Draft Resolution submitted by Mexico

THE SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM

Being aware that the Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women asks for the participation of women in equal conditions with men in all spheres for the full development of countries, world welfare and the cause of peace;

Concerned about the existence of stereotypical and skewed attitudes in gender issues in society as well as public opinion tendency to consider the main problems affecting women as solved;

Considering that Article 7 of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women calls upon all States to carry out all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in public and political life;

Acknowledging that equal opportunities for women in leadership and decision-making positions is only one important element in a series of public actions and activities required to achieve gender equality in the workplace and improve the perspective in the Asia-Pacific region;

Emphasizing that women’s conditions and functions in the world have experienced a substantial change worldwide during the last decade, though at an uneven pace;

Taking notice that the Third Millennium Objective is to promote gender equality and women’s autonomy in three areas: economic, political and physical, and whose objective is the elimination of gender inequalities at all educational levels and increase space for women in national parliaments;

Considering that the term “femicide” emerged from the definition of violence against women in the Belem do Para Convention, whose Article 1 establishes that “violence against women shall be understood as any act or conduct, based on gender, which causes death or physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, whether in the public or private sphere;

Considering that the punishment and eradication of femicide is an obligation and must be a priority for any State based on the Rule of Law;

Resolves to:

1.          Ask regional institutions and governments to deepen compliance with the recommendations issued in the different reports and international instruments for the protection of human rights, especially those referring to women’s human rights;

2.          Call upon the Asia-Pacific region Governments to adopt the necessary measures to reach the United Nations Millennium Objectives;

3.          Promote the diffusion of values such as tolerance; no discrimination; and equality in order to cause integral promotion of the gender equality principle;

4.          Commit to the Beijing Platform for Action that establishes the basis for the political empowerment of women;

5.          Exhort Parliamentarians to eliminate all discriminatory references toward women from internal legislation of all APPF member countries;

6.          Call upon governments to respect and facilitate actions of non-governmental organizations and civil society that support victims of femicide and their relatives by creating an effective witness protection system and promoting repair mechanisms that are not limited to financial compensation but provide for psychological support and facilitate access to justice;

7.          Exhort member States of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum to guarantee women’s working rights in their internal legislation and at all government levels, as well as encourage companies to respect, within the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework, the integrity, safety, physical and mental wellbeing and working rights of their female workers;

8.          Exhort APPF members to support work done in the matter of non- discrimination among men and women and contribute to the establishment of a structured dialog whose objective is the exchange of good practices in this field;

9.          Underline the need to implement educational policies that help eliminate all forms of inequality based on gender differences;

10.      Recommend that APPF members finance research centers in the Asia-Pacific region focused on developing comparative studies relative to public strategies for the inclusion of women in society.