Ann Lewis, a director of communications for President Clinton, and Susan Molinari, former Republican Congresswoman for New York, wrote that "investment in women and girls’ education and empowerment is increasingly recognized as a linch-pin to advancing social, economic and political progress in most poor countries... Girls with just one year of formal education are less likely to suffer from illness or hunger...and their children are less likely to die in infancy." This reasoning was implemented in Pakistan where the U.S. supported education in the country towards a goal of addressing illiteracy.  The U.S. stated that this formed part of efforts to stabilize Pakistan and to weaken the influence of Al Qaeda and the Taliban; arguing that nations that are stable and democratic are far less likely to engage in war or host terrorist organizations. Thus, it has been argued that supporting women and girls through agricultural development and improvements health-care is a worthwhile investment.  Indeed, there is broad bipartisan support in the idea that investing in programs that build healthy, educated societies are a big part of making the U.S. and the world safer.  

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in her speech today referred to U.S. policy towards women: "Today, the United States is making women a cornerstone of foreign policy because we think it’s the right thing to do, but we also believe it’s the smart thing to do as well. Investing in the potential of the world’s women and girls is one of the surest ways to achieve global economic progress, political stability, and greater prosperity for women — and men — the world over."

Dana Perino, a former White House press secretary noted the grave problems that need to be dealt with around the globe: "One in every 22 African mothers dies in child-birth, more than 200 times the rate in the U.S.  In Sierra Leone, it’s 1 in 8." Nonetheless, Perino wrote that she continues to work with organizations aimed at improving the lives of women and has seen the influence that they have already had: "I have seen our aid money is being well-spent.  They stretch every dollar, spending in innovative ways…Together, we can pool our power to connect, take action and help shape a better, more profitable future."

Women's issues can be approached from many angles, the Convenor of the  Coalition for the International Criminal Court, William R. Pace, recalled the importance of the Rome Statute as a powerful instrument for preventing immunity for crimes committed against women: "The Rome Statute’s provisions by targeting sexual crimes represent a historic advance for international justice: the Statute is one of the first international treaties to extensively address gender-based crimes as crimes against humanity, war crimes, and in some instances, genocide...Countries are strongly encouraged to bring their national laws in line with the standards enshrined in the Rome Statute, both in terms of criminalizing the serious crimes contained in the Statute and by assuring that laws make full cooperation with the Court possible."

Act Now in Support of CEDAW

Yesterday afternoon Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe was confirmed as the first ever United States Ambassador to the Council.

We want to thank Citizens for Global Solutions activists who sent over 1200 letters to 94% of the Senate demanding that Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe be confirmed as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council. 

Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe is an Affiliated Scholar at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University.  Her research has focused on norms on use of force, UN reform, and the international rule of law.  Previously, Ms. Donahoe was a litigation associate at Fenwick & West in Silicon Valley. Prior to that, she was a teaching fellow at Stanford Law School and law clerk to the Honorable William H. Orrick.  Ms. Donahoe has also worked with various human rights organizations.

The U.S. recognises the controversial history of the Human Rights Council, but hopes to see the Council follow its goals of protecting human rights.  Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero stated on Monday that: "the Human Rights Council was established to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe. Our expectations should be nothing less and the United States will continue to strongly advocate that the Council meet these expectations."

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International Women’s Day is next Monday (March 8th); here are some events for those of you in the DC area:

The International Center for Research on Women is hosting the 2010 Champions for Change: Innovation Empowers Women Awards Cocktail Reception. For more information CLICK HERE

The Sewall-Belmont House and Museum is hosting a partnership evening event with Women's Information Network (WIN) and Emerge Global, featuring a short program, networking reception, and artisan bazaar. For more information CLICK HERE

The Washington D.C. Independent Film Festival is showing a series of films by or about women. For more information CLICK HERE

Enough is organizing a peace march across the Arlington Bridge to support Congo's women in particular as they continue to face violence related to the conflict mineral trade. For more information CLICK HERE

An event will be held at Café Citron from 4-8 p.m. on Thursday March 11.  This event is cosponsored by AIUSA (Amnesty International USA Mid-Atlantic Region) and UNA-NCA (United Nations Association of the National Capital Area). RSVP to Brittany Jacoby at 330-310-4937 or bmjacoby@gmail.com  

For those of you in New York:

CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action – Empowering Women March 11, 2010 will be held at 777 UN Plaza from 2:00-3:30 PM. RSVP to Jessica Hartl, 202-462-3446 x12 or jhartl@unausa.org

International Association of Women Judges and the National Association of Women will host a reception, and screening of the film "Courting Justice". For more information CLICK HERE

Looking for an icebreaker at your next holiday dinner party? How about asking guests what the United States has in common with Sudan, Somalia, Iran, Nauru, Palau, and Tonga? It's not weather or cuisine, and it certainly isn't number of Starbucks; it's the fact that none of these countries have ratified the United Nations Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (also known as CEDAW). CEDAW came into force on December 18, 1979 which is 30 years ago today and then President of the United States Jimmy Carter signed the Convention. Even today, as the rights of women around the world and in the United States suffer, the United States has not ratified the treaty.

Trafficking in women, maternal mortality, rape as a weapon of war, bride burning, acid burning, and female infanticide are a few of the many issues that plague the women of the world every day, yet these issues barely make waves on the world agenda. One way to get these problems noticed is to get the United States to ratify CEDAW. This is your chance to help in this effort. Click here to get started.

Human Rights Day 2009 is this Thursday!  The focus this year will be on non-discrimination.  Specifically, the main objection will be the promotion of discrimination-free societies throughout the world.  Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated the following, “Discrimination lies at the roots of many of the world’s most pressing human rights problems.  No country is immune from the scourge.  Eliminating discrimination is a duty of the highest order.”

On past Human Rights Day, the Secretary of State gave a speech highlighting the ideals of the day.   A similar speech this year would be the perfect occasion to promote American support of the United Nations’ Treaty CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women).  As the title suggests, this treaty focuses on eliminating discrimination against women on an international level.  This fits perfectly with this year’s Human Rights Day theme of non-discrimination.  Additionally, CEDAW’s 30th anniversary is next week, making the topic even more timely for the Secretary of State’s speech.

CEDAW was passed by the UN General Assembly in 1970 and was signed by President Carter in 1980.  However, the US has failed to ratify CEDAW and is keeping company with known human rights violators such as Sudan, Somalia, and Iran.  The speech on Human Rights Day is the perfect opportunity for the US to express our support for CEDAW and that we are willing to work towards ratification.

For more information on Human Rights Day, click here.

For more information on CEDAW, click here.

In a monumental effort to raise the status of women, Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn have authored a book titled, "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide." One of the many goals of the book is to end discrimination against women and release them into society so they can make valuable economic contributions and ameliorate global poverty. Kristof and WuDunn argue that the greatest unexploited resource in the world are the women and girls. The book can be bought on September 8th. It details women's stories of success after receving microfinance loans and being given the opportunity to contribute to the economy.

You can buy the book HERE

To learn more about the work Citizens for Global Solutions is doing to help women around the world, CLICK HERE

"There's a growing recognition among everyone from the World Bank to the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff to aid organizations like CARE that focusing on women and girls is the most effective way to fight global poverty and extremism. That's why foreign aid is increasingly directed to women. The world is awakening to a powerful truth: Women and girls aren't the problem; they're the solution."

A terrific article was published August 17th, 2009 in the New York Times by Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.  The article focuses on the importance of empowering women in the developing world.

Photo Courtesy of the U.N.

Yesterday the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Susan Rice, delivered a strong and promising speech on the U.S.’s position towards the United Nations and global cooperation. Many of her statements reflected progress on issues that we at Citizens for Global Solutions have been working hard to further.

Rice commended U.N. operations that have helped to rebuild shattered societies, including missions in Haiti where deadly gangs have been defeated and local police have been trained, and missions in Congo that have allowed the first democratic elections in the country to be held. Promising to improve U.S. support to U.N. peacekeeping, Rice pledged more U.S. military staff officers, military observers, civilian police, and other civilian personnel.

Working towards nuclear non-proliferation, Rice recalled U.S. work to have the Security Council condemn North Korea’s nuclear weapons tests, and ongoing efforts to constructively engage Iran in the non-proliferation process. She also said that the U.S. is aiming to achieve a successful NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty] Review Conference next year.

Referring to the U.S.’s new seat on the Human Rights Council- another action we have championed-  Rice acknowledged the need for the U.S. to be involved with such institutions to increase their effectiveness and scope, and to help address their shortcomings.

Elaborating on other causes that we support, Rice said, “We no longer oppose mentions of… the International Criminal Court. We no longer balk at… the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women [CEDAW]. And we’re forging a new path on climate change commensurate with our global responsibilities.” She also mentioned the importance of the U.S. paying its dues to the U.N., and noted that the U.S. cleared its accumulated debt to the U.N. earlier this year through Congress- a goal that we pushed hard to achieve.

Rice neatly summarized our philosophy here at Citizens for Global Solutions: “We face an extraordinary array of global challenges: poorly guarded nuclear weapons and material, a global financial meltdown, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Iran and North Korea building their nuclear weapons capabilities, al-Qaeda and its affiliates, genocide and mass atrocities, cyber attacks on our digital infrastructure, international crime and drug trafficking, pandemics, and a climate that is warming by the day. These are transnational security threats that cross national borders as freely as a storm. By definition, they cannot be tackled by any one country alone.”

Read the speech here

The White House released its list of treaty priorities for the 111th Congress last week. Here is the complete list of treaties that the administration supports immediate action on:

Comprehensive Nuclear- Test-Ban Treaty, done at New York September 10, 1996 and signed by the United States on September 24, 1996 (Treaty Doc. 105-28); submitted to the Senate on September 23, 1997.

Treaty with Australia Concerning Defense Trade Cooperation, done at Sydney September 5,2007 (Treaty Doc. 110-10); submitted to the Senate on December 3, 2007.

Treaty with the United Kingdom Concerning Defense Trade Cooperation, done at Washington and London on June 21 and 26, 2007 (Treaty Doc. 110-7); submitted to the Senate on September 20,2007.

Annex VI on Liability Arising From Environmental Emergencies to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, adopted on June 14, 2005 (Treaty Doc. 111-2); submitted to the Senate on April 2, 2009.

Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, done at Canberra on June 19,2001 (Treaty Doc. 110-22); submitted to the Senate on September 26,2008.

International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, adopted on November 3,2001 and signed by the United States on November 3, 2002 (Treaty Doc. 110-19); submitted to the Senate on July 7, 2008.

1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972. Done at London November 7, 1996; signed by the United States on March 31, 1998 (Treaty Doc. 110-5); submitted to the Senate on September 4, 2007.

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, done at Stockholm May 22, 2001 and signed by the United States on May 23, 2001 (Treaty Doc. 107-5); submitted to the Senate on May 7, 2002.

Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, done at Rotterdam September 10, 1998 and signed by the United States on September 11,1998 (Treaty Doc. 106-21); submitted to the Senate on February 9, 2000.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, done at New York December 18, 1979 and signed by the United States on July 17, 1980 (Treaty Doc. Ex. R, 96th Cong., 2nd Sess.); submitted to the Senate on November 12, 1980.

Treaty between the United States and Rwanda Concerning the Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of Investment, signed at Kigali on February 19,2008 (Treaty Doc. 110-23); submitted to the Senate on November 20,2008.

Convention between the United States and Malta for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income, done at Valletta August 8, 2008 (Treaty Doc. 1I I-I); submitted to the Senate on January 15,2009.

International Labor Organization Convention No. 111 Concerning Discrimination in Respect of Employment and Occupation, adopted by the International Labor Conference at its 42nd Session held at Geneva on June 25, 1958 (Treaty Doc. 105-45); submitted to the Senate on May 18, 1998.

Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and other Related Materials, done at Washington November 13, 1997 and signed by the United States on November 14, 1997 (Treaty Doc. 105-49); submitted to the Senate on June 9, 1998.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, done at Montego Bay December 10, 1982 (the "Convention") and the Agreement relating to Implementation of Part XI of the Convention, done at New York July 28, 1994 (the "Agreement"); Agreement signed by the United States on July 29, 1994 (Treaty Doc. 103-39); submitted to the Senate on October 7, 1994.

Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, done at New York December 9, 1994 and signed by the United States on December 19, 1994 (Treaty Doc. 107-1); submitted to the Senate on January 3, 2001.

Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance, adopted at The Hague on November 23, 2007, and signed by the United States on that same date (Treaty Doc. 110-21); submitted to the Senate on September 8, 2008

Citizens for Global Solutions was excited to see that three treaties that we have been lobbying for are included in this list. Ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) would be a huge step forward for America's leadership internationally.

To read the entire priority list, click here.

What do Sudan, Somalia, Iran, and the United States have in common? They are just a few of the states that have yet to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women [CEDAW]. The United States remains the only developed nation in the world to not have ratified CEDAW. The state to ratify CEDAW most recently was Qatar. On April 26, 2009, Qatar ratified CEDAW without any reservations to the Convention. This Convention is necessary for the promotion of the rights of women and girls throughout the world. Ratification would give the United States leverage and positive influence in the field of international women's rights. U.S. criticism of human rights abusers can be rejected because the U.S. has not ratified this fundamental human rights treaty. The time to ratify is now because the support is there! When Vice President Biden was Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee he was one of the leading proponents of the treaty. President Barack Obama has expressed his support for treaty ratification. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is even quoted as saying, "The CEDAW treaty [is] the most authoritative UN negotiated treaty to protect women around the world from discrimination. The United States signed this agreement in 1980. It is past time that we became a party to this convention." It is almost 30 years since President Jimmy Carter signed the Convention, let's not let it go any longer without being ratified.