On the occasion of International Women's Day on March 8, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) seeks to inform the international community of Taiwan's work in upholding and promoting women's rights. In 2019, MOFA assisted students and faculty from National Chengchi University, as well as members of the NGO Tainan City Shuijiaoshe Cultural Association, to form a delegation to attend the 63rd NGO CSW63 Forum and the US National Model United Nations Conference from March 13 to 28 in New York, United States.
These major international meetings are an opportunity both to publicize the results of Taiwan's efforts in promoting women's rights and to engage with other countries on current international issues. MOFA hopes these meetings encourage the development of a more international outlook among Taiwan's students while also helping them acquire negotiating skills.
Organized by the NGO Committee on the Status of Women (NGO CSW), the NGO CSW Forum is held every March in New York to coincide with the annual session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW). The draft agreed conclusions released by the UN CSW on January 30 reiterate that these fora are a means of encouraging governments to strengthen social protections and provide accessible and sustainable public services and infrastructure in accordance with such important international human rights treaties as the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The purpose of such initiatives, in turn, is to realize the goals of gender equality and of meaningful and equal rights and freedoms for women as set out in Articles 11 through 14 of CEDAW.
In addition, on March 4, 2019, MOFA established a Human Rights Task Force whose mission includes the promotion of cooperation and exchanges on international human rights issues, publicity initiatives, and collection of relevant information and case studies. Women's rights issues will also come under the purview of this Task Force, which will have a significant role in promoting human rights diplomacy. For related information, please consult the MOFA website at http://www.mofa.gov.tw.
#NGO CSW63 Forum
#UN CSW63 draft agreed conclusions
#Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
#Ministry of Foreign Affairs Human Rights Task Force