INTE R NA T IO N A L L A W S &

CONV E N T I O NS
CEDAW
• THE UNITED NATIONS’ CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN (CEDAW)
WAS ADOPTED BY THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN 1979. IT HAS OFTEN BEEN DESCRIBED AS THE
INTERNATIONAL BILL OF RIGHTS FOR WOMEN AND SETS OUT A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF RIGHTS FOR WOMEN IN CIVIL,
POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FIELDS. IT ALSO PROVIDES A DEFINITION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
WOMEN.

• CEDAW DEFINITION OF DISCRIMINATION “…ANY DISTINCTION, EXCLUSION OR RESTRICTION MADE ON THE BASIS OF SEX
WHICH HAS THE EFFECT OR PURPOSE OF IMPAIRING OR NULLIFYING THE RECOGNITION, ENJOYMENT OR EXERCISE BY
WOMEN, IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR MARITAL STATUS, ON A BASIS OF EQUALITY OF MEN AND WOMEN, OF HUMAN RIGHTS
AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, CULTURAL, CIVIL OR ANY OTHER FIELD.” (ARTICLE 1)
CEDAW HAS A PREAMBLE & 30 ARTICLES
Articles 1-5 Articles 6-16 Articles 17-23
General framework Specific Committee &
of the Convention Substantive Issues Procedures

Articles 23-30
Administration &
Interpretation
CEDAW
• THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO CEDAW ENABLES THE CEDAW COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER COMPLAINTS BY
INDIVIDUAL WOMEN OR GROUPS OF WOMEN (VIA THE COMMUNICATIONS PROCEDURE) CONCERNING
THE VIOLATION OF RIGHTS PROTECTED BY THE CONVENTION AND/OR TO CONDUCT INQUIRIES INTO
GRAVE OR SYSTEMATIC ABUSES OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS (VIA THE INQUIRY PROCEDURE)

• THIS WILL ONLY APPLY IF THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL HAS BEEN RATIFIED BY THE STATE.
• INDIA RATIFIED CEDAW IN 1994 BUT NOT THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL. INDIA HAS A RESERVATION THAT IT
WILL NOT SUBMIT TO ARBITRATION IF THERE IS A DISPUTE OF CEDAW
UN WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN

• FIRST WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN, MEXICO CITY, 1975

• SECOND WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN, COPENHAGEN, 1980
• THIRD WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN, NAIROBI, 1985
• FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN, BEIJING, 199
THE BEIJING DECLARATION AND PLATFORM FOR ACTION

• THE WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN WAS HELD IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 1995 IN BEIJING, 20 YEARS
AFTER THE FIRST SUCH CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN MEXICO IN 1975.

• 30,000 WOMEN TOOK PART AT THIS THIRD CONFERENCE IN BEIJING AND AT THE FORUM OF THE
NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS) HELD 60 KM AWAY

• THE PLATFORM OF ACTION APPROVED 12 PRIMARY AREAS OF INTEREST: POVERTY, EDUCATION, HEALTH,
VIOLENCE, ARMED CONFLICTS, ECONOMIC INEQUALITY, INEQUALITY IN POWER AND IN MAKING
DECISIONS, MECHANISMS FOR EQUALITY, HUMAN RIGHTS, MEANS OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION,
ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT, AND CHILDREN AND YOUNG GIRLS.
• PROGRESS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BEIJING PLATFORM FOR ACTION (BPFA) IS REVIEWED BY THE
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN (CSW) EVERY FIVE YEARS

• TO DATE, FIVE REVIEWS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED – IN 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 AND 2020 – WITH EACH
REVIEW RESULTING IN AN OUTCOME DOCUMENT IN WHICH COUNTRIES PLEDGE TO CONTINUE THEIR
EFFORTS TOWARDS ACHIEVING GLOBAL COMMITMENTS RELATING TO THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND
GIRLS.

• THE OUTCOME DOCUMENT FURTHER OUTLINES PRIORITY ACTIONS FOR THE COMING FIVE YEARS.
MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS
• THE UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGS) ARE THE EIGHT GOALS SET BY THE 189
UN MEMBER STATES IN SEPTEMBER 2000 AND AGREED TO BE ACHIEVED BY THE YEAR 2015. 

• THE MILLENNIUM DECLARATION WAS SIGNED AT THE SEPTEMBER GLOBAL SUMMIT HELD AT THE UN
HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK AND THE 149 INTERNATIONAL LEADERS IN ATTENDANCE COMMITTED TO
COMBATING DISEASE, HUNGER, POVERTY, ILLITERACY, DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN AND
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION.

• THE MDGS WERE DERIVED FROM THIS DECLARATION, AND SPECIFIC INDICATORS AND TARGETS WERE
ATTACHED TO THEM.
• 1. TO ELIMINATE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER;
2. TO ACHIEVE GLOBAL PRIMARY EDUCATION;
3. TO EMPOWER WOMEN AND PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY;
4. TO REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY;
5. TO PROMOTE MATERNAL HEALTH;
6. TO FIGHT MALARIA, HIV/AIDS, AND OTHER DISEASES;
7. TO PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY; AND
8. TO DEVELOP A UNIVERSAL PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT.
• TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN UNIVERSALLY – INCLUDING BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS – WILL BE ABLE TO
COMPLETE A FULL COURSE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION BY 2015

• THERE WAS ONLY ONE TARGET UNDER MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL 3:

• TO ELIMINATE GENDER DISPARITY IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION BY 2005, AND IN ALL
LEVELS OF EDUCATION BY 2015.
• THE POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA NOT ONLY BUILDS ON THE LESSONS OF THE MDGS BUT ALSO
GOES BEYOND THE ORIGINAL TARGETS. A SERIES OF NEW GOALS - THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
GOALS (SDGS) - HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO COMPREHENSIVELY COVER A RANGE OF AREAS, INCLUDING
THOSE MOST CLOSELY LINKED TO UNODC'S WORK.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
UDHR
• IN 1947 THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS HAD BEEN GIVEN THE DUTY TO DRAFT THE DECLARATION.
• THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLETED THE TASK ADOPTING DRAFT DECLARATION THE FOLLOWING
YEAR.

• AFTERWARDS, A LOFTY DISCUSSION TOOK PLACE AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ITS THIRD COMMITTEE AND
THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION WAS FINALLY, WITHOUT A SINGLE DISSENTING VOTE, APPROVED ON 10TH OF
DECEMBER 1948 DURING THE THIRD SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AT THE CHAILLOT PALACE IN PARIS.

• ARTICLE 1 PROVIDES THAT ALL PEOPLE ARE BORN FREE AND EQUAL IN DIGNITY IN RIGHTS, AND THEY SHOULD
BEHAVE WITH ONE ANOTHER IN A SPIRIT OF BROTHERHOOD.