................

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its
Causes and Consequences, the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser
on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI) and UNFPA Panel:

“15 Years of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against
Women, its Causes and Consequences [1994-2009]: A Review”
Tuesday, 25 November 2008 10:00-11:45am
at UN Secretariat, Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium
____________________________________________________

On the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences, the Office of the United Nations Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) are co-organizing a panel to discuss the findings of ‘15 Years of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences [1994-2009]: A Review’ .

This event builds on the partnership between UNFPA and the Special Rapporteur to take stock of the achievements of 15 years of work of the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences. The panel will present the preliminary findings of the review and highlight some of the emerging issues concerning violence against women, as well as some of the challenges women and girls around the world face in exercising their rights. Based on the findings, the panel will discuss and make recommendations to the future Special Rapporteur, to be appointed in 2009 by the Human Rights Council. In addition, the event will be an opportunity to make recommendations to the United Nations, Member States and Civil Society on preventing and fighting violence against women.

Opening statement (TBC):
Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations

Chair:
Rachel Mayanja, Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women

Panelists:
Yakin Erturk, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its causes and Consequences
“Looking Back, Looking Forward: Reflections on Challenges and
Opportunities of the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women Mandate”

Madhu Mehra, Executive Director of Partners for Law in Development (New Delhi, India) and Regional Council Member of the Asia Pacific Forum for Women, Law and Development (Chiang Mai, Thailand)
“15 Years of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women [1994-2009]: A Review (Preliminary Results)”

Sonia Escobedo, Secretary of Women’s Affairs, Guatemala
“Responding to Violence against Women at the Country-Level: The Experience of Guatemala”

Bunmi Makinwa, Director, Africa Regional Office, UNFPA
“UNFPA’s Perspective on the Prevention of Violence against Women in Africa”