OSCE Centre in Astana supports efforts to eliminate discrimination against women

ALMATY, 23 September 2010 - A two-day roundtable meeting co-organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana to discuss the implementation, monitoring and reporting on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women started in Almaty today.

The event brings together some 40 representatives of different government ministries, the National Human Rights Centre and the National Commission on Women and Family Policy, as well as different non-governmental and international organizations.

Meeting participants will discuss achievements and challenges in the field protection and promotion of women's rights. The meeting is held ahead of Kazakhstan's 2011 report to the U.N. Committee that oversees implementation of the Convention. The OSCE Centre in the past year has supported a project to monitor the implementation of the Committee's recommendations. A brochure on monitoring and reporting on women's rights, prepared by local non-governmental organizations, will be presented at the roundtable.

"This meeting strengthens partnerships between the civil society and the government and promotes exchange of information. Monitoring is crucial for assessing the level of human rights implementation and it fosters broad participation and dialogue," said Ambassador Alexandre Keltchewsky, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana.

The OSCE Centre in Astana organized the meeting together with the National Human Rights Centre and the National Commission on Women and Family Policy under the President of Kazakhstan, UNIFEM and the civil society group Feminist League.