June 20-23rd, 2014 (Dallas, Texas)

Source: http://www.usmayors.org/resolutions/82nd_Conference/csj18.asp

IN SUPPORT OF CITIES FOR CEDAW INITIATIVE AND ENCOURAGING CITIES TO IMPLEMENT THE PRINCIPLES OF THE UN CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN

WHEREAS, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 1979, became an international treaty as of September 3, 1981, and 186 UN member nations, have agreed to be bound by CEDAW’s provisions; and

WHEREAS, CEDAW provides a comprehensive framework for governments to examine their policies and practices in relation to women and girls and to rectify discrimination based on sex against half the world’s population; and

WHEREAS, although women have made major gains in the struggle for equality in most fields, much more needs to be accomplished to fully eradicate discrimination based on sex and to achieve one of the most basic human rights, equality; and

WHEREAS, the United States is the only industrialized nation to not yet ratify CEDAW; and

WHEREAS, it has been almost 40 years since the first UN World Conference on Women and almost 20 years since the historic Beijing Platform for Action; and

WHEREAS, CEDAW has proven effective in many nations as a mechanism to advance gender equality, and

WHEREAS, many communities and states have called for ratification of CEDAW by the United States Congress, and

WHEREAS, San Francisco became the first city in the world to adopt an ordinance reflecting the principles of CEDAW in 1998; and Los Angeles followed in 2004; and

WHEREAS, Cities for CEDAW was launched at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in March 2014; and

WHEREAS, a local CEDAW resolution or ordinance seeks three standards; a gender analysis of city departments and commissions, an oversight body to ensure that appropriate and timely actions are taken; and funding to support the implementation of the principles of CEDAW; and

WHEREAS, city and county governments have an appropriate and legitimate role in affirming the importance of international law in communities as universal norms and to serve as guides for public policy,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges cities across the United States to join San Francisco and Los Angeles, participate in the Cities for CEDAW initiative, and pass local resolutions or ordinances reflecting the principles of CEDAW.