Sunday, March 13, 2011

...the UN resolution

UN body adopts PHL resolution empowering women in climate policies

A key body of the United Nations (UN) has adopted a ground-breaking, Philippine-initiated resolution on gender equality and climate change.

The UN's Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) adopted the resolution by consensus during its 55th Session last March 4.

The resolution titled “Mainstreaming Gender Equality and Promoting Empowerment of Women in Climate Policies and Strategies" stresses the need to ensure women’s effective participation in environmental decision-making at all levels.

The Philippine Mission to the UN said in a news release posted on its website: “Fifty-three states co-sponsored the Philippine resolution, namely: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, the Central African Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, the Gambia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, the Niger, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,"

The Philippine resolution contains 12 action points, including a call on nation-states to integrate a gender perspective into their environmental and climate change policies, and to strengthen mechanisms and provide adequate resources to ensure women’s full and equal participation in decision-making at all levels on environmental issues.

It also highlights the need to integrate women concerns and gender equality perspectives in sustainable development policies and programs.

The resolution calls for all nations to facilitate and ensure women’s effective participation in the crafting and implementation of climate change policies, strategies and programs – particularly those related to the impact of climate change on the lives of women and girls.

Women ‘most vulnerable to climate change’

In formally introducing the Philippine resolution to the CSW, Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Libran Cabactulan said “the effects of climate change will be felt most acutely by those segments of the population that are already vulnerable owing to geography, gender, age, indigenous or minority status and disability."

“As an archipelagic state with a largely agricultural and rural population, and as a country beset by numerous natural disasters, the Philippines knows this first hand," Cabactulan said.

He added women are among the most vulnerable to climate change.

“In many countries, they make up a larger share of the agricultural workforce and they tend to have less access to income-earning opportunities than men. Women manage households and care for family members, which often limits their mobility and increases their vulnerability to sudden weather-related natural disasters," he said.

Cabactulan said the Philippines has implemented policies that seek to bring economic growth and development to all sectors of our society.

However, he said climate change "is a challenge that urgently calls for greater global cooperation." – MRT/VS, GMA News

No comments:

Post a Comment