(Resolution adopted in the second plenary session of October 29, 2002)

          THE THIRTY-FIRST MEETING OF THE ASSEMBLY OF DELEGATES OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN, 

          RECALLING resolution AG/RES. 1741 (XXX-O/00), “Integrating a Gender Perspective in the Summits of the Americas,” which recommended that the Meetings of Ministers or of the Highest-Ranking Authorities Responsible for the Advancement of Women in the Member States be held every four years, and that they take the Inter-American Program into account and contribute to the preparatory and follow-up activities of the Summits of the Americas; 

            BEARING IN MIND the mandates contained in resolution AG/RES. 1732 (XXX-O/00), which adopted the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality, and the mandates of AG/RES.1853 (XXXII-O/02) regarding its implementation;

REAFFIRMING the commitment undertaken at the highest level and contained in the Plan of Action of the Third Summit of the Americas, Section 15 of which expresses support for this Program;

CONSIDERING that the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality has as objectives the integration of a gender perspective as a decisive strategy for implementing the Program and achievement of the ultimate goal, namely, the promotion and protection of women’s human rights and gender equity and equality;

EMPHASIZING that the adoption of the Inter-American Program reaffirmed the states’ commitment to combat all forms of discrimination and to promote equal rights and opportunity for women and men, with a gender perspective, which will require the ongoing participation of the Organization of American States (OAS) and, in particular, of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), as the principal forum for generating hemispheric policy on gender equity and equality, as well as cooperation between the OAS and the different regional and subregional agencies and entities;

BEARING IN MIND that the Inter-American Program itself requests the OAS Secretary General to “implement measures to ensure full and equal access by men and women to all categories of posts in the OAS system, particularly in decision-making positions”;

RECALLING that resolution AG/RES. 1872 (XXXII-O/02) urged the Secretary General to reaffirm the goal that women should occupy, by the year 2005, 50 percent of posts at each level within the OAS; and

WELCOMING the establishment of the Ad hoc Inter-Institutional Forum on Gender Equality,

RESOLVES:

1.          To receive with satisfaction the report of the Permanent Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) on the implementation and promotion of the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality.

2.          To reaffirm the commitment of all principal delegates to promoting the integration of a gender perspective in national programs and policies.

3.          To recognize the support received from the Secretary General and urge him to continue his efforts to implement the objectives of the Inter-American Program and promote the integration of a gender perspective into the Organization’s activities, policies, programs, projects, and agendas.

4.                 To urge member states to nominate more women to elected positions in the inter-American system.

5.                 To urge the Secretary General to promote and ensure the appointment of more women to positions in the OAS system, especially at the decision-making level.

6.                 To instruct the Executive Committee to: 

a.                  Continue developing recommendations and lines of action in consultation with governmental and civil society gender experts to mainstream gender through the particular avenue of the ministerial meetings; 

b.       Contingent upon the allocation of the necessary resources for the next biennium, develop recommendations on gender mainstreaming in the area of education, and provide the necessary follow-up to the recommended lines of action developed by the gender experts and the CIM in Sepia I and II and presented to the Ministries of Labor and to the Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas;  

c.       Continue to work in partnership with civil society experts in gender to attain the goals of the IAP.  

7.                To instruct the Permanent Secretariat:

a.                  To enhance the CIM website so that it becomes a repository for information on gender that will be available to civil society organizations, and continue developing a database of civil society organizations that will be made available on the CIM website. 

b.                  To continue providing technical assistance, in the implementation of the Inter-American Program, and the integration of a gender perspective into the different areas of the General Secretariat of the OAS. 

8.      To hold the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Inter-Institutional Forum on Gender Equality in 2003.

 (Resolution adopted at the fifth plenary session of October 30, 2002)

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

          RECALLING that Article 6.i of the Regulations of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) establishes that Delegates must “furnish the Commission, at each Assembly, with data on the topics that the agenda indicates will require special information”; 

          BEARING IN MIND that the Twenty-eighth Assembly of Delegates of the CIM adopted resolution CIM/RES. 191/96(XXVIII-O/96), “Unified Standards for the Preparation of Delegates’ Reports”;  

          BEARING IN MIND ALSO that the “Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality,” adopted by the OAS General Assembly, contains mandates for all the Organization’s organs, specialized organizations, and agencies, with specific provisions for the CIM; 

          CONSIDERING that it is essential that the reports by the Delegates of the CIM to their Assembly of Delegates reflect the progress made in their countries, particularly advances made in implementing the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality; 

RESOLVES: 

1.                  To rescind resolution CIM/RES. 191/96 (XXVIII-O/96), “Unified Standards for the Preparation of Delegates’ Reports.” 

2.                  To adopt the following guidelines for preparing the National Reports of the Principal Delegates to the Inter-American Commission of Women:

 A summary showing the status of women and any changes that have taken place since the last report submitted to the Assembly of Delegates.  

           This section must include: 

a. The legal, political, and socio-economic situation;  Information on the legal, political, and socio-economic factors (including statistics) affecting the status of women during the previous biennium;

 b. An outline of public policies and progress made with respect to legislation;

Programs and activities designed specifically to bring about the integration of a gender perspective in public policies, seminar agendas, meetings, or sectoral activities, especially any training for the implementation of the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality by government institutions and civil society in the 2002-2004 period. 

c. An outline of public policies and progress in legislation, together with development programs aimed at implementing the Strategic Plan, bearing in mind the four priorities requiring particular attention, namely:  eradication of poverty, the elimination of violence, education, and the participation of women in power and decision-making structures; as well as the situation of women in respect of work, health, the national institutions responsible for the advancement of women, migration and their situation in areas of conflict. 

d. A description of measures undertaken to prevent, punish, and eradicate violence against women, as well as actions to implement the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, “Convention of Belém do Pará."  

a. At the national level, to enhance the status of women; 

b. At the regional level, to support any actions undertaken by the CIM in the short term.

IV.       LENGTH OF THE REPORT 

The report should not exceed six pages (not counting annexes) and must be received by the deadline set by the Permanent Secretariat if it is to be translated into the official languages of the OAS and distributed to all the delegations. 

(Resolution adopted at the fifth plenary session of October 30, 2002)  

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

 HAVING SEEN: 

          Resolution CIM/RES.54/82, “Sessions 1982/84 of the Executive Committee,” adopted by the Twenty-first Assembly of Delegates of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), and the subsequent resolutions adopted by the Twenty-second, Twenty-third, Twenty-fourth, Twenty-fifth, Twenty-sixth, Twenty-ninth, and Thirtieth Assemblies on the same subject;

CONSIDERING: 

          That the General Assembly of the OAS, at successive regular sessions, instructed its organs, agencies, and entities to plan their meetings in keeping with established budgetary levels and, when necessary, reduce the number and length of their meetings, even when regulatory provisions stipulated otherwise; and 

          That the Executive Committee of the Inter-American Commission of Women is charged with taking the necessary decisions to implement the mandates of the Assembly of Delegates and carry forward the work of the Commission; and 

BEARING IN MIND: 

          That Article 39 of the Regulations of the CIM provides that: “The Executive Committee shall hold a regular meeting every three months at the headquarters of the Commission, or in any country of the Americas if it so decides, for as long as it deems advisable.  It may also hold special meetings when the President or at least four of its members so request,” 

RESOLVES: 

          To authorize the President of the Inter-American Commission of Women, by way of exception, for the 2002-2004 term, to convene three regular meetings of the Executive Committee each year, which shall last as long as necessary for the completion of their tasks.

 (Resolution adopted at the fifth plenary session of October 30, 2002)  

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

HAVING SEEN the document CIM/doc.12/02 entitled 2002-2004 Draft Biennial Work Program of the CIM - Program Guidelines;  

CONSIDERING: 

That the biennial work program contains guidelines that serve as the foundation for implementation of the work of the Inter-American Commission of Women for the period 2002-2004; and  

That coordinated programming must be ensured to properly address the strategic areas of action, 

RESOLVES: 

To approve the 2002-2004 Biennial Work Program of the Inter-American Commission of Women – Program Guidelines, contained in the appendix to this resolution. 

APPENDIX

 (Resolution adopted at the fifth plenary session of October 30, 2002)

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

CONSIDERING: 

          That the Government of Costa Rica, through its Principal Representative, has offered to host the Thirty-second Assembly of Delegates of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), to be held in 2004, 

RESOLVES: 

          1.        To thank the Government of Costa Rica for its kind offer. 

2.         To hold the Thirty-second Assembly of Delegates of the Inter-American Commission of Women in Costa Rica in November 2004. 

3.         To instruct the Executive Committee to follow up on this offer, in keeping with Article 12 of the Regulations of the Commission. 

4.         To instruct the Executive Committee to take the necessary steps, during preparations for the Thirty-second Assembly of Delegates, so that the Assembly will conclude within three days and, as far as possible, will adopt the same format and structure as the Thirty-first Assembly of Delegates.

  FOLLOW-UP OF THE CONVENTION OF BELÉM DO PARÁ 

(Resolution adopted at the sixth plenary session of October 31, 2002)   

          THE THIRTY-FIRST MEETING OF THE ASSEMBLY OF DELEGATES OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN, 

          CONSIDERING that the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) promoted the movement that culminated in 1994 with the adoption by the OAS General Assembly, at its twenty-fourth regular session, of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, “Convention of Belém do Pará”; 

CONSIDERING ALSO that, to date, 31 countries have ratified this Convention, thereby demonstrating their commitment to the fulfillment of the Convention’s objectives for the elimination of violence against women, and that the states are duty bound to respect and fulfill the obligations that they have taken on; 

          BEARING IN MIND that the Strategic Plan of Action of the CIM, the Biennial Work Programs of the CIM adopted by the Assemblies of Delegates, and the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality have expressly stated that violence against women is a priority area for action; 

          RECALLING that once the Convention had been adopted and entered into force, the OAS General Assembly adopted a series of measures on the subject, including resolution AG/RES. 1456 (XXVII-O/97), “Promotion of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, ‘Convention of Belém do Pará,’” in which it instructed the Permanent Secretariat of the CIM to report to the General Assembly every two years on progress made in applying the Convention in member states and on experiences and results achieved through the initiatives and programs pursued to combat violence against women[JC1];  

          RECALLING FURTHER that the Declarations and Plans of Action of the Summits of the Americas and the reports of the Special Rapporteur for the Status of Women in the Americas of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights have shown marked interest in the subject and especially in implementation and follow-up of the Convention; 

          BEARING IN MIND the results of the project “Violence Against Women: A Regional Analysis, Including a Review of the Implementation of the “Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence Against Women, 'Convention of Belém do Pará'” (CIM/doc.7/02), undertaken by CIM in 2000, to evaluate the progress made in the Hemisphere in meeting the Convention's objectives five years after its entry into force; 

          NOTING that four sub-regional meetings of experts were held to analyze the said results and to obtain recommendations for the development of regional strategies to help accelerate implementation of the Convention’s objectives; and  

That four sub-regional secretariats pro tempore were created to implement the recommendations of the meetings of experts; 

          CONCERNED that violence against women remains a social problem in the Hemisphere; and 

UNDERSCORING that, in the framework of the CIM, an interest has been expressed in studying the most appropriate ways to follow-up on the Convention of Belém do Pará to ensure systematic and ongoing evaluation of progress made in the fulfillment of its objectives, 

RESOLVES: 

          1.          To urge those member states that have not yet done so to consider acceding to or ratifying, as the case may be, the Convention of Belém do Pará. 

          2.          To urge member states to promote initiatives aimed at raising public awareness of the fact that all forms of violence against women, including domestic violence, are violations of human rights. 

3.                  To recommend member states that have not yet done so to:

a.                    develop policies designed to prevent and address all forms of violence against women through their domestic legislation, training and treatment programs for victims and offenders, training of the personnel working with victims;

b.                   allocate the resources needed to prevent, expose, address, punish, and eradicate said violence; and,

c.                   compile appropriate data on acts of violence against women. 

          4.          To entrust the Permanent Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), in consultation with other organs, agencies, entities, and areas of the OAS and of the United Nations, to prepare a working document on the follow-up mechanisms of international legal instruments.  

          5.          To create a working group including experts identified by member states to analyze the document prepared by the Permanent Secretariat of the CIM, consider the proposals made by civil society organizations, and make recommendations on the most appropriate way to follow up on the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women. 

          6.          To request the OAS Secretary General to convoke a meeting of States Parties to the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, so that, taking into account the recommendations of the working group, it adopts a decision on the most appropriate way to follow-up on the Convention.  The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) as well as those member states that are not States Parties to the Convention would be invited to participate in this meeting. 

          7.          To report to the General Assembly of the OAS and to the Assembly of Delegates at its thirty-second meeting on the results of this process. 

          8.          To urge the delegates in charge of the pro-tempore sub-regional secretariat to continue coordinating and facilitating follow-up of the Convention of Belém do Pará. 

(Resolution adopted at the sixth plenary session of October 31, 2002)  

          THE THIRTY-FIRST MEETING OF THE ASSEMBLY OF DELEGATES OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN, 

CONSIDERING: 

          That there has been a marked and continuous increase in trafficking in persons, especially women, adolescents, and children, for purposes of exploitation, according to data reported over the past two years by governmental and nongovernmental organizations, particularly the International Organization for Migration (IOM); and 

          That this important issue has been addressed by the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) and the Inter-American Children’s Institute (IIN), and that these two institutions, in association with De Paul University of Chicago, have conducted a pilot research project entitled “Trafficking in Women and Children for Sexual Exploitation in the Americas,” in Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama; 

ACKNOWLEDGING: 

          That the development of a plan of action to deal effectively with the problem of trafficking in persons must be based on an assessment of the factors that give rise to it, among them, poverty, unemployment, discrimination, sexual abuse, violence against women, adolescents, and children, corruption, criminal activity, lack of effective legislation, and passport and visa fraud; 

          That trafficking in women and children for labor-related and sexual exploitation purposes and other contemporary forms of slavery constitute a violation of human rights; 

          That trafficking in persons is linked to other threats to national and hemispheric security, such as trafficking in drugs, trafficking small firearms and light weapons; 

          That the legal vacuum in some member states in respect of trafficking in persons or the unenforceability of existing laws in others are conducive to impunity for the traffickers and the social exclusion of the victims, as there are no strategies for providing them with medical care or for reintegrating them into society; and 

          That a multilateral response from governments, in consultation with civil society organizations, is necessary in order to formulate policies to prevent trafficking in persons, protect victims, and punish traffickers; 

BEARING IN MIND: 

          That in December 2000 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, which, in Article 3, defines trafficking in persons as: 

“the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.  Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs;  

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT: 

The Plan of Action of the Third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City in 2001, wherein the heads of state and government committed “to undertake the widest possible cooperation and exchange of information among states concerning illegal trafficking networks, particularly women and children”; and 

          OAS General Assembly resolution AG/RES. 1776 (XXXI-O/01), “Support for the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime,” which urged all OAS member states to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol thereto; 

CONSIDERING:  

          That the “Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking,” a Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to the Economic and Social Council (E/2002/68/Add.I), dated July 2002, provides an extensive and detailed list of guidelines for building an appropriate legal and institutional framework for preventing and suppressing trafficking in persons and protecting the victims; 

REAFFIRMING: 

          That trafficking in women, adolescents, and children for exploitation in the Americas is an offense that must be prevented, suppressed, and punished through the adoption of a multidimensional approach involving the judicial system, the national and border police, immigration authorities, health and labor ministries, consulates, and civil society, as well as the victims and their families; and

OBSERVING WITH PROFOUND CONCERN: 

          The massive use of new information technology, including the Internet, for purposes of prostitution, sexual tourism, child pornography, fraudulent marriages, and other hidden forms of trafficking in women, adolescents, and children; 

          The flagrant violation of the human rights of the women, adolescents, and children who are victims of trafficking, who live in dangerous and inhumane conditions during their transfer, reclusion, and exploitation in the countries of origin, transit and ultimate destination, and the impunity of the criminal networks (recruiters, carriers, and owners of establishments) that thrive on this criminal activity, 

RESOLVES: 

1.                  To urge the member states: 

a.       To consider signing and ratifying, ratifying, or acceding to, as the case may be, the following international instruments related to trafficking in women, adolescents, and children:  the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children and the United Nations Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography; 

b.                  To take steps to implement effectively those treaties in this area that they have ratified:  the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; Convention 182 of the International Labour Organization concerning the Worst Forms of Child Labor; and the Inter-American Convention on International Traffic in Minors; 

c.                  To design, put in place, and carry out, where they have not yet done so, multidimensional actions at the domestic level that provide for, inter alia, legislative measures, public awareness, prevention, and information campaigns, legal and medical assistance and protection to victims, and their reintegration into society, where possible under domestic legislation;  

d.                  To consider establishing, where appropriate, a national and bilateral or multilateral coordination mechanism, in which government agencies and civil society organizations involved in this area participate, along with government agencies in the countries of origin and/or transit and ultimate destination, to improve information channels and the monitoring of cases of trafficking, and their underlying causes, external factors, and current trends; 

e.                  To exchange information and best practices and develop joint programs with the countries of origin for dealing with both domestic and transnational trafficking; and to include the subject of combating the crime of trafficking in persons, especially women, adolescents, and children on the national agenda;

f.                   To engage the private sector, especially the travel and tourism industry and the media, in strategies designed to eradicate trafficking in persons; 

2.                  To establish a focal point in the Permanent Secretariat of the CIM to assist the efforts, information sharing, and activities of the member states that so request to combat trafficking in persons, especially women, adolescents, and children, at the national and international levels in coordination with specialized international organizations, other pertinent areas of the OAS, and sectors dealing with government agencies and nongovernmental organizations.   

3.                  To urge the Permanent Secretariat of the CIM to continue working with other pertinent areas of the OAS on the issue of trafficking. 

4.                  To urge the Permanent Secretariat of the CIM to continue its research into the possibility of including other countries in the region, so as to obtain complete information on the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean and facilitate effective implementation of measures to combat trafficking in women, adolescents, and children for purposes of exploitation. 

5.                  To instruct the Executive Committee of the CIM to study the advisability of establishing a special rapporteur on trafficking in persons.  

6.                  To urge the member states of the OAS, permanent observers, international financial institutions, and the private sector to contribute the resources necessary to achieve the aforementioned objectives. 

CIM/RES. 226 (XXXI-0/02)

SECOND MEETING OF MINISTERS OR OF THE HIGHEST-RANKING
AUTHORITIES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT
OF WOMEN IN THE MEMBER STATES (REMIM II) 

(Resolution adopted at the sixth plenary session of October 31, 2002) 

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

RECALLING that the General Assembly of the OAS convoked a meeting of ministers or of the highest-ranking authorities responsible for the advancement of women in the member states in 2000, and requested the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) to coordinate the meeting and prepare the draft agenda [(AG/RES. 1625 (XXIX-O/99), “Status of Women in the Americas and Strengthening and Modernization of the Inter-American Commission of Women”];  

RECALLING ALSO that the OAS General Assembly adopted resolution AG/RES. 1741 (XXX-O/00) “Integrating a Gender Perspective in the Summits of the Americas,” recommending that the Meeting of Ministers or of the Highest-Ranking Authorities Responsible for the Advancement of Women in the Member States be held every four years, so that they could help with the preparatory and follow-up work for the Summits of the Americas;

Bearing in mind that the meeting of Ministers approved the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality (IAP) which was later adopted by the OAS General Assembly through resolution AG/RES. 1732 (XXX-O/00), “Adoption and Implementation of the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality,” and that said resolution also instructs the CIM to serve as the organ for follow-up, coordination, and evaluation of said Program and the actions taken by the CIM to implement it;  

CONSIDERING that the IAP identifies the integration of a gender perspective as a decisive strategy to promote and protect women’s human rights and gender equality;  

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that at the Third Summit of the Americas, the Heads of State and Government endorsed the IAP and for the first time included the gender perspective throughout the Plan of Action, and, as a special initiative, a chapter on Gender Equality; 

NOTING that in the Plan of Action of Quebec City the Heads of State and Government also “reinforce the role of the CIM as the technical advisor to the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) on all aspects of gender equity and equality and recognize the importance of the CIM in follow-up to relevant Summit recommendations”; 

RECOGNIZING that in implementing the mandates contained in the IAP, the CIM undertook to integrate a gender perspective in the Ministerial Meetings of Labor and Justice and will develop a similar strategy for the Ministerial Meeting of Education;  

AFFIRMING that the process of hemispheric economic integration creates an unprecedented opportunity to overcome the substantial economic inequalities in the Americas; and  

EMPHASIZING the role of the ministers or authorities responsible for the advancement of women in ensuring that the opportunities provided by trade and investment liberalization contribute to progress in achieving gender equality through women’s economic empowerment, 

RESOLVES: 

         1.          To include “Women, Free Trade and Economic Integration” as a main topic on the agenda of the Second Meeting of Ministers or of the Highest-ranking Authorities Responsible for the Advancement of Women in the Member States (REMIM II) with special focus on women’s economic empowerment. 

         2.          To recommend that, under this topic, REMIM II examine, among other items: 

a.                  the differentiated impact of trade liberalization and economic integration on women and men;

b.                  the opportunities and implications of trade liberalization;

c.                  regional, sub-regional, and national experiences in the field of gender and trade. 

          3.          To urge member states, through their Ministers or authorities responsible for the advancement of women, to share information and experiences on gender and trade. 

          4.          To encourage delegates to consider establishing sub-regional consultative groups to generate strategies so that women can take advantage of the opportunities and benefits of trade liberalization in preparation for REMIM II. 

          5.          To request the CIM Permanent Secretariat, in collaboration with the OAS Trade Unit and other regional mechanisms, such as ECLAC, UN agencies, the IDB, and the World Bank, to compile information on best practices developed in this area, and to identify partner institutions and governments, as well as experts on gender and trade and economic integration, in order to develop draft recommendations to overcome economic inequalities and foster women’s economic empowerment and to identify the most appropriate ways to channel these recommendations to pertinent hemispheric fora.  These recommendations are to be presented to the CIM Executive Committee for future consideration by REMIM II. 

          6.          To instruct the Executive Committee and the Permanent Secretariat of the CIM to take steps to include in the program-budget for 2004 the funds necessary to hold REMIM II.

(Resolution adopted at the sixth plenary session of October 31, 2002)

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

          RECALLING the resolutions of the OAS General Assembly AG/RES. 1668 (XXIX-O/99), “Strengthening Cooperation between Governments and Civil Society,” and AG/RES. 1707 (XXX-O/00), AG/RES. 1834 (XXXI-O/01), “The Organization of American States and Civil Society”; and AG/RES. 1852 (XXXII-O/02), “Increasing and Strengthening Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities”, and CP/RES. 759 (1217/99) “Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities”; 

RECALLING ALSO that the Plan of Action of the Third Summit of the Americas recognizes the important role of participation by civil society in the consolidation of democracy, notes the right of women and men to participate, with equality and equity, in decision-making processes affecting their lives and well-being; and considers that the diversity of opinion, experience, and technical expertise of civil society constitutes a significant and valuable resource for initiatives and responses of government and democratic institutions; 

          RECOGNIZING the permanence and continuity of the work developed by civil society organizations, their growing contribution to the activities of the OAS and its organs, agencies, and entities and the benefits of including them in decision-making and in preparing public policies;  

Bearing in mind the Inter-American Program for the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality (IAP), which requests the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) to promote joint efforts with government agencies and civil society organizations to establish effective means of implementing, monitoring and evaluating policies, programs and projects designed to promote women’s human rights and gender equality; and  

REAFFIRMING, in the context of the Inter-American Program, the importance of women’s equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of democracy, peace, and security and the need to increase their role in decision-making with regard to peace building and conflict prevention and resolution,

 RESOLVES:

          1.          To instruct the Permanent Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM): 

a.                    To strengthen the development of partnerships with civil society organizations, to publicize upcoming meetings and CIM activities and programs with a view to encouraging their participation, within the framework of the Guidelines for the participation of civil society organizations in OAS activities; 

b.                   To continue working in partnerships with civil society organizations to attain the goals of the IAP and of the CIM Strategic Plan of Action, particularly in the areas of violence and trafficking, and to support and promote the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in the Hemisphere and the full participation of women in conflict prevention and peace-building.

c.                    To enhance the CIM Web site so that it will become a repository for information on gender that will be available to civil society organizations, and to continue developing, in collaboration with the Executive Secretariat for the Summit Process, a database of civil society organizations to be placed on the said Web site.

 (Resolution adopted at the sixth plenary session of October 31, 2002)

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

CONSIDERING: 

          That the Government of the Dominican Republic, reaffirming its commitment to women’s issues in the Hemisphere, offered to host the Thirty-first Assembly of Delegates of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM); and 

          That, thanks to the hospitality of the people and Government of the Dominican Republic, the Assembly was held in that country on October 29, 30, and 31, 2002,  

RESOLVES: 

          1.          To express its appreciation to the people and Government of the Dominican Republic for their generous hospitality and valuable assistance, which were important factors in the successful work of the Thirty-first Assembly of Delegates of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM). 

          2.          Also to thank the Principal Representative of the Dominican Republic, Her Excellency Minister Yadira Henríquez de Sánchez, for her support to the CIM in the preparation and conduct of the Assembly of Delegates, and to place on record its recognition of her wise and effective leadership as President of the Assembly of Delegates of the CIM.

(Adopted at the sixth plenary session, held on October 31, 2002)

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

Reaffirms its commitment to the fundamental principles of human rights, including those contained in the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women, “Convention of Belém do Pará,” 

Expresses profound concern regarding the case of Amina Lawal of Nigeria, and all similar situations, 

Encourages the continuation of efforts to ensure that justice be served in conformity with obligations under international human rights instruments, and 

Undertakes to continue to work toward the promotion and protection of human rights for all.