UN RATIFIES NEW WOMEN’S RIGHTS AGENCY
Sep 16th, 2009 by admin
The creation of a new single body to defend the rights of women and promote gender equality worldwide was approved by the United Nations General Assembly on Monday. The resolution will merge four existing agencies: the UN Development Fund for Women, the Division for the Advancement of Women, the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women. The new entity is expected to have a budget of around one billion US dollars and will be a more powerful voice for women’s rights, according to the British development minister Gareth Thomas. The General Assembly’s decision came after a tense weekend during which Egypt, Cuba, Sudan and Iran – all with a poor record on gender issues – campaigned against the proposal.
