| Eleventh
Annual Meeting of the Special Rapporteurs, Representatives, Independent
Experts and Chairpersons of the Working Groups
of the Commission on Human Rights
Geneva, Switzerland, 21-25 June 2004
Submission
by International Women’s Rights Action Watch (Asia Pacific)
22 June 2004
I speak on behalf of the International Women’s Rights Action
Watch (IWRAW Asia Pacific), an international organisation based
in Malaysia and working towards the progressive interpretation and
realisation of the human rights of women through the lens of the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW) and other international human rights treaties. We
have significant presence in 12 countries in South and Southeast
Asia with work being carried out in East Asia, the Pacific and Central
Asia.
In many instances
the work of Special Rapporteurs, Representatives, Independent Experts
and Working Groups of the Commission on Human Rights have contributed
to our efforts in enhancing the realisation of rights for women.
Concretely, in 2003, we have co-organised with other NGOs (APWLD,
COHRE and Habitat International), an Asia-Pacific consultation with
the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing on the Interlinkages
between Women’s Rights to Adequate Housing and Violence against
Women. In 2002, we also co-organised (with APWLD and Amnesty International),
a consultation with the Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders
on the Women Human Rights Defenders. These consultations have contributed
to progressive interpretation of human rights standards and in elaborating
on the normative content of rights, particularly on the human rights
of women. It has also been instrumental in providing opportunities
to NGOs, in particular national NGOs and women themselves, especially
in countries where the rapporteurs themselves cannot visit, to share
their experiences with the Special rapporteurs and to assist in
the development of human rights standards in matters concern them
directly. We urge the rapporteurs to continue with this continuous
exchange with NGOs. Specifically, we challenge the special procedures
to continue to provide special attention to the voices of women
in carrying out their mandate and to heighten consultations with
them in the development of human rights standards.
We further urge
the Special Procedures to continuously work towards the progressive
development of human rights and in this regard:
- We welcome
the continuous efforts of the Special Procedures in working together
on common issues and in issuing joint statements. We believe this
assist in the conscious development and movement towards ensuring
the principle of indivisibility and interdependence of rights
as well as provide a stronger mechanism to urge State compliance.
Are there more ways to improve and systematise this existing procedure
to enable more interlinkages and cooperation? What role should
the Special Procedures play as a collective in contributing further
to standard setting?
- We urge enhanced
and more systematised collaboration with treaty bodies. For example,
input in processes where special procedures can suggest a list
of questions or issues related to their mandate that could be
considered in State parties review must be systematised. We encourage
the Special Procedures to engage more systematically in the crafting
of general comments/recommendations of treaty bodies. We also
urge you to assist treaty bodies in following up their concluding
comments/observations in a more consistent and systematic manner.
Processes may also be developed where the findings of special
rapporteurs and experts that point to a gross and systematic violations
at the national level can be used to trigger the process for interim
reports or reports in between the period of State Parties reporting
and urgent measures procedures under the treaty bodies.
- The mandate
of the working group to discuss options for the elaboration of
options for an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has been extended. We
encourage the special rapporteurs to play a critical role as experts
in this working group. The strengthening of the Special Procedures
is not only about enhancing its effectiveness alone but also in
ensuring the cohesiveness and strengthening of the human rights
system as a whole.
Prepared by
Rea Chiongson, IWRAW Asia Pacific
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