IGLHRC encourages you to attend three events organized parallel to the 2009 session on the Commission of the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York

March 2, 2009 10am-12pm,
Grumman Room,

"General Assembly Statement on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Human Rights: The Way There, The Way Forward,"

co-sponsored by ARC-International, the Center for Women's Global Leadership, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, IPPF-International Planned Parenthood Federation, and Human Rights Watch.

In December 2008, 66 states signed and promulgated a statement on sexual orientation, gender identity, and human rights. The statement condemns human rights violations on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, affirms the principles of universality and non-discrimination in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and calls for the worldwide repeal of criminal sanctions.

The Panel will explain how the initiative of the statement developed, particularly through the long history of women’s rights work at the UN; create a discussion around ways to engage states and social movements in the follow-up; and generate an interactive dialogue on how to foreground these issues within the Commission’s task of mainstreaming a gender perspective in the UN.

March 6, 10am-12pm,
Drew Room,

"The Rights of Invisible Women—The Human Rights of Lesbian and Bisexual Women,"

organized by RFSL: The Swedish Federation for LGBT Rights and Women's Secretariat of the International Gay and Lesbian Association.

The discussion will include the following questions: "How do we ensure that women’s concerns are also included, when sexual orientation and/or gender identity issues are addressed? What are good examples and opportunities? Instead of bringing up decriminalization or HIV/AIDS, other platforms must be used, what are they?"

March 9, 12-2pm,
2nd Floor,

"Celebrating 30 Years of CEDAW: Achievements and Continuing Challenges Towards the Realisation of Women's Human Rights,"

organized by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership and the International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific, with the participation of Grace Poore, IGLHRC Regional Program Coordinator for Asia and the Pacific Islands. The event will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the CEDAW Convention and the achievements of CEDAW over these three decades, together with challenges and strategies towards the full implementation of the Convention.

There is no need for accreditation to attend the NGO events, which are held at the The Church Center, located at 777 United Nations Plaza (at East 44th Street and 1st Avenue, across the street from the UN Secretariat Building).

The Commission on the Status of Women is a functional commission of ECOSOC (the UN Economic and Social Council), dedicated exclusively to gender equality and the advancement of women. It is the principal global policy-making body on these issues. Its annual meeting of member states' representatives in March in New York serves to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and the advancement of women worldwide.