Extract from: Anne Bayefsky. UN Human Rights Treaty System: Universality at the Cross Roads. OHCHR. April 2001: pp 45
IWRAW Asia Pacific is a classic example of an NGO which moved from a theoretical set of treaty standards to a methodology for implementation at the national level. In so doing, it integrated a dynamic and symbiotic relationship to a treaty body (CEDAW). It began by identifying a gap in the treaty system, namely, needs to:
- Mobilise women's groups at the national and regional level to improve accountability of governments in fulfilling treaty obligations
- Improve the flow of information from the international level of legal standards to the local level, (including monitoring and facilitating the implementation of the treaty locally)
- Enable women to use the treaty to advance their interests.
IWRAW Asia Pacific then identified multilevel strategies to (a) improve women's ability to claim rights, (b) foster mechanisms of enforcement, and (c) facilitate ongoing monitoring to track progress in compliance. Its programme was built step-by-step:
- enhance understanding of "women's rights" and "equality" emphasising de facto equality; develop the framework for identifying discrimination against women and the nature of State obligations under the Convention
- inspire women's groups in the region to locate their advocacy within a rights framework
- run training sessions to develop practical, analytical skills for activists in legislative and policy advocacy; train lawyers on filing test cases to claim human rights for women through the domestic application of international human rights standards
- assist campaigns to encourage governments to withdraw reservations
- expand training programmes to a broader range of target sectors than women's groups, such as human rights groups, the judiciary and lawyers, government officials
- provide technical support to women's groups to facilitate the development and sharing of model legislation, and to comment on proposed bills
- run training the trainer's sessions in order to build regional capacity
- establish monitoring networks
- use the outcomes of the monitoring to write alternative reports to be submitted to CEDAW; provide technical support to assist in the production of shadow reports
- attend CEDAW sessions, meet with CEDAW members and provide them with information
- encourage the adoption and ratification of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW
- empower women to use the Optional Protocol to claim their rights.
This integrated approach seeks to maximise national input at the international level, and the use of international standards at the national level. The approach is adaptable to other NGOs and other treaties.
