By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, March 15 -- At the stated deadline for the Commission on the Status of Women talks, on Thursday night countries ranging from Switzerland to Syria, the United States to the African Group, made final proposals on issues ranging from gay and lesbian rights to the International Criminal Court.
Sources told Inner City Press that the deadline might be extended because of “desperation” to have an outcome document, unlike last CSW.
But issues like the ICC and gay rights rarely breed consensus in the UN. Inner City Press has obtained and is now putting online the draft, the ICC proposals, and other last minute proposals.
These include Switzerland proposing “the Commission urges States to strongly condemn violence against women and girls committed in armed conflict and post-conflict situations.”
To this, Syria proposes to add “foreign occupation,” i.e.Palestine. Israel and the US are sure to like it.
The US and South Africa propose that “the Commission recognizes the vulnerability and the serious risk of violence women face because of their ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Norway is on “sexual and reproductive health.” The EU and Cuba are dueling over what the media should do, and which media.
The African Group has an international justice paragraph that, unlike Liechtenstein's and others', does not mention the International Criminal Court. And so it goes at the UN. Watch this site.
