British Government not backing UK Women for CEDAW Vacancies and the new UN Super-Agency For Women
Further to the response by Michael Foster to written Questions in the Commons from the MP Jo Swinson (see below at ‘Questions tabled and answered in the House of Commons’ ), the eminent human rights and equal opportunities Queen’s Counsel Lord Lester plans to table the following Questions in the Upper House:
Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their reasons for having decided not to promote a UK candidate for membership of the UN Agency for Women or the UN Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ascertain whether there are qualified UK candidates for membership of the UN Agency for Women or the UN Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Some background on Lord Lester below (also see http://www.blackstonechambers.com/people/barristers/lord_ )lester_of_herne.html Questions tabled and answered in the House of Commons
Question by Jo Swinson MP (East Dunbartonshire, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2009, Official Report,column 27W, on the United Nations: females, if his Department will prepare a list of UK women nationals to be considered for nomination to senior positions on (a) the Committee on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and (b)the United Nations Agency for Women.
Response from Michael Foster MP (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for International Development; Worcester, Labour)
The UK Government are committed to promoting a good quality field of candidates for the heads and senior leadership of all institutional institutions. In all cases we will promote open, transparent and merit-based processes. In some cases we may wish to promote a UK candidate where they are best qualified for the post. We have no plans to promote a UK candidate for either of these two appointments.CEDAW
CEDAW is the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It is described as an international Bill of Rights for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. It was adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly. In CEDAW’s 30 years of existence British Governments have never nominated anyone for the influential CEDAW Committee. Several vacancies occur in 2010.
More information by UN DAW at www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/cedaw.htm
The new United Nations ‘Super-Agency’ For Women
In 2010 four existing United Nations agencies and offices - UNIFEM, INSTRAW, OSAGI, DAW - will be amalgamated to create a new single entity within the Organization to promote the rights and well-being of women worldwide and to work towards gender equality. The Head of this ‘Super-Agency For Women’ will have Under Secretary-General standing and an annual budget mooted at around US$1 billion. S/he will be appointed in the Spring 2010 and will seek nominations for senior posts from UN Member States including the UK. This Agency should become the most powerful entity in the world for the more rapid advance of the rights, opportunities and well-being of the Earth’s 3.5 billion women.
Further info: ‘Finally, a UN agency for women.’ Guardian article by Dod’s UK Political Journalist of The Year 2009 Lesley Abdela:
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/may/27/un- super-agency-women
UN News Centre release: www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32066&Cr=women&Cr1 =Biography of Lord Lester QCLord Lester QC is recognised by Chambers UK 2009 as a leading silk in administrative and public law and human rights practice areas and has been described as “one of the most knowledgeable and authoritative figures in the field of human rights”.
The Legal 500 2008 describes Lord Lester QC as "one of the leading civil liberties and human rights lawyers in Britain" and ranks him as a leading silk in the following areas: Administrative and public law, employment law and civil liberties/human rights law.
Lord Lester QC was named in The Times Law 100 2009 listing the most influential lawyers in Britain. Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC, a “leading public and constitutional lawyer, is still changing the law and pushing the boundaries of reform”.
Co-founder and former Chairman, The Runnymede Trust
Governor, British Institute of Human Rights
The Judges Award For a lifetime of achievement in the service of human rights, Liberty/JUSTICE Human Rights Awards (2007)• Special Adviser to Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights for Northern Ireland, 1975-77
• UK legal expert on EEC Commission’s Network Committee on Equal Pay and Sex Discrimination, 1983-93
• Chairman, Institute for Public Policy Research’s Judiciary Working Group on “A British Bill of Rights”, 1990
• Liberty Human Rights Lawyer of the Year Award (1997)
• Hansard Society Commission on “Women at the Top” (Report, 1990)
• Editor-in-Chief, Butterworths’ Human Rights Cases
• Editorial Board, International Journal of Discrimination and the Law
• Chair, National Committee for the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1998
• Member, Advisory Committee, Centre for Public Law, University of Cambridge, 1999-
• Member, Executive Board, Open Society Institute Justice Initiative, 2000-
• Independent Adviser to the Justice Secretary on certain aspects of constitutional reform, 2007-2008Michael Foster MP Labour, Worcester
· Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for International Development (since 6 Oct 2008)
· Entered Parliament on 1 May 1997 General election
· Majority: 3,144 votes. this majority puts him 524th out of 643 MPs.
[The blogpost above has been posted with due credit to Acronym Institute of Disarmament Diplomacy for sharing this with us]
Widespread pressure on the UK Government is needed to achieve a rapid change of attitude on this. The UK has never been represented on the CEDAW committee in all 30 years of CEDAW's existence. And of course it's complete nonsense that a whole new United Nations' Agency for Women should be created without any British at senior levels in its staffing and in setting a fresh and energetic direction.
ReplyDeletePlease send your views and suggestions to Barbara Collins at the Women's National Commission on Barbara.Collins at communities.gsi.gov.uk where they will be passed to Baroness Gould for direct presentation to the Government.