San Salvador, El Salvador,  November 13-15, 2006

 Resolutions

 

CIM/RES.237 ( XXXIII-O/06)	Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women, "Convention of Belém do Pará"
CIM/RES.238 ( XXXIII-O/06)	Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women, Adolescents, and Children
CIM/RES.239 ( XXXIII-O/06)	Gender Mainstreaming  in Hemispheric Policies and in the Summits of the Americas
CIM/RES.240 ( XXXIII-O/06)	CIM Work Program for the 2006-2008 Biennium: Program Guidelines
CIM/RES.241 ( XXXIII-O/06)	Venue and Date of the Thirty-Fourth Assembly of Delegates of the Inter-American Commission of Women
CIM/RES.242( XXXIII-O/06)	Meetings of the Executive Committee for the 2006-2008 Term
CIM/RES.243 ( XXXIII-O/06)	Special Recognition of the Secretary General of the Organization of American States
CIM/RES.244 (XXXIII-O/06)	Vote of Thanks to the People and Government of El Salvador

 

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CIM/RES.237 (XXXIII-O/06)

INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION ON THE PREVENTION, PUNISHMENT, AND ERADICATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, “CONVENTION OF BELÉM DO PARÁ” 

(Approved at the fourth plenary session, held on November 15, 2006)  

THE THIRTY-THIRD ASSEMBLY OF DELEGATES OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN, 

HAVING SEEN resolutions CIM/RES. 229 (XXXII-O/04), “Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, ‘Convention of Belém do Pará,’" and AG/RES. 2162 (XXXVI-O/06), “Mechanism to Follow Up on Implementation of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, ‘Convention of Belém do Pará’;" 

RECOGNIZING: 

That the Convention of Belém do Pará, adopted in 1994, states that “the elimination of violence against women is essential for their individual and social development and their full and equal participation in all walks of life;” 

That the Convention of Belém do Pará is the only specific, binding international legal instrument on gender-based violence and has become an important driving force for the states parties thereto to undertake to implement policies, laws, and national and regional action programs to eradicate violence against women; 

CONSIDERING: 

That for over a decade the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) has been including gender-based violence among the priority topics on its agenda; 

That one of the essential topics for the CIM is to generate, accompany, and continue supporting initiatives to strengthen the efforts under way in member states to combat gender-based violence, especially in those countries where such violence has taken the form of increasing murders of women; 

BEARING IN MIND: 

That, in fulfillment of their commitments, the states parties to the Convention of Belém do Pará adopted, on October 26, 2004, the Mechanism to Follow Up on Implementation of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, "Convention of Belém do Pará, MESECVI;" 

That the OAS General Secretariat, through the Permanent Secretariat of the CIM, serves as the Secretariat to the organs of the MESECVI, with advice, where appropriate, from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; and 

            That, during the First Meeting of Experts, on August 24, 2005, regulatory instruments were adopted to govern the work of the Committee of Experts of the MESECVI;  

WELCOMING: 

The fact that, to date, 29 states parties have appointed experts, 27 have designated competent national authorities, and the time frames and actions agreed to by the states parties and the experts are being adhered to, demonstrating the governments’ commitment to this evaluation process and to hemispheric cooperation in fighting gender-based violence; and 

That the first multilateral evaluation meeting of the Committee of Experts of the MESECVI was held on July 24, 2006, 

RESOLVES: 

1.  To note with satisfaction the report of the technical secretariat (CIM/doc.10/06) on the activities of the Mechanism to Follow Up on Implementation of the Convention of Belém do Pará (MESECVI) and to express its conviction that this exercise will significantly advance the achievement of the aims established in the Convention. 

2.  To thank the governments for their valuable contributions to the Mechanism, in both financial and human resources, and to invite States Parties to persist in their efforts to achieve the objectives of the Convention by implementing the MESECVI.  

3.  To request that States Parties facilitate the participation of experts in activities related to MESECVI and, in instances where a State Party hosts the meeting, provide adequate facilities and resources.  

4.  To reiterate its gratitude to the Permanent Secretariat of the CIM for its support of the states parties during the process of adopting the MESECVI and thank it for performing its important role as Secretariat of the Mechanism, and to thank it and the MESECVI Committee of Experts for their contributions to furthering the fulfillment of the objectives of the Convention of Belém do Pará, and to urge them to continue with the same level of dedication. 

5.                   To call upon the member states that have not already done so to consider signing and ratifying, ratifying, or acceding to the Convention of Belém do Pará. 

6.  To invite all states parties and states not party to the Convention, permanent observers, international financial organizations, and public and private national and international entities to contribute to the specific MESECVI fund established in the OAS to finance its operations. 

7.  To urge states parties and especially their principal delegates to advance the implementation and development of national initiatives in order to promote the aims of the Convention and MESECVI in legislative and judiciary arenas, and in government institutions and local governments, as well as academic and civil society institutions, so as to increase awareness of the Mechanism through the widest possible dissemination of information  and thereby strengthen the human and financial commitment in each country to fighting gender-based violence.

8.  To request the support of the principal delegates of the states parties that have not already done so to urge their governments to appoint an expert and a competent national authority and to submit their responses to the MESECVI questionnaire, in order to facilitate the full implementation of the Convention and the success of the Mechanism.    

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CIM/RES.238 ( XXXIII-O/06) 

FIGHTING THE CRIME OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS,
ESPECIALLY WOMEN, ADOLESCENTS, AND CHILDREN

 (Approved at the fourth plenary session, held on November 15, 2006)

   

the thirty-THIRD assembly of delegates of the Inter-American Commission of Women, 

BEARING IN MIND resolutions CIM/RES. 225/02 (XXXI-O/02), “Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women, Adolescents, and Children” and CIM/RES. 236 (XXXII-O/04), “Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women, Adolescents, and Children,” as well as resolutions AG/RES. 1776 (XXXI-O/01), “Support for the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime;” AG/RES. 1948 (XXXIII-O/03), AG/RES. 2019 (XXXIV-O/04), “Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women, Adolescents, and Children;” AG/RES. 2240 (XXXVI-O/06), “Combating the Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Smuggling of and Trafficking in Children in the Hemisphere;" and AG/RES. 2256 (XXXVI-O/06), “Hemispheric Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons:  Conclusions and Recommendations of the First Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons;” 

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that resolution AG/RES. 2240 (XXXVI-O/06) recognizes “the efforts on the matter already under way in various organs, agencies, and entities of the Organization and in other forums, in particular the coordination strategy which is being developed by the Department for the Prevention of Threats against Public Security in coordination with the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) on trafficking in women and children for purposes of sexual exploitation in the Americas;” 

RECALLING the conclusions and recommendations of the Sixth Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas, as they pertain to trafficking in persons, especially women and children (REMJA-VI/doc.21/06); 

RECALLING FURTHERMORE the commitment assumed by the member states, during the First Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons, held on Isla Margarita in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela from March 14 to 17, 2006, to consider signing and ratifying, ratifying, or acceding to, as the case may be, and implementing as soon as possible, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and other relevant international instruments on the subject;

CONSIDERING the grave economic, social, and human repercussions of the crime of trafficking in persons in the Hemisphere; 

That social exclusion, inequity, and poverty are factors that increase the vulnerability of people, especially women and children, to becoming victims of trafficking; and 

That trafficking in persons violates the human rights of the victims and affects society as a whole by breaking up families and communities, facilitates the growth of organized crime and other illicit activities, deprives countries of human capital, and thus inhibits development, increases public health costs, and undermines observance of the law, which is exacerbated when resources are lacking and in cases where corruption exists; and 

CONSIDERING ALSO that in recent years, within the OAS, the CIM has played the leading role in projects combating trafficking in persons in the Hemisphere, 

BEARING IN MIND that the resolution AG/RES. 2256 (XXXVI-O/06) requests that the Permanent Council continue, through the Committee for Hemispheric Security, to consider this topic taking into account its comprehensive and cross-cutting nature,  

RESOLVES:

1.   To reaffirm its commitment to fight the crime of trafficking in persons, by means of a comprehensive approach that takes into account the prevention of trafficking, prosecution of its perpetrators, protection of and assistance to its victims and respect for their human rights, as well as the strengthening of international cooperation in the area and implementation of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and other relevant international instruments. 

2.  To urge member states to develop strategies to fight poverty, social exclusion and inequality, in order to provide opportunities for women and children and prevent the possibility of their becoming victims of trafficking.   

3.   To call upon the states that have not already done so to consider ratifying, acceding to, or accepting, as the case may be, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, as well as other initiatives and actions designed to prevent trafficking in persons, especially of women, adolescents and children, prosecute its perpetrators, and provide protection and assistance to its victims.  

 

4.  To urge member states to adopt cooperation measures against trafficking in order to combat this crime that violates the human rights of its victims and transcends borders, so that victims  are ensured swift access to justice, irrespective of their nationality. 

5.   To congratulate the Permanent Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) on its pioneering work to combat trafficking in persons in the Hemisphere and, especially, the support it has provided to national initiatives to prevent trafficking in women, adolescents, and children.

6.   To urge the OAS Committee for Hemispheric Security and the organs, agencies, and entities of the Organization engaged in efforts to combat trafficking in persons to include on their agendas and give priority to incorporating a cross-cutting gender perspective in their programs and projects. 

7.   To urge the Department for the Prevention of Threats against Public Safety to continue to strengthen collaboration with the CIM and the Inter-American Children’s Institute (IIN) in order to support its efforts to combat the trafficking of women, adolescents and children in the hemisphere.

8.   To urge the Principal Delegates of the CIM to promote appropriate follow-up to and implementation of the Conclusions and Recommendations of the First Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons, AG/RES. 2256 (XXXVI-O/06), “Hemispheric Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons: Conclusions and Recommendations of the First Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons.”

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CIM/RES.239 ( XXXIII-O/06)

GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN HEMISPHERIC POLICIES
AND IN THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS 

(Approved at the fourth plenary session, held on November 15, 2006) 

          THE THIRTY-THIRD ASSEMBLY OF DELEGATES OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN, 

BEARING IN MIND that gender mainstreaming is the decisive strategy of the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality (IAP), adopted by means of resolution AG/RES. 1732 (XXX-O/00), for attaining the ultimate goal of promoting and protecting women’s human rights and gender equity and equality and for achieving equality of rights and opportunities between women and men; and  

CONSIDERING: 

The commitment made by the Organization of American States (OAS) in the aforementioned resolution to facilitate integration of a gender perspective into the work of all its organs, agencies, and entities, by developing training programs and disseminating information on women’s human rights, and to support governments in the systematic compilation and dissemination of statistical data disaggregated by sex;  

The endorsement of the IAP by the Heads of State and Government in the Plan of Action of the Third Summit of the Americas, held in Quebec City, and their commitment, expressed in the Declaration of Nuevo León of the Special Summit of the Americas, held in Monterrey, to continue promoting gender equity and equality and the mandates of the Summits of the Americas on this matter; 

The role of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) as the principal forum for generating hemispheric policy on gender equity and equality and the promotion of women’s human rights; for promoting sector-wide gender mainstreaming in the areas of labor, justice, education, science and technology, and peace and security; and for following up on the pertinent mandates of the Summits of the Americas process, including the Fourth Summit of the Americas, held in Mar del Plata, Argentina;

The mandate conferred in the Inter-American Program for the Promotion and Protection of the Human Rights of Migrants, including Migrant Workers and their Families to conduct research on female migration and its impact on family structure, the labor market, and migration management and initiatives undertaken in coordination with other areas of the OAS; 

BEARING IN MIND ALSO: 

The efforts of the Department of Sustainable Development to integrate the gender perspective into natural disaster reduction programs, in accordance with the mandate of the OAS General Assembly; 

The activities carried out by the General Secretariat, in coordination with the CIM, to train OAS staff in the systematic integration of a gender perspective in the policies, programs, projects, and activities of the Organization; and  

That, in order to achieve full implementation of the IAP, the CIM needs to continue strengthening its activities and initiatives aimed at establishing true gender equity and equality, 

RESOLVES: 

1.                  To request the Executive Committee of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) to continue implementing and monitoring the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality (IAP): 

a.                  By ensuring continuity in the work of the CIM as the principal forum for generating hemispheric policy on gender equity and equality and for promoting women’s human rights;

 

b.                  By promoting the inclusion of the gender perspective in the programs, policies, and day-to-day operations of the inter-American system;

 

c.                  By supporting the efforts of the organs, agencies, and entities of the OAS in the follow-up to and implementation of the Inter-American Program, including activities to continue promoting gender mainstreaming in the ministerial meetings on labor, justice, education, science and technology, and in the issue of peace and security; and

 

d.                  By also supporting follow-up on the mandates of the Summits of the Americas process, in particular, the Fourth Summit of the Americas, and the Inter-American Program for the Promotion and Protection of the Human Rights of Migrants, including Migrant Workers and their Families, as well as other OAS processes; 

2.                  To request the Permanent Secretariat of the CIM to continue working, together with international, governmental, and civil society organizations, on ways to achieve the effective implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of policies, programs, and projects for promoting gender equity and equality and women’s human rights in the Hemisphere.

3.                  To recognize and support the efforts of Member States to integrate a gender perspective in government policies, projects, programs, and strategies, particularly those directed at the advancement of women.

 

4.                  To urge member states to enact new legislation and enforce existing laws in order to achieve de facto gender equality and the protection of the human rights of women and girls.

 

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CIM/RES.240 ( XXXIII-O/06)

CIM WORK PROGRAM FOR THE 2006-2008 BIENNIUM-
PROGRAM GUIDELINES

 (Approved at the fourth plenary session, held on November 15, 2006)

 THE THIRTY-THIRD ASSEMBLY OF DELEGATES OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN,

HAVING SEEN document (CIM/doc.5/06) entitled draft Biennial Work Program of the CIM 2006-2008 – Programmatic Orientations, 

CONSIDERING that the Biennial Work Program contains guidelines that serve as the basis for implementing the work of the Inter-American Commission of Women for the period 2006-2008; and 

That coordinated programming must be guaranteed in order to serve the strategic areas of action appropriately, based on the mandates of the Assembly of Delegates of the CIM, the General Assembly of the OAS, Meeting of Ministers of Women Affairs (REMIM), and where appropriate, the Summit of the Americas,  

RESOLVES: 

To approve the Biennial Work Program of the Inter-American Commission of Women 2006-2008– Program Guidelines, contained in the appendix to this resolution.  

 

CIM WORK PROGRAM FOR THE 2006-2008 BIENNIUM
PROGRAM GUIDELINES

I.        GUIDING PRINCIPLES 

1.         The Inter-American Commission of Women and the Summits of the Americas Process 

          Since 1994, there has been a gradual evolution in the relationship between the CIM and the Summits Process.  As a result, there has been an enhancement of, and in increase in, the mandates given to CIM throughout this process, gradually refining and strengthening its role within the Inter-American system.    

          The Plan of Action of the 1994 Miami Summit mandated that the governments “further strengthen the Inter-American Commission of Women,” followed by the Plan of Action of the 1998 Santiago Summit which reiterated that governments “implement and follow-up on the commitments regarding the status of women as agreed to at the Summit of the Americas, with the support of the Inter-American Commission of Women…”  

          It was in the Plan of Action of the 2001 Quebec Summit that CIM’s role was recognized, reinforced and strengthened, and that the integration of a gender perspective became more visible. The Quebec Plan of Action specifically requests that governments “recognize and reinforce the role as of the CIM, not only as technical advisor to the SIRG on all aspects of gender equity and equality, but also as the “principal hemispheric policy-generating forum for the advancement of the human rights of women and particularly of gender equality.”  The Quebec Summit also endorsed “the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality,” approved at the First Meeting of Ministers or of the Highest Ranking Authorities Responsible for the Advancement of Women as an effective tool for gender mainstreaming.          

          The Special Summit of the Americas, held in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2004, reiterated that the empowerment of women, their full and equal participation in the development of our societies, and their equal opportunities to exercise leadership, is fundamental for the reduction of poverty, the promotion of economic and social prosperity, and for people-centered sustainable development. The Heads of State and Government affirmed their commitment to continue promoting gender equality and equity and the mandates of the Summits of the Americas on this matter. 

          Following up, in the 2005 Plan of Action of the Mar de Plata Summit, the commitments were made to “eliminate discrimination against women through, among other measures, the implementation of a range of policies that will increase women’s access to decent, dignified and productive work” and further stated that Member States “ensure equal access for men and women to the benefits of social protection and ensure attention to gender issues in labor and social policies.”

2.         The Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality – the IAP 

          In April 2000, in fulfillment of the mandate issued in resolution AG/RES. 1625 (XXIX-O/99), “Status of Women in the Americas and Strengthening and Modernization of the Inter-American Commission of Women,” the OAS convened the first Meeting of Ministers and Highest-Ranking Authorities Responsible for the Advancement of Women in the Member States, where the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality” (IAP or “the Program”) was adopted.

          This instrument provides an unprecedented and comprehensive approach to gender mainstreaming, both within the Inter-American system and in the Member States, and has quickly become the strategic plan defining the policies and program of the CIM. As such, it is a clear manifestation of the Hemisphere’s consensus on the need to undertake initiatives in both the Member States and at the OAS in which the integration of a gender perspective is included as a key element for promoting development.   

          The IAP, approved by the OAS General Assembly in 2000 and endorsed by the 2001 Quebec Summit of the Americas, has greatly enhanced CIM’s visibility in integrating a gender perspective into hemispheric policy. It assigns the CIM the task of following up on implementation of its mandates, which contribute to fulfilling the mandates of the Biennial Work Program of the CIM Assembly of Delegates, the General Assemblies of the OAS and the Plans of Action of the Summits of the Americas.  The implementation of the IAP has opened the door to the creation of policies with a gender perspective throughout the Western Hemisphere. 

            3.         The Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women 

One of the crowning achievements in CIM’s seventy-eight year history is the development of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, Convention of Belem do Para, the only international instrument of its kind which focuses specifically on violence against women. Since the approval of the Convention, CIM has labored tirelessly to encourage its ratification by the Member States and to assiduously track its progress in impacting the lives of the women in the Americas.  As of January, 2006, the treaty has been ratified by 32 of the 34 OAS member states.  

The CIM was instrumental in developing the Statute of the Mechanism to Follow Up on Implementation of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women, “Convention of Belém do Pará.” (MESECVI), which was adopted in 2004 by the Conference of States Parties to the Convention and approved by both the XXXII CIM Assembly of Delegates, and the XXXIV OAS General Assembly.  The CIM Permanent Secretariat serves as Technical Secretariat and headquarters of the MESECVI.

II.                PRIORITIES FOR THE BIENNIUM 

1.         The Human Rights of Women 

Violence against Women 

          Violence against women continues to be one of the main priorities for the CIM, and therefore it will continue to address the issue in all of its manifestations and to promote the ratification of the Convention of Belém do Pará by the two remaining states. 

          Femicide-Feminicide 

          It is essential that the CIM continue to take initiatives to strengthen the efforts under way in Member States to fight gender-based violence, especially in those countries where such violence has taken the form of the murders of women in ever-increasing numbers.  

ACTION:       The CIM, through the Permanent Secretariat, will consult with all of the governments and with civil society to compile background information on the efforts of governments, international, regional, and nongovernmental organizations to define the concept variously named femicide, feminicide, or femicidal violence and will write a concept paper to be considered by the Executive Committee;  

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 

·                     Consensus on the appropriate terminology to be employed, and on the corresponding definition of femicide, feminicide, or femicidal violence, as a result of the joint effort of interested governments and international, regional, and nongovernmental organizations; 

·                     A recommendation to the Committee of Experts of the MESECVI, that they include an indicator on femicidal violence or femicide in the questionnaire for assessing implementation of the provisions of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, "Convention of Belém do Pará" in future multilateral evaluation rounds, if   deemed advisable; and 

·                     Recommendations by the CIM to the Member States on the inclusion of this concept into their domestic criminal law and national policies, as appropriate.  

Technical Secretariat of the Follow-Up Mechanism to the Convention of Belem do Para, MESECVI:   

          In 2004, after the adoption of the Statute of the Follow-Up Mechanism to the Convention by the Conference of States Party, the Permanent Secretariat of the CIM received the mandate to act as the Technical Secretariat to this mechanism.  Since then, the Permanent Secretariat has dedicated a great deal of effort to the implementation of the Mechanism.  The Secretariat requested the appointment of Experts and National Competent Authorities by the States Parties and afterwards, organized the first meeting of the Committee of Experts (CEVI), where the CEVI´s Rules of Procedure, Work Plan and Calendar of Activities were adopted, as well as the questionnaire to be sent to the States Parties.  The second meeting of the CEVI was held in 2006, to evaluate the answers to the questionnaires provided by the States Parties and to make the appropriate recommendations     

          ACTION:         Working with independent experts and competent national authorities appointed by the States Party to the Convention, the Secretariat will continue implementing the process established by the statute of the MESECVI and the Regulations of the CEVI 

          After MESECVI issues its recommendations to the States Parties, develop a strategy to promote sharing of best practices among all Member States of the OAS. 

            EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 

·                     A hemispheric report with specific recommendations for the States Party on the effective implementation of the Convention. 

·                     A website specific to the Mechanism to facilitate the exchange of information and the consultation process with the experts.  

The Gender Aspects of HIV/AIDS           

          The 2004-06 Executive Committee identified the issue of the Gender Aspects of HIV/AIDS as a priority issue for the 2006-2008 biennium, focusing initially on the English-speaking Caribbean, where the prevalence is highest and second only to Sub-Saharan Africa.   The Executive Committee has also identified this issue as the primary topic for the Dialogue of Heads of Delegation at the 2006 CIM Assembly of Delegates. 

          This is a multi-faceted issue requiring a multi-dimensional approach. Indeed, the Quebec Summit of the Americas acknowledges “that another major threat to the security of our people is HIV/AIDS and that “we are united in our resolve to adopt multi-sectoral strategies and to develop our cooperation to combat this disease…”.  

ACTION:         In addressing HIV/AIDS, and in partnership with PAHO, the CIM will use its comparative advantage as the “principal hemispheric policy-generating forum for the advancement of the human rights of women and particularly of gender equality” to contribute to the achievement of gender equality in policies and programs on HIV/AIDS.  CIM will identify, compile and share best practices, and establish the linkages between gender-based violence and the incidences of HIV/AIDS. CIM will also review existing research to analyze the relationship between migration and HIV/AIDS and identify sources of funding, including the private sector that can contribute to support programs in the region.  

          Where necessary, CIM delegates will promote studies and discussions on the relationship between HIV/AIDS and gender-related violence and will seek to introduce the concept in Ministries of Health and other pertinent official agencies as well as coordinating actions to address the issues raised by this relationship.

          They will also work on the creation of Inter-Agency Task Forces to address the multi-dimensional aspects of HIV/AIDS; 

          EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 

·                     Policies and programs with a gender perspective implemented in the Region to address the problem of HIV-AIDS, with special emphasis on HIV-AIDS and gender- based violence and its impact on migrant women and all other vulnerable groups. 

·                     A compilation of best practices that will be disseminated throughout the region. 

·                     Increased collaboration among governments, agencies and civil society on the issue of HIV/AIDS.   

Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children  

Tremendous strides have been made at the OAS on the issue of trafficking in persons, especially Women and Children (TIP).  As a result of CIM’s work over the past five years, the issue is now directly on the agenda of the OAS.  In March of 2006, for the first time ever, a meeting of National Authorities responsible for the issue of trafficking in persons, was convened by the OAS to begin the process of developing a hemispheric plan to address this scourge.  It was well noted at this meeting that CIM’s role in the entire process was pivotal in bringing the issue to the forefront and placing it on all the agendas of ministerial meetings. 

However, as a result of exhaustive negotiations by the Member States, it was decided that TIP would be better coordinated within the context of Hemispheric Security and through the Ministries of Justice (REMJA). The Secretary General has therefore decided to move Anti-Trafficking Unit and the coordination of the issue to the section on Public Safety within the Department of Multi-Dimensional Security.  However, in discussions between the Secretary General and the CIM Executive Committee, the commitment to maintain a gender perspective was agreed upon.  

          ACTION:         During this biennium, the Permanent Secretariat will implement the policy proposals agreed upon by the CIM Assembly of Delegates and the Executive Committee and will coordinate on an ongoing basis with the Anti-Trafficking Unit, in order to guarantee that a gender perspective is an integral part of their work against trafficking in persons. The Permanent Secretariat will be the liaison between the Permanent Delegates of the CIM and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Unit in implementing the recommendations of the Meeting of National Authorities in the Member States.  The Secretariat will also work with the CIM delegates to identify potential partnerships and program and policy initiatives in the region. A concerted effort will be made to raise the funds necessary to assist in this process.  

          EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 

·                     All programs and policies adopted in the OAS related to the issue of trafficking in persons should include a gender perspective. 

·                     Progress made in the OAS on the issue of trafficking will be disseminated to all CIM delegates through the Permanent Secretariat. 

·        Compile best practices at governmental level related to the trafficking of persons.

 2.         Gender Equity and Equality:  Implementation of the IAP 

Integration of a Gender Perspective in Ministerial Agendas (SEPIA) 

In compliance with the IAP mandate of ensuring “that a gender perspective is consistently mainstreamed into the preparation and application of international instruments, mechanisms and procedures within the framework of the OAS, and particularly on the agendas of ministerial-level meetings,” the CIM launched a process for incorporating a gender perspective into ministerial agendas. This process, called SEPIA,^[1]/ has enabled the CIM to work in conjunction with experts from civil society, governments, and other regional and international organizations to submit to ministerial meetings, recommendations for integrating a gender perspective in their agendas and, subsequently, to establish specific lines of action for monitoring implementation of those recommendations. The SEPIA process has been applied in the following areas: Labor (SEPIA I), Justice (SEPIA II), Education (SEPIA III), and Science and Technology (SEPIA IV).  As a result of these efforts: 

-        Specific issues such as violence against women, trafficking in persons, and gender and justice have been integrated into the Plan of Action of the Fifth Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas (REMJA V) (2004); 

-        Gender equity issues have been included in the Plans of Action of the IV Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Education and the XII, XIII and XIV Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor; 

-        The recommendations presented by the CIM to the First Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities on Science and Technology under the aegis of CIDI (2004) were adopted as one of eight Hemispheric Initiatives included in the Plan of Action.  

          Given these encouraging results, it is important to work towards establishing a systematic follow up process for SEPIA, to ensure that the recommendations and lines of action on gender mainstreaming are put into effect. 

            ACTION:       The CIM will continue promoting implementation of the IAP within the OAS General Secretariat by providing gender specific technical assistance on the integration of a gender perspective in the different areas.  These efforts will be coordinated with the newly-created Department of Planning, Control and Evaluation, the point of entry for all projects. In addition, the Secretariat will continue providing technical support on the internal gender training of OAS staff.  The CIM will also promote the IAP through the political bodies of the OAS, such as. the Permanent Council, the various Commissions and Committees, to ensure that a gender perspective is in place.

                    The CIM will continue working with the OAS units in charge of the ministerial-level meetings and with civil society to systematize implementation of the SEPIA recommendations, to establish the best way to do so.  The Secretariat will also provide technical support to the Principal Delegates in the dissemination of the IAP in the Member States.   

          EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 

·                     Gender-sensitive programs and policies implemented at the highest levels of the OAS. 

 

·                     Systematic follow up of the four areas of the SEPIA initiative;^[2]/ in partnership with the OAS units responsible for the ministerial meetings and civil society. 

 

·                     Increased collaboration among Inter-American agencies, civil society and other organizations working on gender issues.

Women, Peace and Security 

The CIM is also working on integrating a gender perspective in the area of hemispheric security.  In the 2004-2006 biennium, the CIM, working together with the Department of Crisis Prevention and Special Missions of the OAS and the Program Initiative for Inclusive Security  received funding from Hunt Alternatives and the People’s Republic of China, to carry out training seminars on gender, conflict and peace building in the Andean Region (October 2005) and  Central America (September 2006).  The objective of the training was to give men and women representing government, civil society, academia, justice system and law enforcement of 10 Member States the tools to integrate a gender perspective in their work in conflict prevention and resolution and peace building.  To date, 60 people have been trained.  The participants have duplicated the course in Colombia and Ecuador and an Internet-based network was established for both regions to share information and best practices on the issue.   

ACTION:         The Permanent Secretariat will follow up on the work of the peace network, to determine how to best strengthen and institutionalize it. 

          Best practices will be identified in order to collect experiences and disseminate them. 

          To the extent possible, the participants will support the duplication of the training courses and will seek external resources to continue the training in other spheres.

Training materials will be systematized 

          Collaboration will continue with the OAS Under Secretariat of Political Affairs, the Initiative for Inclusive Security of Hunt Alternatives Fund, and other partners, to promote gender mainstreaming in peace –building and hemispheric security areas. At the same time, the work already initiated with the OAS Commission on Hemispheric Security will be strengthened. 

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 

·                     Multiplier effect of the training in the countries and integration of a gender perspective in programs and projects on conflict prevention and resolution and peace building; 

·                     A network of peace builders trained in gender; 

·                     A data base on best practices used in the countries, and 

·                     Greater participation of women in peace and democracy processes and in social, political, economic and environmental development.  

Women and Natural Disasters 

CIM delegates have recognized that the issue of the “Impact of Natural Disasters on Women” is of deep concern for the Member States of the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico. The Permanent Secretariat has been asked to ensure that a gender perspective is included in any and all work done on this issue at the political levels in the OAS. 

ACTION:         In this biennium, the Permanent Secretariat will work with the Committee on Natural Disasters to integrate a gender perspective into all declarations, resolutions and plans of action.  The CIM will also provide technical assistance to the Department of Sustainable Development   If possible, joint initiatives will be undertaken. 

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 

·                     Policies and programs of the Inter-American Committee on Natural Disasters and the OAS Department of Natural Disasters with a gender perspective; 

·                     Information on gender and natural disasters will be available to the CIM Delegates to facilitate their collaboration with the agencies responsible for implementing programs and plans of action on natural disasters. 

Women and Migration 

The Inter-American Program for the Protection of the Human Rights of Migrants and their Families, adopted in 2005, assigns specific tasks to the CIM.  The program has, as a specific goal, to provide “Attention to the specific needs of vulnerable groups of migrants, including women, indigenous persons, afro-descendants and handicapped, among others.”   It asks that CIM, among others, “develop policies and programs designed to protect migrant women, in particular, women heads of household, and to combat violence against women.”   

ACTION:         The Permanent Secretariat, in consultation with the Principal Delegates, will continue to provide technical assistance on gender to the OAS organs that address migration issues. It will also continue to comply with the tasks assigned to it by the Program. 

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 

·                     Programs and policies to protect women migrants and their families, especially women heads of household, and to combat violence against women; 

·                     Information on the human rights of migrants will be available to the CIM Delegates to facilitate their collaboration with the organs responsible for implementing programs and plans of action on the issue. 

3.         Participation of Women in Politics and Decision Making:  Gender Parity 

         The integration of women with full equality with men in decision-making and in political participation is a basic concern of the OAS Member States.   

          “Gender parity” is an emerging concept within discussions on gender equality.  However, to date no definition of gender parity has been internationally agreed upon.  Some understand “gender parity” to be an extension of gender equality, giving a gender dimension to politics, citizenship and democracy, and promoting women’s equality in the public arena and the appropriate and equitable distribution of roles in the private sphere.  

ACTION:       The CIM will gather background information on the conceptual work done by governments, NGOs and researchers to facilitate a consensus on common terminology on the term “gender parity.” 

          The CIM will create awareness of the need to achieve a greater degree of participation of women in decision-making spheres, through mechanisms that will generate an impact in the short term, taking into account the unique characteristics of societies. 

          The CIM will encourage Member States to consider a cultural transformation in which parity is understood as a manner of interaction between the sexes that benefits society as a whole, and not only as a set of measures that exclusively favor women.   

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 

·                     Develop a consensus for a working definition of “gender parity” through discussion and analysis within and among countries, leading to the development of practical applications of this concept. 

·                     Include gender parity as a theoretical framework to strengthen gender equality in the generation and adoption of resolutions and other documents of the OAS. 

4.         Empowerment and Participation of Women

          Progress has been made in increasing the participation/representation of women in decision-making processes. However, with respect to elected and executive positions, both national and local (governorships, mayors, municipal offices, and parliamentary positions), obstacles and resistance remain that must still be overcome. The under-representation of women in political systems is currently much more visible than in previous years and is more visible in public debate. In fact, in some countries the media reports on the lack of women in cabinet positions, and this has helped to change the previous perception that their absence is natural. 

          The need to expand the political participation of women and create the conditions necessary for equal participation/representation with males, as established in numerous international legal instruments, as well as in instruments that deal specifically with women, such as the Beijing Platform for Action, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, among others, or those of general scope such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights (San José Covenant), and the  Millennium Development Goals. As a result of all of these processes in the Hemisphere, the representation of women in parliaments has been increasing in the last decade, although there are still many challenges to be overcome. 

ACTION: 

1)       The Permanent Secretariat, in consultation with the Principal Delegates, will make proposals in this biennium on how to share best practices in the region and how to develop networks to gain strength in order to expand formal and real proactive measures. 

2)       Seminars, meetings, and discussions on proactive measures in Latin America and the Caribbean with speakers who are recognized as representative political figures in our countries. 

3)       Promote leadership programs with political training and pedagogy for women, adolescents and girls. 

4)       Promote policies of equality, equal opportunity, and non-discrimination to create the conditions that reconcile the public and private spheres so that women can build and develop full citizenship. 

5)       Greater collaboration between the CIM and agencies and non-governmental organizations of the Member States to coordinate actions to promote the leadership of women in all political levels. 

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 

·                     National and regional mechanisms that promote the use of women’s networks and best practices in the hemisphere about how to increase the participation of women in decision-making positions.

·                     Regional or national policies and programs for proactive measures that facilitate the entry and ongoing presence of women in cultural, social, economic, and political life. 

5.         Strengthening of the National Machineries