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In June 2010, the International Labour Conference will hold the first round of discussions on a draft instrument on decent work for domestic workers, and in 2011 will discuss the standard(s) with a view to its adoption. A new standard on decent work for domestic workers will contribute to the effective abolition of child labour within domestic work and help to prevent and eliminate violence against domestic workers of any age. Hide

In Panama, the OHCHR has participated in the Common Country Assessement (CCA)/UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) processes of Panama throughout 2010 and has an active role in the inter-agency group of gender and the SG UNITE Campaign. The OHCHR organized a human rights-based approach training in Costa Rica, highlighting, inter alia, issues related to women’s rights and violence against women. The OHCHR participated, with a resource person, in a human rights-based approach training, at the UN Staff College, for the UNCT in El Salvador, in connection with the preparation of CCA/UNDAF.Gender Advisors of OHCHR were deployed in four regional offices (Fiji, Lebanon, Panama and Senegal). In the Regional Office in Panama, for example, the role of the Gender Advisor, is to integrate gender analysis into the Office’s areas of work and to raise awareness about violence, against women. Hide

In Gaza, West Bank, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, UNRWA staff attended training in detecting and counselling victims of gender-based violence. The staff included nurses, midwifes, health counsellors, medical officers, education counsellors, lawyers and social workers. In West Bank, and with the support of the Birzeit University, 4 trainings took place to introduce the concepts of community protection. Hide

UNHCR, UNICEF and UNFPA are currently implementing a Capacity Development Project on gender-based violence, funded by ECHO, which focuses on Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan. UNICEF focuses on Ivory Coast, CAR and Chad, and UNFPA focuses on Sudan, Occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) and Iraq. The objective is to train 63 capacity promoters, who will bolster the capacity of 360 international and national staff in the coordination of gender-based violence programming in these nine countries Hide

The OHCHR supported the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences in strengthening partnerships with other human rights mechanisms, both special procedures and treaty bodies, particularly the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences and CEDAW held discussions on ways to strengthen cooperation in a number of areas of their work. In Panama, the OHCHR Regional Office led the preparation of the United Nations Country Team’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) submission, which includes a section on the situation of women in the country, including an alarming increase in cases of femicide. Hide

A UNDP global programme to support country level work is being developed to implement priority action areas including: work with local government and with traditional entities; multi-sectoral projects, especially comprehensive poverty reduction and governance projects; research on impacts, methods and baseline data; dissemination of research; support to the Secretary General’s Campaign to End Violence Against women; and work with NGOs and local campaigns to develop capacity, end recidivism and provide counseling for survivors. Hide

Members of UNHCR’s Executive Committee prepared a draft Conclusion on the rights and protection needs of refugees with disabilities, which included the need to prevent and respond to violence against women refugees with disabilities. Hide

In July 2010, UNODC hosted an Expert Group Meeting to review draft material for the forthcoming International Framework for Action to Implement the Smuggling of Migrants Protocol, a technical assistance tool to support States in the implementation of the Smuggling of Migrants Protocol. The draft tool recommends that the special vulnerability of smuggled migrant women to violence be borne in mind in the design, implementation and review of any measures put in place to protect women against violence. The draft provides that addressing violence against women in the context of migrant smuggling begins with addressing the underlying discriminatory norms and behaviour which manifest as increased vulnerability of women to violence, both before being smuggled, during the smuggling process and afterwards, especially when they are living as irregular migrants in or are in the custody of the destination state and/or are returned to their state of origin.At its 17th session (April 2008), the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice requested UNODC to convene an intergovernmental group of experts to review and update, as appropriate, the Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (hereinafter MSPMs), adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 52/86.The need to revise the MSPMs stemmed from the recognition that new practices, new thinking and new research have been developed since the adoption of the Model Strategies in December 1997.In July 2010, upon recommendation of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its 19th session (May 2010), the Economic and Social Council adopted resolution 2010/15 entitled “Strengthening crime prevention and criminal justice responses to violence against women” for further consideration and possible adoption by the General Assembly at its 65th session. By endorsing this resolution, the Council adopted the guidelines contained in the updated MSPMs (see annex of resolution 2010/15) which represent a comprehensive framework to assist States in developing policies and carrying out actions to eliminate violence against women and to promote equality between men and women within the criminal justice system. They are organized around eleven themes: i) guiding principles; ii) criminal law; iii) criminal procedure; iv) police, prosecutors and other criminal justice officials; v) sentencing and corrections; vi) victim support and assistance; vii) health and social services; viii) training; ix)) research and evaluation; x) crime prevention measures; and xi) international cooperation. The Council urged Member States to evaluate and review their legislation and legal principles, procedures, policies, programmes and practices relating to crime prevention and criminal justice matters, in a manner consistent with their legal systems and drawing upon the updated MSPMs, to determine if they are adequate to prevent and eliminate violence against women. Member States were also called upon to advance effective crime prevention and criminal justice strategies that address violence against women, including strategies aimed at preventing revictimization.The Economic and Social Council, upon recommendation of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, adopted resolution 2010/16 entitled “UN Rules for Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules)”. The Bangkok Rules, annexed to the resolution, which were developed to supplement the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-Custodial Measures (Tokyo Rules) are made up of 70 rules.The Bangkok Rules will be submitted to the General Assembly, at its 65th session, for its consideration and possible approval. Hide

DAW, now part of UN Women, now part of UN Women, prepared reports of the Secretary General to the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly on intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women (A/65/208), and trafficking in women and girls (A/65/209).On 11 March 2010, the Commission on the Status of Women held an interactive panel discussion on the theme “Unite to End Violence against Women”. A Moderator’s summary of the panel is available on the DAW website at: https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing15/ievents.html. Hide

In September 2010, UNFPA developed the draft of the sub-regional strategy on Gender-based Violence for Latin America and the Caribbean region via a workshop held in Guatemala. Hide