The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) will hold its first regional technical cooperation session in Fiji from 07 to 11 April, during which it will engage in exchanges with three States parties: Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.
Facilitated by several partners, this is the Committee’s first regional engagement outside Geneva or New York. It will bring together key stakeholders, including government ministers and other senior officials, human rights experts, civil society organisations, as well as national human rights institutions (NHRIs), to discuss progress and challenges in implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Convention) in the Pacific region.
“This historic moment will allow us to engage directly with Pacific Island countries, deepening our collaboration and conversations to advance women’s rights and accelerate gender equality in the region,” said Nahla Haidar, Chair of the Committee.
“We will be there to reaffirm our commitment to support the three State parties in fulfilling their obligations to protect women and girls and eliminate gender discrimination, and to encourage non-member States to ratify the Convention. We also aim to engage in a meaningful exchange with all interested stakeholders on pressing gender issues in the region,” she added.
In addition to the three country exchanges, there will be side events to address gender-based violence, political participation, sexual and reproductive health rights, and climate change impacts on women, among other gender-related issues.
During the week-long technical cooperation session, the CEDAW Committee and its secretariat will partner with the Pacific Community, the UN Human Rights Pacific Regional Office, UN Women, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, and the University of the South Pacific.
It will be held at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and at the University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay Campus.
