Two-thirds of UN Member States Sponsor Anti-Israel Resolution On Women's Rights, Ignore Women in All Other States

At a meeting of the UN's top women's rights body, 133 of 193 UN member states have backed a move that would condemn only one country in the world for violating women's rights - Israel. The action comes in the form of a resolution of the UN's Commission on the Status of Women, introduced by Ecuador on March 22, 2017. Ecuador is acting on behalf of a coalition of developing countries known as the "Group of 77 and China." No resolution or expression of concern has been, or will be, introduced on any other country. Nothing on the mass enslavement of Yazidi women by ISIS or the repression of women in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia. The resolution is scheduled for a vote on March 24, 2017, where it is expected to be overwhelmingly endorsed.

In Ecuador's words:

"On behalf of the Group of 77 and China, it gives me pleasure to introduce the draft resolution E/CN.6/2017/L.3, entitled 'The Situation of and Assistance to Palestinian Women.' As has been emphasized in the Secretary-General's report, the dire humanitarian and socioeconomic crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, have significantly affected Palestinian women in the most detrimental way. The continuing difficulties faced by Palestinian women, and the need to provide them with assistance in overcoming the obstacles to their development and advancement are essential to this draft resolution.

The draft resolution contains 20 preamble paragraphs and 9 operative paragraphs. These paragraphs are identical to the ones contained in last year's resolution, with only 2 technical changes regarding the date in the early part of preamble and the last OP on the Secretary-General to report to the next CSW session.

The resolution includes paragraphs that express grave concern about the disastrous situation of Palestinian women in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, with regard to the advancement, self-reliance and integration into the development in their society. Further, the draft includes a paragraph urging the international community to continue to provide urgently needed assistance and services, bearing in mind the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and national priorities to alleviate the humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian women and their families, in particular, for addressing the humanitarian and socioeconomic crisis, and the immense reconstruction and recovery needs in the Gaza Strip and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions.

The draft also, inter alia, requests the Commission of the Status of Women to continue to monitor and to take action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, the Beijing Platform for Action, and the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly. It also requests the Secretary-General of the United Nations to continue to review the situation to assist the Palestinian women by all available means and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women in its 62nd session a report on progress made on the implementation of the present resolution.

Mr. Chair, we look forward to the adoption of this draft resolution by consensus, with a strong hope that it will contribute to the alleviation of the hardships that Palestinian women are confronted with, and will also contribute towards the overall advancement and empowerment.

Thank you."