ASEAN
UNIFEM Renews Commitment to Support ASEAN on Gender Issues
The Secretary General of ASEAN, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, had a meeting today with Regional Programme Director, United Nation Fund for Women (UNIFEM) East and Southeast Asia, Dr Jean D'Chunha and exchanged views on a range of issues relating to gender equality and the empowerment of women in ASEAN. They also discussed the implementation of various regional and international instruments. such as the United Nations Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPFA), and the 2004 Declaration on the Advancement of Women (DEVAW).
During the meeting, Dr DโChunha reaffirmed UNIFEMโs commitment to work closely with ASEAN in the implementation of the ASEAN-UNIFEM Framework for Cooperation which was signed in June 2006. She said that she is satisfied that a number of activities have been implemented under the Framework and that UNIFEM will continue to engage the ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW) and relevant CSOs in the region.
Moreover, Dr DโChunha added that UNIFEM is interested to explore how it could assist the work of the newly established ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC). UNIFEM is also interested to support the capacity of the ASEAN Secretariat in its role as the secretariat of the ACWC. UNIFEM would also like explore the possibility of working with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) on gender mainstreaming in its work programme. Noting that ASEAN is currently developing an instrument to protect and promote the rights of migrant workers, Dr DโChunha said UNIFEM could also work with ASEAN in addressing the gender aspect in the instrument.
Dr Surin welcomed the various new initiatives of UNIFEM and encouraged UNIFEM to continue its work to promote the awareness of all levels of ASEAN societies, including students, on gender issues and to also undertake research work at grass-root levels to address specific issues, needs and problems that ASEAN is facing relating to the overall well-being of women.
Email from: Ms. Wahyuningrum (Yuyun)
By:
When: 7/2/2014
