AG/RES. 1592 (XXVIII-O/98)

STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE AMERICAS AND STRENGTHENING OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN

(Resolution adopted at the third plenary session, held on June 2, 1998)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN:

Resolution AG/RES. 1432 (XXVI-O/96), "Status of Women in the Americas," in operative paragraph 2 of which the General Assembly recommended to the member states that they strengthen and, where necessary, create mechanisms for the advancement of women and that they bear in mind the need to use gender analysis in devising and executing public policy;

Resolution CP/RES. 717 (1147/98), "70th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM)," in operative paragraph 2 of which the member states reiterated the firm commitment to promote the development of public-sector strategies and policies of benefit to women and to incorporate fully the perspective of gender into the activities and programs of the Organization and of the institutions and agencies of the inter-American system; and

The report of the Permanent Council on the topic "Status of Women in the Americas" (AG/doc.3718/98);

CONSIDERING:

That strengthening the CIM requires ongoing political support from the OAS member states to help promote the adoption of measures and the execution of activities enabling women to be integrated as active participants in and beneficiaries of national development and to be fully incorporated into all levels of the decision-making process at the national and international levels;

That through various legal instruments the member states have expressed their firm commitment to improving the status of women; and

That the Permanent Council, at its meeting of November 20, 1997, created an informal mechanism for coordination and study of the "Status of Women in the Americas," in order to support, through that political body, the design of policies, rules of law, and activities to strengthen the role of women at the national and international levels, and to respond to the need for the organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system to coordinate their programs and activities effectively so as to complement one another's work appropriately and prevent unnecessary duplication, thus maximizing the use of human, technological, and economic resources; and

BEARING IN MIND:

That, at the First Summit of the Americas, held in Miami in 1994, the Heads of State and Government confirmed their commitment to item 18 of the Plan of Action, "Strengthening the Role of Women in Society," in relation to which they noted that it is essential to strengthen policies and programs to improve and broaden the participation of women in all spheres of political, social, and economic life; and

That, in the Declaration of Santiago of the Second Summit of the Americas, the Heads of State and Government affirmed that "…equal rights and opportunities between men and women and the objective of ensuring active participation of women in all areas of national endeavor are priority tasks,"

RESOLVES:

1. To recommend to the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) that it carry out the following activities, within the framework of its objectives, statutes, and mandates, bearing in mind the report and proposals on the "Status of Women in the Americas" presented by the Permanent Council:

a. Prepare a draft Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women's Rights and Gender Equity, in coordination with other organs and agencies of the inter-American system and with the appropriate sections of the OAS General Secretariat, in the light of existing political and legal instruments on the subject at the international level, including the mandates adopted at the Summits of the Americas in Miami (1994) and Santiago (1998), and on the basis of the reports and studies on women prepared in the Organization;

b. Establish appropriate mechanisms to ensure the effective coordination and exchange of information on work conducted on the topic of women-an information network-with the organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system and also with the various sections of the OAS General Secretariat that are involved with this subject;

c. Promote, in coordination with other inter-American organs, agencies, and entities, the holding of fora, seminars, and meetings among the national authorities in the member states responsible for women's issues; meetings among agencies of the inter-American system; and support for the resumption of activities by the Task Force on Gender Issues of the OAS General Secretariat.

2. To acknowledge the work being done by the Permanent Council through the aforementioned informal mechanism for coordination for the topic "Status of Women in the Americas," and to recommend that it continue its efforts to help strengthen the CIM so that it may fully attain its objectives and execute its activities, and to encourage the ongoing attention and political support of the member states in the areas of promoting rights and opportunities for women, and incorporating a gender equity focus at every level, within the OAS and other entities of the inter-American system.

3. To instruct the Permanent Council to examine the advisability of establishing an appropriate mechanism for strengthening and improving the CIM and for political support from the member states in promoting rights and opportunities for women and a gender equity focus, and to seek the views of the CIM in the pursuit of those goals.

4. To request the Permanent Council to report on the fulfillment of this mandate to the General Assembly at its twenty-ninth regular session.