OEA/Ser.P
AG/RES. 1625 (XXIX-O/99)
7 June 1999
Original: Spanish


STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE AMERICAS AND STRENGTHENING AND
MODERNIZATION OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN

(Adopted at the first plenary session, held on June 7, 1999,
and pending review by the Style Committee)


THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

Recalling its resolutions AG/RES. 1422 (XXVI-O/96), "Cooperation within the Inter-American System to Ensure Full and Equal Participation by Women in the Development Process"; AG/RES. 1432 (XXVI-O/96), "Status of Women in the Americas"; AG/RES. 1451 (XXVII-O/97) and AG/RES. 1586 (XXVIII-O/98), "Observations and Recommendations on the Annual Reports of the Organs, Agencies, and Entities of the Organization";

Bearing in mind AG/RES. 1592 (XXVIII-O/98), "Status of Women in the Americas and Strengthening of the Inter-American Commission of Women," presented by the mechanism for coordination of the topic "Status of Women in the Americas" of the Permanent Council, which invited the Inter-American Commission of Women to carry out a series of activities aimed at strengthening the Commission, including the preparation of a draft "Inter-American Program on the Promotion on Women's Rights and Gender Equity," the promotion, in coordination with other inter-American organs, agencies and entities, of fora, seminars, and meetings among the national authorities in the member states responsible for women's issues, and of meetings among agencies of the inter-American system;

Noting resolution CP/RES. 717 (1147/98), "70th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM)";

Noting with satisfaction resolution CIM/RES. 209 (XXIX-O/98) of the CIM Assembly of Delegates, "Strengthening and Modernization of the Inter-American Commission of Women," which, among other things, urges the governments of the member states to support the activities of the CIM delegates; urges the permanent representatives of the member states to the OAS to appoint, if one does not exist, an official from their respective missions with whom the CIM Permanent Secretariat may maintain contact to reinforce involvement by the principal delegates in the CIM's activities; requests inclusion on the agenda of the General Assembly of the item "Inter-American Program to Promote the Rights of Women and Gender Equity"; and resolves to encourage and agree upon, within the OAS, a meeting of ministers or of the highest-ranking authorities responsible for policies for the advancement of women in the member states, with the participation of the CIM delegates;
Considering that the CIM Strategic Plan of Action, which establishes strategies for ensuring and guaranteeing the role of women to the year 2000 and assigns, for the five-year period, priority to the participation of women in power and decision-making structures, education, the elimination of violence, and the eradication of poverty;

Bearing in mind the plans of action of the First and the Second Summit of the Americas, which set forth the need to: (a) strengthen policies and programs to improve and broaden the participation of women in all spheres of political, social, and economic life; (b) strengthen and establish, where they do not exist, national mechanisms and governmental agencies charged with promoting legal equality and equal opportunities for women and men, focused on gender equity, and provide them with adequate and timely financial resources, and (c) further strengthen the Inter-American Commission of Women;

Highlighting the resolutions approved at the Twenty-ninth Assembly of Delegates of the CIM: CIM/RES. 198 (XXIX-O/98), "CIM Plan of Action for the Participation of Women in Power and Decision-Making Structures," and CIM/RES. 195 (XXIX-O/98), "Declaration of Santo Domingo," which states that the rights of women, throughout their lives, are an inalienable, integral, and indivisible part of universal human rights, and that it is imperative to ensure full observance of the human rights of women so as to eliminate all discriminatory situations and recognize women's legal capacity and equality under the law;

Recognizing that the CIM, established in 1928 by a resolution of the Sixth International Conference of American States, was the first intergovernmental organization in the world founded expressly to fight for the civil and political rights of women in the Hemisphere;

Underlining that the purpose of the CIM is to promote and protect the rights of women and support the member states in their efforts to ensure full access to civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, which will permit women and men to participate under equal conditions in all aspects of social life, so that they may enjoy fully and equitably the benefits of development; and

Aware that, to achieve its objectives, it is necessary to promote the institutional strengthening of the CIM, which requires the ongoing political support of the OAS member states, and to find a solution to the various budgetary matters confronting it,

1. Calls a meeting of ministers or authorities at the highest level responsible for policies affecting women in the member states, during the first three months of the year 2000, and requests that necessary funds from the year 2000 program-budget be assigned for holding that meeting.

2. Requests the CIM, acting as coordinator for the aforementioned meeting, to prepare a draft agenda that will include, among other things, approval of the "Draft Inter-American Program to Promote the Rights of Women and Gender Equity," and consideration of the commitments adopted by the Summit of the Americas.

3. Requests the CIM to keep the Permanent Council informed of the progress made in the preparatory work of said meeting, taking into account any possible recommendations of that organ.

4. Urges the member states to support the activities being carried out by the CIM delegates to support and contribute to the holding of the aforementioned meeting.

5. Reiterates to the General Secretariat and the Permanent Council the contents of its resolution AG/RES. 1586 (XXVIII-O/98), with a view to improving the financial condition of the Inter-American Commission of Women.

6. Decides to include on the agenda of the thirtieth regular session of the General Assembly the item: Approval of the "Inter-American Program to Promote the Rights of Women and Gender Equity," and requests the Permanent Council to report on the implementation of this mandate to the General Assembly at its thirtieth regular session.

7. Supports the initiative of the Twenty-ninth Assembly of Delegates of the CIM regarding the establishment of a system of communication and ongoing cooperation with nongovernmental organizations of civil society.

8. Encourages the CIM to continue developing the initiative of establishing an information network as the ideal mechanism to ensure effective coordination and the exchange of information both with the organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system and with the areas of the OAS General Secretariat and organized civil society, and among delegates of the CIM and national cooperation committees.

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