Background Release

COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN TO FOCUS ON SHARING DUTIES BETWEEN MEN, WOMEN,

INCLUDING CAREGIVING FOR HIV/AIDS VICTIMS, DURING 2 TO 13 MARCH SESSION

NEW YORK, 23 February (Division for the Advancement of Women) -- The Commission on the Status of Women will hold its fifty-third session from 2 to 13 March.  The Commission will continue to emphasize national-level implementation of commitments made at the Fourth World Conference in Beijing (1995) and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly (2000).

As part of its multi-year programme of work, the Commission will consider the priority theme of “The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS”.  It will also examine “The gender perspectives of the financial crisis”, as an emerging issue.  In addition, the Commission will review the status of implementation at the national level of the recommendations on “Equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes at all levels”, based on the agreed conclusions adopted at its fiftieth session in 2006.

On the agenda is the report of the Secretary-General on the equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS (document E/CN.6/2009/2).  The report examines the patterns, causes and consequences of the unequal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, explores issues related to caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS, and presents policy responses.  It urges policymakers to recognize the full importance and economic value of domestic and caregiving work and its contribution to social and economic development.  It also recognizes that increasing the sharing of domestic and care duties between women and men is necessary, but not sufficient to address the growing challenges of caregiving in society and, therefore, calls for greater investment in public services, infrastructure and social protection measures.

A second report of the Secretary-General (document E/CN.6/2009/4) assesses the extent to which the equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS, is being mainstreamed in policies and programmes at the national level.  It is based on inputs by Member States on their experiences and good practices.

A roundtable on Monday, 2 March, will provide an opportunity for high-level representatives of Member States to share experiences, lessons learned and good practices in relation to the equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS [see the discussion guide on the high-level roundtable (document E/CN.6/2009/12)].  Two interactive expert panels on Tuesday, 3 March, will provide additional opportunities to discuss the priority theme.

On Thursday, 5 March, an interactive expert panel will focus on the emerging issue, “The gender perspectives of the financial crisis”, and an interactive dialogue on Friday, 6 March, will evaluate progress in the implementation of previously-agreed conclusions of the Commission on “Equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes at all levels”.  Another expert panel on “Implementing the internationally-agreed goals and commitments in regard to global public health:  a gender perspective” will be held on Thursday, 12 March, to provide input to the Annual Ministerial Review of the Economic and Social Council.

A schedule of events is contained in the Commission’s annotated provisional agenda and proposed organization of work (document E/CN.6/2009/1).

The Commission will also consider the following documents:  report of the Secretary-General on the situation of, and assistance to, Palestinian women (document E/CN.6/2009/5); report of the Secretary-General on women, the girl child and HIV/AIDS (document E/CN.6/2009/6); report of the Secretary-General on proposals for a multi-year programme of work for the period 2010-2014 of the Commission on the Status of Women (document E/CN.6/2009/3); report of the Secretary-General on the joint work plan of the Division for the Advancement of Women and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (document A/HRC/10/42-E/CN.6/2009/7); and a note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the United Nations Development Fund for Women on the activities of the Fund to eliminate violence against women (document A/HRC/10/43-E/CN.6/2009/10).  Also before the Commission are a report of the Secretary-General on strengthening the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (E/CN.6/2009/11); report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on its fortieth and forty-first sessions (document A/63/38); note by the Secretariat transmitting the results of the forty-second and forty-third sessions of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (document E/CN.6/2009/CRP.1); and a note by the Secretariat on the proposed programme of work of the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women and the Division for the Advancement of Women for the biennium 2010-2011 (document E/CN.6/2009/CRP.2).

The Commission will also consider communications concerning the status of women, for which it will have before it a note by the Secretary-General transmitting the list of confidential communications (document E/CN.6/2009/SW/COMM.LIST/43/R and Add.1) and a report of the Secretary-General on the future work of the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women (document E/CN.6/2009/8).

Follow-up on Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions will also be taken up by the Commission.  It will consider a letter dated 3 December 2008 from the President of the Economic and Social Council to the Chairperson of the Commission (document E/CN.6/2009/9), as well as a note by the Secretariat on implementing the internationally-agreed goals and commitments in regard to global public health (document E/CN.6/2009/13).

As of 31 January, 5,281 representatives from 463 non-governmental organizations have pre-registered for the upcoming session.  A total of 51 written statements from non-governmental organizations have been submitted.  Sixtyparallel events will be organized by United Nations missions, agencies and intergovernmental organizations, and will take place in the United Nations Secretariat building; and 237parallel events will be organized by non-governmental organizations, most of them will be taking place in the Church Center.  As in the past, several representatives of non-governmental organizations will have the opportunity to intervene in the general discussions and the interactive events.

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For information media • not an official record