The fifty-first session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place from 26 February to 9 March 2007 in New York at UN Headquarters.

In accordance with its multi-year programme of work for 2007-2009, the CSW will consider “The elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child” as its priority theme.  

This UN gathering is a unique political opportunity for the global community to reaffirm:

• the commitments enshrined in the Beijing Platform for Action
• the ICPD Programme of Action
• the Millennium Development Goals
• the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

It is also an opportunity to address the gap between the rhetoric of the numerous commitments made to eradicate gender based violence by the international community and the reality facing women and girls around the world.

It also presents an opportunity for Member State governments to:

• reaffirm the right of women and girls to exercise their fundamental right to sexual and reproductive health and rights without fear or coercion
• reaffirm their commitment to anti-violence efforts through the eradication of gender discrimination in education as outlined in Millennium Development Goal 3

This UN Commission meets every year and works to enable governments to review progress in reaching agreed targets.

It also works to develop new areas of policy or update old areas.

Below you will find IPPF’s statement in relation to the priority theme of this year’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).