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OHCHR submitted two papers on the application of a human rights approach to prevention of violence against women and human rights based approach to multi-sectoral responses as part of the preparation of the SG’s reports for the 57th CSW session. Hide

OHCHR, as a member of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT) and United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UNGIFT) ensured a human rights based approach was mainstreamed throughout all the policy papers developed by ICAT including the joint paper on the intersection between legal regimes to combat trafficking was produced. OHCHR also continues to promote the application of the Recommended Principles and Guideline on Human Rights and Human Trafficking through the organisation of regional and sub-regional launchings of the Commentary (an in depth analysis of the legal and policy frameworks on trafficking) in parallel with capacity building workshops.OHCHR provided support to the CEDAW Committee in its regional consultations on the drafting of a general recommendation on the realization of women’s rights in conflict and post-conflict, also providing financial support for two regional women’s NGO groups to participate in the consultation in Africa. Hide

UNAIDS is supporting a number of actions to highlight the link between violence against women and HIV, as well as the role of the HIV response in overcoming violence against women. These include Country consultations led by the Women Won’t Wait campaign; and a high level panel during the CSW on the linkages between violence against women and HIV. Hide

UNICEF chaired the Inter-agency Coordination Group Against Trafficking in Persons during 2012, during which a discussion paper was commissioned on “The International Legal Frameworks concerning Trafficking in Persons.” UNICEF also provided inputs and support to various other international instruments and processes, including: the UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/67/146 on “Intensification of Efforts to Eliminate Female Genital Mutilations”; the CRC and CEDAW committee’s development of a joint general comment/general recommendation; a specific section on the impact of small arms and light weapons on women within the UN Coordinated Action on Small Arms paper on the Impact of Poorly Regulated Arms Transfers (as part of the Arms Trade Treaty negotiations); and the drafting and adoption of the Human Rights Council Resolution on birth registration. Hide

The OHCHR office in Brussels, together with the UN Country Team, actively participated in the elaboration and adoption of the European Union (EU) Directive on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and Protecting Its Victims. A commentary on implementing the Directive has been developed and submitted to the EU. This Commentary is aimed at assisting EU countries in interpreting the Directives in a more human rights-based approach. UNICEF also contributed to the Joint UN Commentary on EU Directive.OHCHR continued to promote the Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking through the organization of regional launchings of the Commentary of the Recommended Principles and Guidelines published at the beginning of 2011 with capacity building activities in Moldova (November 2011) and in the United Arab Emirates (December 2011). The Commentary is an in-depth analysis of the legal and policy frameworks on trafficking.The Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and Practice of the Human Rights Council was appointed in March 2011 and assumed its functions on 1 May 2011. During the reporting period, the Working Group held two sessions in Geneva, decided its working methods and thematic priorities. These relate to women’s right to equality in participating in public and political life including at times of political transitions (2012) and women’s right to equality in participating in economic and social life including at times of economic crisis (2013).More information can be found at:http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/WGWomen/Pages/WGWomenIndex.aspx Hide

The UNAIDS Secretariat provided comprehensive support for the 2011 UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS. The resulting Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS: Intensifying our Efforts to Eliminate HIV/AIDS highlights the need to eliminate violence against women. Hide

OHCHR submitted two reports to the Human Rights Council’s 17th session (June 2011), respectively on the expert workshop on challenges, good practices and opportunities in the elimination of all forms of violence against women (A/HRC/17/22), and a Compilation of good practices in efforts aimed at preventing violence against women (A/HRC/17/23).OHCHR supported the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its causes and consequences in developing and presenting a thematic report on multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination (A/HRC/17/26) which proposes a holistic approach to addressing the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination that contribute to and exacerbate violence against women. The Special Rapporteur also submitted her reports to the Human Rights Council on missions undertaken to El Salvador, Algeria, Zambia and the United States. OHCHR further supported the Special Rapporteur in convening a side event on regional standards and violence against women during the seventeenth session of the Human Rights Council in June 2011. The objective of this event, which brought together representatives of regional human rights mechanisms from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Inter-American region, was to analyse the different provisions on violence against women elaborated in the regional human rights instruments and relevant jurisprudence developed by the regional mechanisms. Hide

UN Women prepared reports of the Secretary General to the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly on Violence against women migrant workers (A/66/212) and on the Girl-child (A/66/257); as well as a report of the Secretary General to the fifty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on Ending female genital mutilation (E/CN.6/2012/8). UNICEF provided technical inputs to both reports. Hide

In December 2011, UNHCR organized a ministerial meeting marking the 60th anniversary year of the Refugee Convention, during which a number of states made pledges related to the implementation of the Refugee and Statelessness Conventions, including on eliminating sexual and gender-based violence and gender discrimination in nationality legislation. Hide

In June 2011, the International Labour Conference adopted the Convention No. 189 and Recommendation No. 201 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. The new standards are a strong recognition of the economic and social value of domestic work and a call for action to address the existing exclusions of domestic workers from labour and social protection. Article 5 of Convention No. 189 calls for measures to ensure that domestic workers enjoy effective protection against all forms of abuse, harassment and violence. Hide