A/HRC/4/34
page 7
the Campaign to Combat Violence against Women of the Council of Europe, which took place
on 27 November in Madrid, I delivered a keynote address on changing attitudes to combat
violence against women. Later that month, I spoke at a public event on honour-related violence
held in Amsterdam at the invitation of the Royal Tropical Institute.
E. Communications with Governments and press releases
12.
In the period from 1 January through 1 December 2006, I sent 78 communications
bringing alleged human rights violations to the attention of Governments. Thirty-one of these
communications were joint urgent appeals, 44 were joint letters of allegation and 3 were letters
of allegation sent by my mandate alone. As of 1 December 2006, only 36 government replies to
these communications had been received. A comprehensive analysis of these communications,
including an indication of international trends emerging from these communications, can be
found in addendum 1.
13.
I also issued several press releases during the period under review to commemorate
significant days. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, 8 March, I issued a joint
statement with the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing calling on the
international community to ensure that women’s advances in decision-making are sustained and
irreversible. In this context, we highlighted that in emergency response efforts following natural
disasters women often find themselves not only disproportionately affected but often excluded
from meaningful participation in emergency decision-making structures. As a result, the
indiscriminate forces of nature typically have a disproportionately negative effect on women’s
human rights.3
14.
On the occasion of the International Day on the Elimination of Violence against
Women, 25 November, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur on
the human rights of migrants and I jointly called on States to ensure that women can migrate
without having to fear violence.4
15.
In a joint statement with other mandate holders for Human Rights Day, 10 December, I
expressed my conviction that any successful effort to eradicate poverty must advocate for the full
respect of all human rights and stressed that eliminating poverty will greatly contribute to efforts
to protect and promote human rights and human dignity. In this context, we expressed particular
concern about the heightened effects of poverty on women around the world.
3
Statement available at: http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/
F2D3BBEA68E45D4AC125712A005A7FDC?opendocument.
4
Statement available at: http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/
5B561B840D2B5CB5C125723000627FE9?OpenDocument.
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents