Kathmandu Declaration
Beijing+15 Review National Conference
KATHMANDU DECLARATION
September 13-14, 2009
Recalling the Twelve Critical Areas of Concern relating to women's rights, equality, peace and development embraced in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted during the historic UN Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China in 1995;
Recognizing the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 1979 and its Optional Protocol as milestone documents on women's rights and equality and recalling the principle of "Women's Rights are Human Rights" incorporated in the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action adopted by the UN Second World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna, Austria in 1993 as well as the Cairo Declaration and Plan of Action endorsed by the World Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo, Egypt in 1994 prior to the Beijing Conference;
Recalling the Five-year Review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing+5) and its Outcome Document held in New York in 2000 and subsequent "Millennium Development Goals" promulgated by the UN's Millennium Summit in September of the same year in which "Gender Equality" has been embodied as one of the most important cross-cutting component goals;
Realizing the urgency to establish accountability mechanism and ending the culture of impunity through effective implementation of the provisions included in UNSCR 1325 and 1820 concerning women' participation in conflict prevention, resolution, peace and security, and combating violence against women respectively;
The two-day National Conference organized by the National Network for Beijing+15 Review Nepal (NNBN) comprising of various civil society organizations working in the field of women's rights and human rights across the country held in Kathmandu on 13-14 September, 2009 with the objective of reviewing the achievements and challenges 15 years after the Beijing Conference, has unanimously promulgated the 12-point Kathmandu Declaration with the prime slogan 'Keeping the Beijing Commitment Alive" ;
Through this Declaration, we express the following concerns to the Government of Nepal:
Incorporate fully the essence and spirit of the Twelve Critical Areas of Concern of the Beijing Platform for Action in the new constitution by ensuring issues such as education, health, employment, accommodation and food as fundamental rights and amend the existing laws in compliance with CEDAW and other relevant international instruments on women through affirmative action to end all forms of discrimination against women.
Formulate a high level constitutional monitoring mechanism to effectively implement the laws and the National Plan of Action endorsed to end all forms of discriminations and violence against women and trafficking; and ensure women's proportionate and meaningful participation in all bodies, functionaries and decision-making process of the state.
Ensure meaningful participation of women in all processes related to the proposed "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" in order to create a conducive environment for sustainable peace and reconciliation; and end the culture of impunity by effectively implementing UNSCR 1325 and 1820 on women, peace, security, and violence against women respectively.
Review, revisit and amend the National Plan of Action adopted a decade ago to implement the BPFA in collaboration and coordination with civil society organizations and ensure its effective implementation through the formation of a high level monitoring mechanism.
Ensure priority for women for adequate, nutritious and qualitative food security and employment to save the rural and poor women from the onslaught of the current global economic recession in the given stark reality of women being directly affected by the vicious cycle of poverty.
Put a total ban on the export, import and the use of such weapons by taking special measures to ensure security for the vulnerable women and bring the perpetrators to justice with no room for impunity in the present context where women are increasingly falling victims in domestic and public affairs due to the illicit use and trade of the small arms.
Adopt and implement appropriate legal and administrative measures for safe, regular and rights-based migration and conclude bilateral and/or multilateral agreements with the destination countries as per the international standards with effective implementation and monitoring mechanism to curb the incidents of women falling prey to the trafficking and forcibly entering into the vulnerable and exploitative labor due to their compulsion of entering into the foreign labor market in an extremely unsafe and uninformed way.
Accept, support and endorse unconditionally the new gender entity to be established by the upcoming UN General Assembly with an aim to make the gender equality machinery strong, empowered and resourceful in the context of scattered nature of different bodies formed under the auspices of the UN on women's rights and equality.
Ensure women's direct and meaningful participation in formulating and implementing laws and policies relating to minimization and controlling of the impacts of climate change in the context where women are being hardest-hit by the unpredictable decrease in the agricultural production, rain, drought and unimaginative natural calamities as a result of the global climate change, and in the context where women are also being uprooted from their place of origin.
Enact appropriate preventive and safeguarding legal measures to prevent and control all forms of incidences of sexual violence against women, and adopt legal measures to ensure dignity, social security, and appropriate livelihood options for the women vulnerable to human rights violation and those affected by the conflict.
Enhance effective measures through affirmative action and standard inclusive policy along with constitutional, legal and policy provisions to end the incessant discrimination against women from all walks of life including underprivileged sectors, terai-madhesh, mountains and hills as well as women representing dalits, indigenous and minority groups including sexual minority, senior citizens, single women, refugees, backward, marginalized, differently-able and especially girl child.
Formulate appropriate measures to adequately reflect the conclusions and recommendations derived from the dialogues, interactions, debates and discussions carried out at different phases by this Network regarding the achievements, opportunities, constraints and challenges and emerging issues in relation to 15 years after Beijing Conference in the new constitution drafting process.