Below
is the Joint Statement by Representatives of National Human Rights
Institutions at the 54th Session of the United Nations Commission on the
Status of Women. The representatives include: National Human Rights
Institutions of Australia, Canada, Jordan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand,
Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, Spain and Thailand.
Below
is the Joint Statement by Representatives of National Human Rights
Institutions at the 54th Session of the United Nations Commission on the
Status of Women. The representatives include: National Human Rights
Institutions of Australia, Canada, Jordan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand,
Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, Spain and Thailand.
Reaffirming
the important and constructive role played by National Human Rights
Institutions[1][1] and their function in remedying human rights
violations and in the dissemination of human rights information and
education concerning human rights, as recognized in the Vienna
Declaration and Programme of Action;
Recognizing that National Human Rights Institutions have a
crucial role to play in promoting and ensuring the indivisibility and
interdependence of all human rights as stated in the resolution 2005/74
of the Commission on Human Rights;
Reaffirming that National Human Rights Institutions have
been recognized as a objective and reliable information source regarding
the human rights situation in their countries, according to resolutions
60/251 of the General Assembly and 5/1 of the Human Rights Council;
Emphasizing that the participation of and consultation with
National Human Rights Institutions, are based on arrangements, including
Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31 of 25 July 1996 and
practices observed by the Commission on Human Rights, as well as any
decisions that the Human Rights Council may take, while ensuring the
most effective contribution of these entities;
Recognizing that National Human Rights Institutions are an
important part of the national, regional and international institutional
framework and accountability mechanisms for the advancement of women;
Recognizing that National Human Rights Institutions are
important national machinery in advancing the implementation of the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action as affirmed in the Agreed
Conclusions of the 53rd Session of the CSW; and
Recognizing that
National Human Rights Institutions have
independent participation status in international fora[2][2] and are
critical to ensuring that women's rights are fully respected as human
rights.
However, recognizing also that National Human Rights
Institutions do not currently have independent participation status at
the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the primary
intergovernmental mechanism on women's empowerment and gender equality.
National
Human Rights Institutions represented at the 54th Session of CSW:
Urge
the CSW to formally recognise the independent role of National Human
Rights Institutions in promoting women's empowerment and gender equality
at the national, regional and international level;
Encourage
Member States to support a resolution enabling the
independent participation of National Human Rights Institutions at the
CSW, consistent with other UN bodies;
Urge Member States to show
leadership in the strengthening
of the international gender architecture by ensuring that NHRIs have an
independent status at CSW;
Encourage Member States to
consider how National Human Rights Institutions could fully engage with
the proposed new gender entity as a national partner; and
Request
civil society to support efforts to secure independent participation
status for National Human Rights Institutions at CSW.
Enquiries
regarding this joint statement can be directed to Ms Pip Dargan at [email protected] .
