Appendix I REVISED DRAFT OPTIONAL PROTOCOL SUBMITTED BY THE CHAIRPERSON ON THE BASIS OF THE COMPILATION TEXT CONTAINED IN THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN ON ITS FORTY-FIRST SESSION (E/1997/27) AND PROPOSALS MADE BY THE COMMISSION AT ITS FORTY-SECOND SESSION [The States Parties to this Protocol, Noting that the Charter of the United Nations reaffirms faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of women and men, Noting that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind, including distinction based on sex, Recalling that the international covenants on human rights and other international human rights instruments prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, Recalling also the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, in which States Parties condemn discrimination against women in all its forms and agree to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating discrimination against women, Reaffirming their determination to ensure the full and equal enjoyment by women of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and to take effective action to prevent violations of these rights and freedoms, [Recalling also that the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action reaffirms that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated,] [Recalling that the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action calls for the introduction of a right to petition through the preparation of an optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,] [Recalling also that the Beijing Platform for Action urges that such a protocol enter into force as soon as possible,]] Have agreed as follows: Article 1 [A State Party to the present Protocol recognizes the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications [submitted in accordance with article 2].] -79-