

The Executive Board of UN Women consists of 41 member states and CSW of 47.
They are both elected from regional groups, so together they constitute a cross section of the member states of the UN, which should help in furthering equality.

Report of the UN Secretary-General (http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/CN.6/2014/14)

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Commission on the Status of Women
Representatives of Member States, UN entities and ECOSOC-accredited non governmental organizations (NGO’s) from all regions of the world attend the session.

Every year Member States and NGO members attend the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York at United Nations Headquarters.
The CSW is for Governments and the NGO-CSW for NGOs. The NGOs are the ears and the eyes for the Governments. This year 2014 the priority theme is: “Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls”.
Focus: accountability and participation of women and girls in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.

The review theme (from the agreed conclusion of the 55th session in 2011) is “Access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology, including for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work”.
Governments and NGO’s discuss and organize side events. The outcome of two weeks of discussion for the Governments are the agreed conclusions.
On Friday March 21, at 11.40 pm the Commission adopted the agreed conclusions for the 58th session of the CSW. It was a very hard fought discussion at times with much compromise, which at the end of a long two weeks, has made for a good outcome.
The adopted agreed conclusions will soon be found on the UN Women website.

The agreed conclusions are reported for the meeting in the third commission of the United Nations (Human Rights and Women Issues) in the General Assembly in October. After adoption in the General Assembly the implementation in the governments of the states is important.

Consultation Day
Every year the NGO-CSW organizes the Consultation Day to prepare the NGO participants for the next two weeks. This year the Consultation day was held on Sunday March 9 in Coopers Union Center in New York. Many Zontians and members of IAW and Vrouwenbelangen attended the NGO-CSW Consultation Day.

“We need bold action” UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka highllighted the high expectations that the end of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s), Beijing +20 and the looming post 2015 agenda could create a moment in history for a great leap foward that would change for the better, the lives of girls and women.

What are the agreed conclusions?
In two weeks the states in the Commission will negociate about the priority theme and the review theme. The outcome is the document “the agreed conclusions”.
The Commission is deeply concerned that overall progress for women and girls across all the MDG’s, 1 till 8, remains slow and uneven.
This year twenty nine items were discussed.
• Ensure women and girls a life free of all forms of violence and discrimination.
• Ensure gender equality to promote capacity building and resource distribution in: environment, education, good health, sexual and reproductive health care and rights, family planning, safe drinkwater, sanitation and housing, sustainable development, economic empowerment and economic independence
• Access to land, credit, information technologies, social security, decent work, equal pay for work of equal value, and universal care service, to build womens’s social and economic security and autonomy, reduce child mortality is linked to health-care services
• Gender equality in decision-making in all public and private sectors, as well in the household
The Commission especially encourages all stakeholders to analyze current challenges and identify opportunities for accelerating actions to realize gender equality and the empowerment of girls and women of all ages and to undertake appropriate commemorative activities for the twentieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference of Women.

Side events and Parallel events
Side events provide an excellent opportunity for Member States, UN entities, just like UNICEF, UN-Women, UNIDO, UNFPA and NGO’s to discuss themes of the Commission and other critical gender equality issues.
Vrouwenbelangen and International Alliance of Women presented the side event
“Gender Based Violence as a political Weapon” . Anje Wiersinga organized this very succesful side event.
NGOs organized side events about the Arabic world, domestic workers, factory workers in Bangladesh, violence against women and girls.
The European Union presented: The role of Governance and civil society in empowering women: moving forward the MDG’s and Beyond.
The highlight of the North America/Europe Side event was: When women succeed, the world succeeds and men are important allies in breaking gender stereotypes and promoting gender equality.
Please have a look at the websites and social media.

CSW59 in 2015
At the end we were informed about the CSW59/Beijing +20. The session will also address current challenges that affect the implementation of the Platform for Action, as well as opportunities for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women in the post-2015 development agenda.
The national and regional review processes will feed into the global review.
The 2015 CSW59 and the NGO-CSW59 will take place at UN Headquarters in New York from 9 till 20 March 2015.

Regina Smith

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Commission on the Status of Women
Fifty-eighth session
10 – 21 March 2014

Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the
Millennium Development Goals for women and girls

Draft agreed conclusions

1. The Commission on the Status of Women reaffirms the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the outcome documents of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, and the declarations adopted by the Commission on the occasion of the tenth and fifteenth anniversaries of the Fourth World Conference on Women. AD REF

2. The Commission reaffirms that the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Optional Protocols thereto, as well as other relevant conventions and treaties, provide an international legal framework and a comprehensive set of measures for the elimination and prevention of all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls and the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. AD REF

3. The Commission reaffirms that the full and effective implementation of the goals and objectives of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is an essential contribution to achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration. AD REF

4. The Commission also reaffirms the international commitments made at relevant United Nations summits and conferences in the area of gender equality and the empowerment of women, including in the Programme of Action at the International Conference on Population and Development and its key actions for its further implementation. AD REF

4 bis. NEW The Commission further reaffirms the commitments to gender equality and the empowerment of women made at the Millennium Summit; the 2005 World Summit; the 2010 high-level plenary meeting on the Millennium Development Goals, and the 2013 Special Event on the Millennium Development Goals. It also reaffirms the outcome document of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the realization of the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals for persons with disabilities: the way forward, a disability-inclusive development agenda towards 2015 and beyond. AD REF

4 bis. The Commission acknowledges also the important role in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls played by regional conventions, instruments and initiatives and their follow-up mechanisms, in respective regions and countries. AD REF

4 ter. – consolidated with 5 sext/sept/oct/nov/dec, 4 ter/quat and 6 sext after 5

4 quat. – consolidated with 5 sext/sept/oct/nov/dec, 4 ter/quat and 6 sext after 5

5. The Commission also reaffirms the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, entitled “The future we want”, which recognized, inter alia, the vital role of women in achieving sustainable development and resolved to unlock the potential of women as drivers, agents and equal beneficiaries of sustainable development. AD REF

5 bis. consolidated with 4 bis NEW

5 ter. moved to after 21 and consolidated with 16 ter. and 16 ter. alt

5 quat. moved to before 6 with last part of 2

5 quin. The Commission also reaffirms the commitment to the full and effective implementation of and follow-up to all relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, in particular the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, as well as relevant resolutions of the ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, and recalls relevant resolutions of the Human Rights Council, in the area of gender equality, the empowerment of women, and human rights of women and girls. It also reaffirms its previous agreed conclusions, including, inter alia, on women and the economy and on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls. AD REF

5 sext/sept/oct/nov/dec, 4 ter/quat, 6 sext. The Commission recalls Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013) and 2122 (2013) on women, peace and security and all relevant Security Council resolutions on children and armed conflict, including resolutions 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011), 2068 (2012) and 2143 (2014). AD REF

5 undec. The Commission recognizes the important role of the United Nations system, in particular of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women that contributes to the achievement of the MDGs for women and girls at the global, regional and national levels, in tracking progress of the MDGs to support targeted measures in key areas of women’s empowerment and in assisting States, upon their request, in their efforts. AD REF

5 quat. and 2/last part The Commission reaffirms that the promotion and protection of, and respect for, the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women, including the right to development, which are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, should be mainstreamed into all policies and programmes aimed at the eradication of poverty, and also reaffirms the need to take measures to ensure that every person is entitled to participate in, contribute to and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development and that equal attention and urgent consideration should be given to the promotion, protection and full realization of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. AD REF

6. The Commission reaffirms that gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls and enjoyment of their human rights and the eradication of poverty are essential to economic and social development, including the achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals. The Commission notes the universal context of gender equality and recognizes that almost fifteen years after the MDGs were launched, no country has achieved equality for women and girls, and significant levels of inequality between women and men persist, although the MDGs are important in efforts to eradicate poverty and of key importance to the international community. The Commission reaffirms the vital role of women as agents of development, and recognizes that gender equality and the empowerment of women must be achieved to realize the unfinished business of the MDGs and accelerate sustainable development beyond 2015. AD REF

6 bis. 6 quat. and 22 bis. The Commission recognizes that increasing women’s economic empowerment is central to the achievement of the MDGs. It stresses that investing in women and girls has a multiplier effect on productivity, efficiency and sustained economic growth and that women’s economic independence is vital to their role as full and equal partners for development and essential to the achievement of the MDGs including to the eradication of poverty. The Commission recognizes that the achievement of the MDGs requires the full integration of women into the formal economy, in particular, into economic decision-making, which means changing the current gender-based division of labour so that women and men enjoy equal treatment. AD REF

19 quat. The Commission recognizes that care work, both paid and unpaid, and care services are of key importance in achieving the MDGs for women and girls, and further recognizes that caregiving is a critical societal function which involves shared responsibility. AD REF

6 oct. The Commission acknowledges the important contribution of migrant women in realizing the Millennium Development Goals, and recognizes that impediments to accessing employment, vocational training, housing, schooling, health services and social services, as well as other services that, in accordance with national legislation, are intended for use by the public, contribute to the vulnerability of migrants. AD REF

6 ter, 6 ter alt and 23 bis. consolidated with (h) sept, (ee) bis and (hh) ter and moved after o quat

6 quat. consolidated with 6 bis above (also with 22 bis)

6 quin. moved to after 20 bis and consolidated with 9 ter

6 sext consolidated with 5 sext/sept/oct/nov/dec, 4 ter/quat and 6 sext after 5

6 sept. Moved after 21

7. The Commission welcomes the commitments and concerted policy action at national, regional and global levels to achieve the MDGs for women and girls. The Commission recognizes the innovative efforts by some countries in the implementation of the MDGs for women and girls by adapting targets to local contexts and reporting on a broader range of issues related to gender equality and the empowerment of women than the MDGs specifically addressed, including on human rights of women and girls. AD REF

7 bis. – consolidated with 5 undec (see 5 undec)

7 ter. moved and consolidated with 25 bis into 25 bis bis

8. The Commission welcomes progress made for women and girls in several areas of the MDGs, and recognizes the importance of MDG 3 in signaling gender equality and women’s empowerment as a global priority. It especially welcomes the significant progress made towards eliminating gender disparity in primary education enrolment and on increasing the proportion of women in national parliaments in some regions. AD REF

8 bis. consolidated into 6 with element from 19 and 19 bis, 22 ter, and 22 ter NEW

8 ter. consolidated with 20 bis

9. The Commission is deeply concerned that overall progress for women and girls across all the MDGs remains slow and uneven, including on MDG 3, both within and between countries and that lack of progress on gender equality has hindered progress towards all of the MDGs. It is especially concerned about the lack of progress for poverty-stricken regions and areas and for marginalized, vulnerable and disadvantaged women and girls and those women and girls who experience multiple forms of discrimination and inequalities of any kind.

9 bis. consolidated into t.

9 ter. moved to after 20 ter and consolidated with 6 quin

9 quat. moved to after 21 and consolidated into 21 bis, 21 ter, 21 ter alt, 9 quat and 17 bis

9 quin. first part moved after 21 , second part see 9 quin (part 2) below

9 quin (part 2). WITHDRAWN

10. The Commission notes and expresses deep concern with regards to MDG 1 (Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger), that poverty impedes women’s empowerment and progress towards gender equality, and that the feminization of poverty persists, and recognizes that significant gender gaps in employment rates and wages persist. The Commission is concerned that due to, inter alia, socio-economic inequalities and persistent discrimination in labour markets, women are more likely than men to: be in precarious, vulnerable, gender-stereotyped and low paying forms of employment; bear a disproportionate share of unpaid care work; be engaged in the informal economy; have less access to full and productive employment and decent work, social protection and pensions which increases their risk of poverty, relative to men, particularly if they are living in households without other adult earners. It further notes that discriminatory norms contribute to women’s and girls’ greater vulnerability to extreme poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition and that girls and older women each face different and particular challenges. The Commission notes that current poverty measures do not adequately reflect women’s vulnerability to poverty, due to inadequate data, inter alia, on income distribution within households. The Commission is further concerned that the targets on hunger also remain unmet, with adverse consequences for the health, livelihoods and well-being of women and girls. It notes the importance of food security and nutrition for achieving MDG 1, and the need to address gender gaps in the fight against hunger, and recognizes that insufficient priority is given to addressing malnutrition in women and girls. AD REF

10 bis. Consolidated into 10

10 NEW consolidated with (h) sept, (ee) bis and (hh) ter and moved to after o quat)

11. The Commission notes that with regards to MDG 2 (Achieve universal primary education) significant progress has been made in net primary school enrolments and towards eliminating gender disparity in primary education enrolment but expresses concern that the heavy focus on numbers has resulted in less focus on completion, educational quality and learning outcomes. The Commission further notes the lack of progress in closing gender gaps in access to, retention, and completion of secondary education, which has been shown to contribute more strongly than primary school attendance to the achievement of gender equality, the empowerment of women, and the human rights of women and girls and several positive social and economic outcomes. The majority of youth lacking basic education are young women. Notwithstanding the progress, more needs to be done where progress remains uneven within groups and between countries to achieve the targets by 2015. AD REF

11 bis. consolidated with 11

12. The Commission notes that with regards to MDG 3 (Promote gender equality and empower women) progress has been slow with: persistent gender disparities in some regions in secondary and tertiary education enrolment; the lack of economic empowerment, autonomy, and independence of women including lack of integration into the formal economy, unequal access to full and productive employment and decent work, under-representation in non-agricultural wage employment, over-represention in low paid jobs and gender-stereotyped jobs like domestic and care work, and the lack of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value; the unequal burden of unpaid care work and insufficient measures to reconcile paid work and care responsibilites; the persistence of discriminatory attitudes, norms, stereotypes, and legal frameworks; insufficient social protection and insurance coverage for women; and despite progress, the low proportion and unequal participation and representation of women at all levels of decision making, including in national parliaments and other governance structures. AD REF

12 bis. consolidated with 12

13. The Commission notes that with regards to MDG 4 (Reduce child mortality) taking into account the important interconnections between women’s and children’s health and gender equality and empowerment of women, significant progress has been made in reducing child mortality globally including through the efforts to eliminate new HIV infections and vertical transmissions in children, and other factors including lack of vaccines, malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, hunger and anemia, but the targets are likely to be missed. The Commission notes with deep concern that increasingly, child deaths are concentrated in the poorest regions and in the first month of life, and further expresses concern that children are at greater risk of dying before the age of five if they are born in rural and remote areas or to poor households. The Commission also notes with deep concern that some regions have higher female under-five mortality rates due to discriminatory practices. The Commission recognizes that progress on reducing child mortality is linked with women’s access to health-care services, safe drinking water, sanitation and housing, as well as mothers’ lack of basic education and nutrition. AD REF

13. bis. consolidated with 13

13 ter. Withdrawn and replaced with 20 ter

14. The Commission notes with regards to MDG 5 (Improve maternal health) progress towards its two targets to reduce maternal mortality and to achieve universal access to reproductive health, has been particularly slow and uneven, especially for the poorest and rural sectors of the population, within and across countries. It notes that the numbers of preventable maternal deaths continue to be unacceptably high and that adolescent girls face higher risks. It further expresses concern about the significant gaps in funding that remain and the magnitude of unmet need for all sexual and reproductive health care services, including emergency obstetric services and skilled attendance at delivery, safe and effective contraception, services for the complications of unsafe abortion and safe abortion where such services are permitted by national law, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS, among others, through the primary health care system with effective referral to higher levels of care. The Commission further notes continuing challenges to progress, including failure to protect and fulfil reproductive rights in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences, poor nutrition and heavy workloads for pregnant women. AD REF

14 bis. consolidated with 13

14 ter. moved and merged into 22 and 24

15. The Commission notes that with regards to MDG 6 (Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases) progress has been limited, with the number of women living with HIV increasing globally since 2001. It also notes the particular vulnerability to HIV infection of adolescent girls and young women, as well as other women and girls who are at a higher risk. It stresses that structural gender inequalities and violence against women and girls undermine effective HIV responses and the need to give full attention to increasing the capacity of women and adolescent girls to protect themselves from the risk of HIV infection, including through the provision of health care services, inter alia, sexual and reproductive health care services. It further notes the challenges faced by women and girls living with HIV and AIDS including stigma, discrimination and violence. The Commission further notes that, despite increased global and national investments in malaria control which have resulted in decreasing the burden of malaria in many countries and the elimination of malaria in some countries, malaria prevention and control efforts, particularly for pregnant women, must rapidly increase in order to achieve the MDGs. AD REF

15. bis consolidated into 15

16. The Commission notes that with regards to MDG 7 (Environmental sustainability) while progress has been made globally in access to safe drinking water, progress on access to basic sanitation has been particularly slow, and the target is likely to be missed, with serious implications for women and girls, especially those living in vulnerable conditions. The Commission expresses concern that the lack of access to safe drinking water particularly affects women and girls and that they frequently bear the burden for its collection in rural and urban areas, and further recognizes the need for further improvement in this regard. The Commission further notes that the lack of adequate sanitation facilities disproportionately affects women and girls, including their labour force and school participation rates and increases their vulnerability to violence. The Commission further notes that women and girls are often disproportionally affected by desertification, deforestation, natural disasters and climate change due to gender inequalities, and the dependence of many women on natural resources for their livelihoods. AD REF

16 bis. consolidated into 16

16 ter. moved to after 21 and consolidated into 5 ter, 16 ter, 16 ter alt.

16 ter. alt moved to after 21 and consolidated into 5 ter, 16 ter, 16 ter alt.

17. The Commission notes with regards to MDG 8 (A global partnership for development) that the development resources, including official development assistance, in support of gender equality and women’s empowerment are essential and remain inadequate to the task. The Commission also notes that the global economic crisis and the shifts to austerity measures taken by some countries have impacted women and girls negatively, with reduction in investment in social sectors. It also notes that a gender gap in access to information and communication technologies persists. AD REF

17 bis. moved after 21 and merged into 21 bis, 21 ter, 21 ter alt, 9 quat and 17 bis

18. The Commission is concerned that several indicators to monitor the MDGs are not disaggregated by sex, age and other factors and therefore do not provide sufficient information about the situation of women and girls throughout their life cycle, including those on poverty, hunger, environmental sustainability and global partnership for development while others are still limited, such as those related to MDG 3, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. AD REF

19. The Commission is concerned that several critical issues related to gender equality and the empowerment of women were not adequately addressed by the MDGs such as: inter alia, violence against women and girls; child, early and forced marriage; women’s and girls’ disproportionate share of unpaid work, particularly unpaid care work; women’s access to decent work, the gender wage gap, employment in the informal sector, low paid and gender-stereotyped work such as domestic and care work; women’s equal access to, control and ownership of assets and productive resources including land, energy and fuel, and women’s inheritance rights; women’s sexual and reproductive health, and reproductive rights in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences; universal health coverage; non-communicable diseases; accountability for violations of human rights of women and girls; and women’s full and equal participation in decision-making at all levels. The Commission recognizes that unless all dimensions of gender inequality are addressed, gender equality, the empowerment of women and the realization of human rights of women and girls cannot be achieved. AD REF

19 bis. consolidated into 6 with element from 19 and 19 bis, and 22 ter NEW

19 ter. moved to after r alt

19 quat. moved to after 6

20. The Commission recognizes that progress on the achievement of all MDGs for women and girls has been held back due to the persistence of historical and structural unequal power relations between women and men, poverty and inequalities and disadvantages in access to resources and opportunities that limit women’s and girls’ capabilities, and growing gaps in equality of opportunity, discriminatory laws, policies, social norms, attitudes, harmful customary and contemporary practices and gender stereotypes. AD REF

20 bis. The Commission strongly condemns all forms of violence against women and girls. It expresses deep concern that discrimination and violence against women and girls continues to occur in all parts of the world and that that all forms of violence against women and girls are impediments to the development of their full potential as equal partners with men and boys in all aspects of life, as well as obstacles to the achievement of the MDGs. AD REF

20 ter. The Commission welcomes international momentum to address the issue of child, early and forced marriage. The Commission recognizes that child, early and forced marriage is a harmful practice, and notes that its continued prevalence, amongst other factors, has slowed the achievement of several of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls. AD REF

9 ter and 6 quin. The Commission emphasizes that the empowerment of women is a critical factor in the achievement of the MDGs, including the eradication of poverty and hunger, and that the implementation of special measures, as appropriate, aimed at empowering women can help accomplish this. It recognizes that inequality is a concern for all countries and that it represents an urgent challenge with multiple implications for the realization of the economic, social and cultural rights of women and girls. It also emphasizes that women’s poverty is directly related to the absence of economic opportunities and autonomy, lack of access to economic and productive resources, to quality education and support services and women’s minimal participation in the decision-making process. The Commission further recognizes that women’s poverty and lack of empowerment as well as their exclusion from social and economic policies can place them at increased risk of violence and that violence against women impedes social and economic development, as well as the achievement of the MDGs. AD REF

21. DELETED

9 quin (part 1). The Commission is also concerned that countries affected by natural disasters are less likely to achieve MDGs, and further notes that women and girls are disproportionately affected by natural disasters. It further recognizes that women play a vital role in disaster risk reduction, response and recovery, including rehabilitation and reconstruction, and the need to enhance women’s access, capacities and opportunities to effectively and equally participate in the prevention and preparedness efforts and response to disasters; AD REF

5 ter, 16 ter, 16 ter alt. The Commission is deeply concerned that climate change poses a challenge to the achievement of sustainable development and that women and girls are disproportionately affected by the impacts of desertification, deforestation and natural disasters, persistent drought, extreme weather events, sea-level rise, coastal erosion and ocean acidification, and is also deeply concerned that the adverse impacts of climate change on women and girls, especially those living in poverty can be exacerbated by gender inequality and discrimination, and expresses profound alarm that greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise globally, remains deeply concerned that all countries, particularly developing countries, are vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change and are already experiencing increased impacts, including persistent drought and extreme weather events, sea-level rise, coastal erosion and ocean acidification further threatening food security and efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development and in this regard emphasizes that adaptation to climate change represents an immediate and urgent global priority. AD REF

21 bis. consolidated into 21 bis, 21 ter, 21 ter alt, 9 quat and 17 bis

21 ter. consolidated into 21 bis, 21 ter, 21 ter alt, 9 quat and 17 bis

21 ter alt. consolidated into 21 bis, 21 ter, 21 ter alt, 9 quat and 17 bis

21 quat. consolidated with 5 sext/sept/oct/nov/dec, 4 ter/quat and 6 sext after 5

9 quat and 17 bis. Consolidated into 21 bis, 21 ter, 21 ter alt, 9 quat and 17 bis

21 bis, 21 ter, 21 ter alt, 9 quat and 17 bis. The Commission expresses deep concern about the ongoing adverse impacts, particularly on development and the achievement of the MDGs for women and girls, of the world financial and economic crisis, recognizing evidence of an uneven and fragile recovery, and cognizant that the global economy, notwithstanding significant efforts that helped contain tail risks, improve financial market conditions and sustain recovery, still remains in a challenging phase, with downside risks, inter alia, for women and girls, including high volatility in global markets, high unemployment, particularly among youth, indebtedness in some countries and widespread fiscal strains that pose challenges for global economic recovery and reflect the need for additional progress towards sustaining and rebalancing global demand, and stresses the need for continuing efforts to address systemic fragilities and imbalances and to reform and strengthen the international financial system while implementing the reforms agreed to date, and in respect of maintaining adequate levels of funding for the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women; AD REF

6 sept. The Commission acknowledges that the global burden and threat of non-communicable diseases constitutes one of the major challenges for sustainable development in the twenty-first century, which may have a direct impact on the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. It further notes that developing countries bear a disproportionate burden and that non-communicable diseases can affect women and men differently. AD REF

22. and 24. and bb alt. The Commission further recognizes that progress on the MDGs for women and girls has been limited due to the lack of a systematic gender mainstreaming and integration of a gender perspective in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the MDGs. The Commission also recognizes that effective gender-responsive monitoring of the MDGs has been limited due to a lack of investment in and the consistent collection and use of reliable, integrated gender indicators, statistics and data, disaggregated by sex, age, disability, location and other relevant factors, and that goals, targets and indicators, including gender sensitive indicators, are valuable in measuring and accelerating progress, and are enhanced by voluntarily sharing information, knowledge and experience. The Commission acknowledges in this regard the importance of civil registration systems and vital statistics. AD REF

22 bis. consolidated with 6 bis and 6 quat after 6

22 ter. consolidated into 6 with element from 19 and 19 bis, and 22 ter

23. The Commission also recognizes that insufficient priority given to and significant underinvestment in gender equality and the empowerment of women in the realization of the human rights of women and girls continue to limit progress on the MDGs for girls and women of all ages, their families and communities, and for the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. It stresses that the available resources, through domestic resource mobilization and official development assistance, and their allocation remain a concern and are often inadequate to the task. AD REF

23 bis. consolidated into after 6 with 6 ter, 6 ter alt

23 ter. consolidated into d bis

24. consolidated into 22

25. DELETED

25 bis. The Commission acknowledges the strategic and coordinating role of national machineries for the advancement of women, which should be placed at the highest possible level in government, for the achievement of gender equality and the implementation of the MDGs for women and girls, and the need to endow these machineries with the necessary human and sufficient financial resources to enable them to function effectively. The Commission also acknowledges the contribution of national human rights institutions where they exist. AD REF

25 bis bis. The Commission acknowledges the major contributions made by civil society, including women’s and community based organizations and feminist groups in placing the interests, needs and visions of women on national, regional and international agendas. AD REF

25 ter. DELETED

25 ter alt. The Commission recognizes that all human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated and that the international community must treat human rights globally in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing and with the same emphasis, and stresses that, while the significance of national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds must be borne in mind, it is the duty of States regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

26. and 26 alt. The Commission urges Governments, at all levels, and as appropriate, with the relevant entities of the United Nations system, international and regional organizations, within their respective mandates and bearing in mind national priorities, and invites national human rights institutions where they exist, civil society, including non-governmental organizations, the private sector, employer organizations, trade unions, media and other relevant actors, as applicable, to take the following actions: AD REF

A. Realizing women’s and girls’ full enjoyment of all human rights

(a) replaced with a NEW

(a) alt. replaced with a NEW

(a) NEW Consider ratifying or acceding to, as a particular matter of priority, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child and their respective Optional Protocols, limit the extent of any reservations, formulate any such reservations as precisely and as narrowly as possible to ensure that no reservations are incompatible with the object and purpose of the Conventions, review their reservations regularly with a view to withdrawing them and withdraw reservations that are contrary to the object and purpose of the relevant treaty; and implement them fully by, inter alia, putting in place effective national legislation and policies; AD REF

(a) bis. moved to after f

(b) Accelerate full and effective implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and its key actions for their further implementation and the outcomes of their review conferences to achieve MDGs for women and girls; AD REF

(b) bis. NEW consolidated into t

(c) Eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls through: the development, where needed, adoption and accelerated and effective implementation and monitoring of laws and comprehensive policy measures; the removal, where they exist, of discriminatory provisions in legal frameworks including punitive provisions; and setting up legal, policy, administrative and other comprehensive measures including temporary special measures as appropriate to ensure women’s and girls’ equal and effective access to justice and accountability for violations of human rights of women and girls; AD REF

(c) bis. consolidated with s

(d) Implement concrete and long-term measures to transform discriminatory social norms and gender stereotypes including those that limit women’s roles to being mothers and caregivers, and eliminate harmful practices including, inter alia, female genital mutilation and honor crimes, in order to achieve gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment, and the full realization of the human rights of women and girls; AD REF

(d) bis. moved to after f

(d) ter. consolidated into 9 quin (part 2) and then withdrawn

(e) Fully engage men and boys, including community leaders as strategic partners and allies in the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls both in the family and in society, design and implement national policies that aim to transform those social norms that condone violence against women and girls, and work to counteract attitudes by which women and girls are regarded as subordinate to men and boys, including by understanding and addressing the root causes of gender inequality such as unequal power relations, social norms, practices and stereotypes that perpetuate discrimination against women and girls, and engage them in efforts to promote and achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls; AD REF

(e) bis Acknowledge publicly the important and legitimate role of women human rights defenders in the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy, the rule of law and development and take appropriate, robust and practical steps to protect them; AD REF

(e) ter. – consolidated into ee

(f) Adopt and implement specific and targeted measures recognizing that some women experience increased vulnerability and marginalization due to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and inequalities; AD REF

(d) bis. Take all appropriate measures to adopt and implement disability inclusive national development strategies and legislative, administrative, social, educational and other measures to protect and promote the rights of women and girls with disabilities, as persons with disabilities are more vulnerable to discrimination and violence, and are still largely invisible in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the MDGs. AD REF

(a) bis. Encourage the participation of indigenous women and girls in the World Conference of Indigenous Peoples, noting the contribution of that conference towards the achievement of internationally agreed development goals bearing in mind that indigenous women and girls face particular challenges in achieving the MDGs. AD REF

(i) sept. Enact and implement legislation to protect, support and empower child headed households, in particular those headed by girls, and include provisions to ensure their economic well-being, access to health care services, nutrition, safe drinking water and sanitation, shelter and education, inheritance, and ensure that these families are protected, supported and assisted to stay together; AD REF

(g) Address the multiple and intersecting factors contributing to the disproportionate impact of poverty on women and girls over their lifecycle as well as intra-household gender inequalities in allocation of resources, opportunities and power by realizing women’s and girls’ civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development; and ensure women’s and girls’ inheritance and property rights, equal access to quality education, equal access to justice, social protection, and an adequate standard of living, including food security and nutrition, safe drinking water and sanitation, energy and fuel resources and housing, as well as women’s and adolescent girls’ access to health including sexual and reproductive health care services, and women’s equal access to full and productive employment and decent work, women’s full participation and integration in the formal economy, equal pay for equal work or work of equal value, and equal sharing of unpaid work; AD REF

(g) bis. – consolidated into 10

(h) and (h) bis. Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spaces, through multi-sectoral and coordinated approaches to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls and exercise due diligence, investigate, prosecute and punish the perpetrators of violence against women and girls, and end impunity, and provide protection as well as universal access to comprehensive social, health and legal services for all victims and survivors, to ensure their full recovery and reintegration into society and, bearing in mind the importance for all women and girls to live free from violence, to address the structural and underlying causes of violence against women and girls through enhanced prevention measures, research and strengthened coordination and monitoring and evaluation; AD REF

(h) ter. consolidated into h oct and h ter

(h) quat. – Consolidated with h quin

(h) quin. Eliminate all harmful practices, including child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation, through reviewing, adopting, enacting and enforcing laws and regulations that prohibit such practices, creating awareness around their harmful health consequences, and generating social support for the enforcement of these laws; AD REF

(h) sext. consolidated into h and h bis

(h) sept. Moved after o and merged into (h) sept, (ee) bis and (hh) ter

(h) oct and (h) ter. Strengthen bilateral, regional and international cooperation for the full and effective implementation of the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its supplementary Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, including by implementing the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, and take appropriate measures to raise public awareness of the issue of trafficking in persons, particularly women and girls, including the factors that make women and girls vulnerable to trafficking; to discourage, with a view to eliminating, the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation, including sexual exploitation and forced labour; to review and adopt laws, regulations and penalties necessary to deal with this issue and publicize them to emphasize that trafficking is a serious crime; and encourage media providers, including Internet service providers, to adopt or strengthen self-regulatory measures to promote the responsible use of media, particularly the Internet, with a view to eliminating the exploitation of women and children; AD REF

(h) nov consolidated into h oct and h ter

i) Ensure the promotion and protection of the human rights of all women and their sexual and reproductive health, and reproductive rights in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences, including through the development and enforcement of policies and legal frameworks, and strengthening of health systems, that make universally accessible and available quality comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care services, commodities, information and education, including, inter alia, safe and effective methods of modern contraception, emergency contraception, prevention programmes for adolescent pregnancy, maternal health care such as skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care which will reduce obstetric fistula and other complications of pregnancy and delivery, safe abortion where such services are permitted by national law, and prevention and treatment of reproductive tract infections, sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and reproductive cancers, recognizing that human rights include the right to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health, free from coercion, discrimination, and violence; AD REF

(i) ter. consolidated with i

(i) quin. consolidated with i

(i) quat. Ensure universal access to comprehensive prevention, affordable treatment, care and support services for HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections, free of stigma and discrimination, with a gender perspective, and to provide comprehensive information, voluntary counseling and testing to young women and adolescent girls living and affected with HIV and AIDS; AD REF

(i) sext. Develop, implement and support national prevention, care and treatment strategies, to effectively address obstetric fistula using a multi-sectoral, multidisciplinary, comprehensive and integrated approach in order to bring about lasting solutions; AD REF

(i) sept. moved after f , a bis

(i) oct. consolidated with i sext

(i) bis. (Part 1). Encourage partnerships for global health to support Member States in carrying out their responsibilities, including in moving towards universal health coverage, which implies that all people, including women and girls, have access, without discrimination, to nationally determined sets of the promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative basic health services, and vaccines, needed and essential, safe, affordable, effective and quality medicines, especially through the promotion of primary health care, while ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the users to financial hardship, with a specific emphasis on the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized segments of the population, and calls upon Member States to strengthen and improve the quality of health systems in this regard; AD REF

(i) bis (Part 2). Develop comprehensive strategies to target gender inequality in health care and put into practice policies to ensure equal access for women, adolescents and youth to affordable and adequate health care services, including primary health care and basic nutrition; AD REF

(i) bis (Part 3). Pursue and promote gender-based approaches for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases founded on data disaggregated by sex and age in an effort to address the critical differences in the risks of morbidity and mortality from non-communicable diseases for women and men; AD REF

(j) Promote and protect women’s and girls’ right to education on the basis of equal opportunity and non-discrimination throughout their lifecycle at all levels and promote equal and inclusive access to quality early childhood, primary, secondary and post-secondary education, non-formal education, catch-up and adult literacy education for those who did not receive formal education, skills development and vocational training and human rights education and training, with specific attention to: eliminating gender disparities at all levels of education by increasing the retention, transition and completion rates of women and girls; improving the quality of education and learning outcomes; eliminating gender stereotypes in the curriculum; mainstreaming a gender perspective into education and training programmes, including science and technology; eradicating female illiteracy and supporting school-to-work transition through skills development to enable their active participation in economic, social and cultural development, governance and decision-making; AD REF

(j) bis bis. Adopt targeted measures to ensure girls’ safety and an environment free from sexual harassment in the school and in the commute to school including by improving transportation, strengthening infrastructure by providing separate and adequate sanitation facilities, improved lighting, playgrounds and other safe environments, conducting violence prevention activities in schools and communities; establishing and enforcing penalties for all forms of violence and harassment against girls; AD REF

(j) alt. consolidated into j

(j) bis. consolidated into j

(j) ter. consolidated into j

(j) quat. consolidated into j

(j) sept. Promote the right to education by making primary education compulsory and available free to all children and through the progressive introduction of subsidized education, bearing in mind that special measures to ensure equal access, including affirmative action to contribute to achieving equal opportunity and combating exclusion and ensuring school attendance, in particular for girls and children from low-income families and children who become heads of households; AD REF

(j) quin. Develop and implement educational programmes and teaching materials, including comprehensive evidence-based education for human sexuality, based on full and accurate information, for all adolescents and youth, in a manner consistent with their evolving capacities, with the appropriate direction and guidance from parents and legal guardians, with the involvement of children, adolescents, youth and communities, and in coordination with women’s, youth and specialized non-governmental organizations, in order to modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women of all ages, to eliminate prejudices and to promote and build informed decision-making, communication and risk reduction skills for the development of respectful relationships and based on gender equality and human rights, as well as teacher education and training programmes for both formal and non-formal education; AD REF

(j) sext. consolidated with k

(j) oct. and (j) alt bis. With the support of international organizations, civil society and non-governmental organizations, as appropriate, Develop policies and programmes, giving priority to formal, informal and non-formal education, that support girls and enable them to acquire knowledge, develop self-esteem and take responsibility for their own lives, and to place special focus on programmes to educate women and men, especially parents, about the importance of girls’ physical and mental health and well-being, including the elimination of discrimination and violence against girls; AD REF

(k) Ensure women’s right to work and rights at work through gender-responsive policies and programmes that promote women’s economic empowerment, including decent work for all, promote equal pay for equal work or work of equal value, invest in and empower women in productive sectors of the economy, support women’s technical, managerial and entrepreneurial capacities, promote collective bargaining, address the gendered division of labour, prohibit and redress sexual harassment, prevent discrimination against women in the workplace, support the reconciliation of paid work with family/care responsibilities for both women and men, and promote women’s full and equal participation in the formal economy, in particular in economic decision-making, and empower women in the informal economy, with particular attention to women domestic workers, who are entitled to the same basic rights as other workers, including protection from violence and abuse, fair terms of employment, and a safe and healthy working environment; AD REF

(k) bis. consolidated with k

(l) Guarantee women’s and girls’ inheritance rights and their full and equal access to and control over assets and natural and other productive resources, including full and equal rights to own and lease land and other property, and undertaking administrative reforms and all necessary measures to give women the same right as men to credit capital, finance, financial assets, science and technology, vocational training, information and communication technologies and markets, and to ensure equal access to justice and legal assistance; AD REF

(l) bis. consolidated with (o) and (o) alt

(l) ter. Encourage States and relevant civil society groups to empower women and girls by supporting programmes that facilitate participation through public and private investment in agriculture aiming to achieve food security and nutrition; AD REF

(l) quat. NEW Recognise, resource, and support programmes that advance gender equality and women’s rights in all areas of economic activities including fisheries and aquaculture to address food security and nutrition, and meaningfully facilitate women’s contributions to small scale and artisan fisheries and aquaculture, commercial fisheries, oceans and seas use and care; AD REF

(m) Ensure non-discriminatory access for women of all ages to gender-responsive, universally accessible, available, affordable, sustainable, and high quality services and infrastructure, including health care, safe drinking water and sanitation, transport, energy, housing, agricultural technology, financial and legal services, and information and communication technologies; AD REF

(m) bis. Invest in closing the gender gap in information and communications technologies by making them affordable and accessible including in access to broadband as a tool for the empowerment of women and girls and the exercise of their full range of human rights, access to information, access to markets, networking and increased opportunities; AD REF

(n) Promote universal social protection across the lifecycle, including for older women, that gives women and girls protection against risks and vulnerabilities and promotes their social inclusion and full enjoyment of all human rights; AD REF

(o) and (o) alt. Recognize that caregiving is a critical societal function and therefore emphasize the need to value, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work by prioritizing social protection policies, including accessible and affordable social services, including care services for children, persons with disabilities, older persons, and persons living with HIV and AIDS, and all others in need of care; the development of infrastructure including access to environmentally sound time-and-energy-saving technologies; employment policies, including family friendly policies with maternity and paternity leave and benefits; promote the equal sharing of responsibilities and chores between men and women in care giving and domestic work to reduce the domestic work burden of women and girls and to change the attitudes that reinforce the division of labour based on gender; AD REF

(o) bis. consolidated in 9 quin (part 2) and e bis

(o) ter. consolidated with m bis

(o) quat. consolidated into m part 2 and o quat

(o) quin. consolidated into h oct and h ter

(o) sext. consolidated with (o) and (o) alt

(h) sept, (ee) bis and (hh) ter. Recognize the family as a contributor to sustainable development, including in the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals for women and girls, that gender equality and women’s empowerment improve the well-being of the family, and in this regard stress the need of elaborating and implementing family policies aimed at achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment and at enhancing the full participation of women in society; AD REF

(m) (part 2) and o quat. Promote and protect effectively the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants, regardless of their migration status, especially those of women and children, and to address international migration through international, regional or bilateral cooperation and dialogue and through a comprehensive and balanced approach, recognizing the roles and responsibilities of countries of origin, transit and destination in promoting and protecting the human rights of all migrants, and avoiding approaches that might aggravate their vulnerability; AD REF

B. Strengthening the enabling environment for gender equality and the empowerment of women

(p) and (p) alt. Work towards ensuring that global trade, financial and investment agreements are conducive to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and human rights of women and girls, and complement national development efforts to achieve the MDGs for women and girls, including through reaffirming the critical role of open, equitable, rules-based, predictable, non-discriminatory multilateral trading system, and strengthen the effectiveness of the global economic system’s support for development by encouraging the mainstreaming of a gender perspective into development policies at all levels in all sectors; AD REF

(p) bis. NEW Underline commitments to strengthen national efforts, including with the support of international cooperation, aimed at addressing the rights and needs of women and girls affected by natural disasters, armed conflicts, other complex humanitarian emergencies, trafficking in persons and terrorism, within the context of actions geared to the realization of the internationally agreed goals and commitments related to gender equality and the empowerment of women, including the Millennium Development Goals, recognizing the challenges they face; and also underline the need to take concerted actions in conformity with international law to remove the obstacles to the full realization of the rights of women and girls living under foreign occupation, so as to ensure the achievement of the above-mentioned goals and commitments recognizing the challenges they face; AD REF

(q) DELETED

(q) alt. Implement macro-economic policies that, together with labor and social policies, promote full and productive employment and decent work for all and gender equality and the empowerment of women, to enhance economic efficiency and optimize the contribution of women to economic growth and poverty reduction; and increase awareness among decision-makers, the private sector and employers of the necessity of women’s economic empowerment and their important contribution; AD REF

(q) bis. consolidated with i bis (part 3)

(v) bis. – moved after ee

(t) ter. Strengthen the role of women in formal and informal sectors, including in cross-border trade and agriculture, put in place measures needed to improve women’s access to markets and productive resources, and make markets safe for women including those living in rural areas, and thereby ensure that women- and men-owned businesses and farms have equal opportunities in markets; AD REF

(t) ter ALT and (v) bis ALT. Identify and develop strategies to expand trade opportunities for women producers, and facilitate the active participation of women in national, regional and global trade; AD REF

(r) consolidated with (r) alt.

(r) alt. Take measures to ensure that, in global and national policy responses to financial and economic crises and to excessive volatile food and energy prices, any negative impacts on gender equality and the empowerment of women are minimized, including on employment and funding for essential services and social protection systems, and that particular support is given to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable persons, and that gender equality and the empowerment of women continue to be promoted, including the protection of the human rights of women and girls; AD REF

19 ter. Refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries; AD REF

(r) bis. WITHDRAWN

(s) Prioritize and mainstream gender equality perspectives in all social, economic and environmental policies and programmes to implement the MDGs, including national development policies and strategies to eradicate poverty, and gender-responsive budgeting and public expenditure allocation processes; establish and strengthen institutional mechanisms for gender mainstreaming at local, national and regional levels, promote and ensure the implementation of national legal frameworks and the coordination between branches of government to ensure gender equality; AD REF

(s) bis. consolidated into s bis and t bis and moved after t bis.

(s) ter. First part consolidated with i bis (part 1) and second part consolidated with i

(s) quat. Promote equal opportunities and the full and equal participation of women and men as agents and beneficiaries of people-centred sustainable development, and reaffirm that eradication of poverty based on sustained economic growth, social development, environmental protection and social justice requires the involvement of women in economic and social development; AD REF

(t) Adopt measures to implement and monitor the MDGs for women and girls in armed conflict and post-conflict situations, and women and girls affected by violent extremism, and ensure women’s effective participation at all levels and at all stages and in peace processes and mediation efforts, conflict prevention and resolution, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and recovery, as laid out in relevant Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security, and in this regard support the involvement of women’s organizations and civil society organizations. End impunity by ensuring accountability and punishing perpetrators of the most serious crimes against women and girls under national and international law, and ensure that alleged perpetrators of those crimes are held accountable under national justice or, where applicable, international justice; AD REF

(t) alt. consolidated into t

(t) bis. consolidated into s bis and t bis below.

(s) bis and (t) bis. Promote the integration of a gender perspective in environmental and climate change policies and strengthen mechanisms and provide adequate resources to ensure women’s full and equal participation in decision-making at all levels on environmental issues, in particular on strategies and policies related to the impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather events and slow onset impacts, including drought, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and loss of biodiversity on the lives of women and girls; and ensure a comprehensive approach to address the hardships faced by women and girls by integrating their specific needs into humanitarian response to natural disasters and into the planning, delivery and monitoring of disaster risk reduction policies to address natural disasters and climate change, and ensuring sustainable natural resources management; AD REF

(t) ter. moved to after q

(t) ter alt moved to after q

(t) quat. DELETE

(t) quin. consolidated into s bis and t bis

(t) sext. consolidated into s bis and t bis

(u) Strengthen international cooperation in technology and innovation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women, including through public-private partnerships; AD REF

(u) bis. consolidated into ee

(u) ter. consolidated into s

(u) quat. Strengthen and support the contributions of rural women to the agricultural sector and to enhancing agricultural and rural development, including small-scale farming, and ensure that women have equal access to agricultural technologies, through investments and transfer of technology on mutually agreed terms, and innovation in small scale agricultural production and distribution; and address the existing gaps on and barriers to trading their agricultural products in local, regional and international markets; AD REF

(u) quin. moved after y bis

(u) sext. consolidated into u sext, u sext alt and x alt after v

(u) sext ALT. consolidated into u sext, u sext alt and x alt after v

(u) sept consolidated into u sext, u sext alt and x alt after v

(u) oct. consolidated into u sext, u sext alt and x alt after v

(u ) nov, (u) nov alt. consolidated into u nov and u nov alt after v

(y) bis Strengthen international cooperation, including the role of North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation, bearing in mind that South-South cooperation is not a substitute for, but rather a complement to, North-South cooperation, and invites all Member States to enhance South-South and triangular cooperation focusing on shared development priorities with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders in government, civil society and the private sector, while noting that national ownership and leadership in this regard are indispensable for the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls; AD REF

(u) quin. Recognize the important role the media can play in the elimination of gender stereotypes, and to the extent consistent with freedom of expression, increase the participation and access of women to all forms of media, and encourage the media to increase public awareness of the Beijing Platform for Action, the Millennium Development Goals, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls; AD REF

C. Maximizing investments in gender equality and the empowerment of women

(v). Increase and ensure the effectiveness of financial resources across all sectors to achieve gender equality, empowerment of women and the realization and enjoyment of women’s and girls’ human rights through mobilization of financial resources from all sources, including domestic resource mobilization and allocation and increased priority to gender equality in official development assistance, and the creation of voluntary innovative financing mechanisms, as appropriate; AD REF

(u) sext, (u) sext alt and (x) alt. Urge developed countries that have not yet done so, in accordance with their commitments, to make concrete efforts towards meeting the target of 0.7 per cent of their gross national product for official development assistance to developing countries and the target of 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of their gross national product for official development assistance to least developed countries, and encourage developing countries to build on the progress achieved in ensuring that official development assistance is used effectively to help meet development goals and targets and help them, inter alia, to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women; AD REF

(u) nov and (u) nov alt. Recognize that the long-term sustainability of debt depends on, inter alia, economic growth, the mobilization of domestic and international resources, export prospects of debtor countries, sustainable debt management, sound macroeconomic policies that also support job creation, transparent and effective regulatory frameworks and success in overcoming structural development problems, and hence on the creation of an enabling international environment that is conducive to sustainable development, gender equality and the empowerment of women; AD REF

(w) and (x). Support and institutionalize a gender-sensitive approach to public financial management, including gender-responsive budgeting across all sectors of public expenditure, to address gaps in resourcing for gender equality and women’s empowerment, and ensure all national and sectoral plans and policies for gender equality and the empowerment of women are fully costed and adequately resourced to ensure their effective implementation; AD REF

(x) alt. consolidated into u sext, u sext alt, x alt after v

(x) alt bis. consolidated into w and x

(x) bis. consolidated with q

(y) Monitor and evaluate the impact of all economic decision-making on gender equality, including public sector expenditures, austerity measures, where they apply, public-private partnerships and investments, and official development assistance, and take corrective action to prevent discriminatory impacts and achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women, including by ensuring promoting women’s full and equal participation in economic decision-making structures; AD REF

(y) bis moved after u / u quat

(z) Increase resources and support for grassroots, local, national, regional and global women’s and civil society organizations to advance and promote gender equality, the empowerment of women and the human rights of women and girls; AD REF

(z) bis. consolidated into z

D. Strengthening the evidence-base for gender equality and the empowerment of women

(aa) Improve systematic and coordinated collection, analysis, dissemination and use of gender statistics and data disaggregated by sex, age, disability and other relevant variables at national level, through appropriate financial and technical support and capacity-building, while recognizing the need for international cooperation in this regard; AD REF

(bb) Collect regularly and disseminate statistics on the minimum set of gender indicators and the core set of violence against women indicators adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission in 2013; AD REF

(bb) alt. consolidated with 22 and 24

(cc) Continue to develop and enhance standards and methodologies, for use at national and international levels, to improve data, inter alia, on women’s poverty, income distribution within households, unpaid care work, women’s access to, control and ownership of assets and productive resources, and women’s participation at all levels of decision-making, including to monitor progress on the MDGs for women and girls; AD REF

(dd) Develop and strengthen national monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess policies and programmes to achieve the MDGs for women and girls and promote the sharing of best practices; AD REF

E. Ensuring women’s participation and leadership at all levels and strengthening accountability

new (ee) – consolidated into ee

(ee) Take measures to ensure women’s full, equal and effective participation in all fields and leadership at all levels of decision-making in the public and private sectors through policies and actions such as temporary special measures, as appropriate, and by setting and working to achieve concrete goals, targets and benchmarks; AD REF

(ee) bis. moved to after o and consolidated into (h) sept, (ee) bis and (hh) ter

(v) bis. Strengthen the participation in and contributions of women in decision-making processes on national, regional and global trade; AD REF

(ff) Ensure the effective participation of women’s and youth and other relevant civil society organizations in the design, continued implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies to achieve the MDGs and take into account their views in the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda; AD REF

(gg) Develop and implement effective measures to account for the achievement of gender equality, the empowerment of women, and the realization of the human rights of women and girls; AD REF

(hh) Strengthen institutional arrangements for monitoring the implementation of the MDGs for women and girls, ensure transparency, in this regard, by making available relevant information and support women’s full and effective participation and leadership in monitoring; AD REF

(hh) bis. consolidated ee

(hh) ter. moved to after o and consolidated into (h) sept, (ee) bis and (hh) ter

27. The Commission urges States to build on the lessons from the implementation of the MDGs as the new post-2015 development agenda is being shaped. It urges States to tackle critical remaining challenges through a transformative and comprehensive approach and calls for gender equality, the empowerment of women and human rights of women and girls to be reflected as a stand-alone goal and to be integrated through targets and indicators into all goals of any new development framework. AD REF

27 alt. WITHDRAWN

27 bis. replaced by 27 and 27 bis alt

27 bis alt. WITHDRAWN

27 ter. replaced by 27 and 27 bis alt

27 quat. replaced by 27 and 27 bis alt

27 quin. replaced by 27 and 27 bis alt

27 sext. replaced by 27 and 27 bis alt

28. The Commission also urges all States and all other stakeholders to undertake comprehensive national and regional level reviews of the progress made and challenges encountered in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly so that the outcomes of these reviews can effectively feed into its fifty-ninth session, in 2015. The Commission especially encourages all stakeholders to analyze current challenges and identify opportunities for accelerating actions to achieve gender equality, the empowerment of women and the realization of human rights of women and girls, and to undertake appropriate commemorative activities for the twentieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women. AD REF

29. replaced by 27 and 27 bis alt

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