A/RES/55/78
Reaffirming the equal rights of women and men as enshrined, inter alia, in the
Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations, the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women 4 and the Convention on the Rights of
the Child, 5
Reaffirming also the political declaration 6 and further actions and initiatives to
implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 7 adopted by the General
Assembly at its twenty-third special session, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality,
development and peace for the twenty-first century”,
Reaffirming further the Dakar Framework for Action adopted at the World
Education Forum, 8
1.
Stresses the need for full and urgent implementation of the rights of the
girl child as guaranteed to her under all human rights instruments, including the
Convention on the Rights of the Child 5 and the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women,4 as well as the need for universal
ratification of those instruments;
2.
Urges States to consider signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to
the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; 9
3.
Welcomes the adoption of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on
the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict10 and on the
sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, 11 and invites States to
consider signing and ratifying the Optional Protocols as a matter of priority with a
view to their entry into force as soon as possible;
4.
Also welcomes the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative launched
by the Secretary-General at the World Education Forum;
5.
Urges all Governments and the United Nations system to strengthen
efforts bilaterally and with international organizations and private sector donors in
order to achieve the goals of the World Education Forum, in particular that of
eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and for
the implementation of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative as a means of
reaching this goal, and reaffirms the commitment contained in the United Nations
Millennium Declaration; 12
6.
Calls upon all States to take measures to address the obstacles that
continue to affect the achievement of the goals set forth in the Beijing Platform for
Action, 13 as contained in paragraph 33 of the further actions and initiatives to
implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 7 where appropriate,
including the strengthening of national mechanisms to implement policies and
4
Resolution 34/180, annex.
Resolution 44/25, annex.
6
Resolution S-23/2, annex.
7
Resolution S-23/3, annex.
8
See Final Report of the World Education Forum, Dakar, Senegal, 26–28 April 2000, United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Paris, 2000.
9
Resolution 54/4, annex.
10
Resolution 54/263, annex I.
11
Ibid., annex II.
12
See resolution 55/2.
13
Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations
publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
5
2