In the week of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against women (25 November), Arab parliamentarians participate in the second regional workshop on the “Roles of Parliamentarians in the Implementation of CEDAW”, organized by UN-ESCWA and the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (UNDAW), on 26-28 November 2008 at the UN House, Beirut.

UN-Under-Secretary-General and UN-ESCWA Executive Secretatry Bader Omar AlDafa will inaugurate the meeting tomorrow Wednesday 26 November at 9:30 AM. Parliamentarians from Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Syria, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Palestine, Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Representatives from DAW and UN-ESCWA will also be present at the meeting.

Participants will discuss amendments of nationality, work, personal status laws, as well as the penal code. The allocation of resources to combat discrimination against women, and the formulation of a strategy in conformity with international commitments and laws will also be among the subjects discussed at the meeting.

The meeting aims at strengthening the implementation of CEDAW by building the capacities of parliamentarians in the areas of protecting the rights of women and non-discrimination.

UN General Assembly adopted CEDAW in December 1979. The Convention gives a definition of discrimination against women, which includes the rights to equality, and non-discrimination in civil, political, economic, social, cultural and other areas.