STRENGTHENING AND MODERNIZATION OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN

(Resolution adopted at the third plenary session, held on November 18, 1998)

THE TWENTY-NINTH REGULAR MEETING OF THE ASSEMBLY OF DELEGATES OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN,

RECALLING:

That the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), established in 1928 by a resolution of the Sixth International Conference of American States, was the world's first intergovernmental organ founded expressly to fight for the civil and political rights of women in the Hemisphere;

That the General Assembly, through resolution AG/RES. 1422 (XXVI-O/96), "Cooperation within the Inter-American System to Ensure Full and Equal Participation by Women in the Development Process," invited the organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system to work with the CIM by drawing up joint action programs in their respective areas, so as to prevent duplication of efforts, reduce costs, and achieve optimum results;

That in operative paragraph 2 of resolution AG/RES. 1432 (XXVI-O/96), "Status of Women in the Americas," the General Assembly recommended to the member states that they strengthen or, where necessary, create mechanisms for the advancement of women, and that they bear in mind the need to use gender analysis in devising and executing public policy;

That the Permanent Council, in resolution CP/RES. 717 (1147/98), adopted at its meeting on February 4, 1998, decided to "reiterate the firm commitment of the member states to promote the development of public-sector strategies and policies of benefit to women and to incorporate fully the gender perspective into the activities and programs of the Organization and of the institutions and agencies of the inter-American system"; and

That in response to an initiative by the Permanent Council's Coordinator for the topic "Status of Women in the Americas," the OAS General Assembly, at its most recent session, held in Caracas, Venezuela, adopted AG/RES. 1592 (XXVIII-O/98), in which it instructed the CIM to carry out a number of activities to strengthen its work;

CONSIDERING:

That the objective of the CIM is to promote and protect women’s rights and to support the member states in their efforts to ensure full access to civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, enabling women and men to participate on equal terms in all areas of life in society, ensuring that women and men are full and equal beneficiaries of development; and

That strengthening the CIM requires ongoing political support from the OAS member states to promote the adoption of measures, the design of policies, and the execution of activities to strengthen the role of women at the national and international levels; and

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT:

The Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas, in which the heads of state and government agreed to strengthen, and to establish where they do not exist, national mechanisms and governmental bodies charged with promoting legal equality and equal opportunity between women and men, focusing on gender equity, and providing them with adequate financial resources on a timely basis;

The convocation of the XXIX Assembly of Delegates by the Executive Committee, which emphasized the importance of discussing the "Strengthening of the CIM" in response to the Delegates’ firm commitment to renew; strengthen, and modernize the Commission;

The guidelines and priorities set forth in the resolution on program guidelines for the 1998-2000 period; and

The document "Strengthening of the Inter-American Commission of Women," CIM/doc.42/98, used as a base document for the Dialogue of the Heads of Delegation on the subject,

RESOLVES:

That the strengthening and modernization of the CIM should be based on the following strategies:

1. To coordinate and agree on, in the framework of the CIM's Strategic Plan of Action, resolution AG/RES. 1592 (XXVIII-O/98), and the Second Summit of the Americas:

a. The preparation of a draft Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Rights and Gender Equity, in coordination with other organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system;

b. The establishment of 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 sections of the OAS General Secretariat, and organized civil society, among Delegates of the CIM, and among the National Cooperation Committees.

c. Support for the resumption of activities by the "Gender Task Force" within the OAS.

2. To urge the governments of the member states to support the activities of the CIM delegates.