A/RES/57/178 Recalling that, in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, 6 heads of State and Government resolved to implement the Convention, Recognizing that the equal enjoyment by women of all human rights will promote the realization of the rights of the child, bearing in mind the special needs of girls, and acknowledging the mutual reinforcement of the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child 7 and the Optional Protocols thereto, 8 Welcoming the progress made in the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, but expressing concern about the remaining challenges, Welcoming also the growing number of States parties to the Convention, which now stands at one hundred and seventy, Welcoming further the entry into force on 22 December 2000 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Bearing in mind the recommendation of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women that national reports should contain information on the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, 9 in accordance with paragraph 323 of the Platform, Having considered the report of the Committee on its twenty-sixth and twentyseventh sessions, 10 Expressing concern at the great number of reports that are overdue and that continue to be overdue, in particular initial reports, which constitutes an obstacle to the full implementation of the Convention, 1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General 11 on the status of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; 4 2. Expresses disappointment that universal ratification of the Convention was not achieved by 2000, and urges all States that have not yet ratified or acceded to the Convention to do so; 3. Emphasizes the importance of full compliance by States parties with their obligations under the Convention and the Optional Protocol thereto;5 4. Welcomes the rapidly growing number of States parties to the Optional Protocol, which now stands at forty-nine, and urges other States parties to the Convention to consider signing and ratifying or acceding to the Optional Protocol; 5. Also welcomes the holding and successful outcome of the first informal meeting of States parties, held in New York on 17 June 2002; _______________ 6 See resolution 55/2. Resolution 44/25, annex. 8 Resolution 54/263, annexes I and II. 9 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. 10 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 38 (A/57/38). 11 A/57/406 and Corr.1. 7 2