International experts will review Taiwan's second national report on its implementation of the United Nations' (UN) Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) from June 23 to June 26 at Howard Civil Service International House in Taipei.
The report, completed by the Executive Yuan in December 2013, demonstrates Taiwan's progress and performance from 2009 to 2012 in promoting women's rights by establishing gender equality mechanisms, formulating relevant rules and regulations, and facilitating participation in politics, public affairs, and international organizations, as well as in the fields of personal safety, education, work, health, welfare, family and marriage, and laws.
Although Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations, President Chen Shui-bian signed the nation's application for entry into the CEDAW in 2007 to improve the protection of Taiwanese women's rights and bring the nation's practices in line with those of the international human rights mechanism. Though the UN failed to accept Taiwan's application, the government promulgated the Enforcement Act of CEDAW in 2011 and implemented it the next year, allowing all terms and conditions specified in the Convention to have the same effect as domestic laws and showcasing Taiwan's determination to safeguard women's rights.
The agenda of the review meeting takes reference from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women's procedures for reviewing national reports. Five foreign experts on women's rights will come to Taiwan to examine the report and have dialogue with government officials and representatives from non-governmental organizations to deepen their understanding of the nation's domestic situation.
On the morning of the last day of the conference (June 26), the five CEDAW experts will hold a press conference to announce their feedback on Taiwan's national report and make suggestions on how to enhance the country's women's rights protection. The CEDAW report review process is expected to build a platform for international dialogue and establish a national reporting mechanism to further bring Taiwan's women's rights in line with international standards, officials said.
Apart from the review committee's closed sessions, all other sessions in the conference will have simultaneous interpretation and sign language services. An observation room equipped with audio and video facilities is available for the public to witness the open sessions. In addition, the conference's bilingual website (http://www.twcedaw2014.org) will broadcast the conference live for those who are not registered for the event. The website will also offer related information and event photographs to the public for three months.
Journalists are welcome to enter the observation room or watch the online broadcast June 23 through 25 and to attend the review committee's press conference on June 26, which will include a question and answer session. For detailed schedules and other information, please visit the Chinese-language website of the Executive Yuan's Gender Equality Committee (http://www.gec.gov.tw) or the conference's bilingual website (http://www.twcedaw2014.org).