Crowd burns down sex workers homes in Sitamari, Bihar
April 23, 2008 
Dear All,
You must be already aware about the gruesome, inhuman incident happened in the Sitamari of the Muzaffar district of Bihar, on 15th of April where armed hooligans torched down a sex work site and it was shocking to know that the police & the local administration were awfully found to take the back seat of mere spectators just to watch the barbaric act.
The brutal act has not only rendered around 250 sex workers and their families homeless, but some are found to have succumbed to death by this inhuman destruction spree. Three children of sex workers were reported to have died and many injured by this nefarious act. The bodies of the deceased were even reported to lie unattained. The police instead of nabbing the perpetrators allegedly arrested some of the sex workers and detained them in custody.
We at DMSC strongly oppose to this barbaric act and press for an immediate enquiry at every possible level starting from Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Women, to find the fact and to bring the culprits to the book. A 15 member squad comprising of sex workers and program officers have already been sent to Bihar to render required assistance to the helpless sex workers of Sitamari and to reinforce the advocacy with the local administration to bring justice to the sex workers . The team already met with the Superntendent of Police and today they are supposed to meet with the CM of Bihar.
We are also going to organize a Protest Rally in Kolkata tomorrow, 23.04.08 at 5.00PM to mark a strong protest against this heinous incident and will call for a nationwide campaign to force the administration of Bihar to take appropriate legal actions against the miscreants found guilty.
We also urge you to all to raise your voice against these state-sponsored atrocities perpetrated on the innocent sex workers of Sitamari.
In solidarity,
A Castro Strives to Open Cuban’s Opinions on Sex
April 22, 2008 
TWENTY or so transsexuals sat in a circle recently discussing their woes: harassment, boyfriend troubles, the challenge of removing hair from their legs. Empathizing with them was Mariela Castro Espín, Cuba’s premier sexologist.
“I know, I know,” she said, putting her hand on one of her own legs to show she could relate.
Then the conversation took an interesting turn. The transsexuals, who are receiving training as AIDS counselors at the National Center for Sexual Education, which Ms. Castro directs, brought up sexual liaisons some of them had had with soldiers. Maybe counseling in the barracks was needed, the transsexuals said.
Ms. Castro smiled, raised her eyebrows but did not dismiss the suggestion out of hand. Homosexuality is illegal in Cuba’s military. In fact, some Cubans have avoided military service altogether by claiming to be gay.
Making the proposal even more delicate, everyone in the circle knows, is the fact that Ms. Castro, 44, is the daughter of Raúl Castro, the commander of Cuba’s armed forces and, with the recent health problems of his brother, Fidel, the temporary leader of the government.
Despite Ms. Castro’s pedigree in Cuba’s most famous family, however, no one seems to hold his — or her — tongue around her. While her father is known for his strait-laced bearing, Ms. Castro has a more down-to-earth air. A mother of three who is married to an Italian photographer, she speaks of topics that might make others blush.
“Sexuality does not just have a reproductive function,” she declared in an interview on the front porch of a Havana mansion, where the center is located, noting that sex is also about love and pleasure and discovery and experiment. “Human beings are much more diverse than we think.”
CUBA, like many islands around the Caribbean, is a sexually liberal place where relationships out of wedlock are commonplace and taboos seem to be few, but only within heterosexual relationships. Homosexuality, transvestitism and transsexuality, however, are another matter.
Historically, Cuba’s gays have experienced the wrath of the government, with many sent off to labor camps. The climate has greatly improved in recent years, most seem to agree. Still, transvestites and transsexuals continue to complain of police harassment, and those with AIDS remain stigmatized, making prevention programs a challenge.
“I suggest you take a stroll on La Rampa to see how freely people express their sexual orientation,” Ms. Castro said, mentioning a popular gathering spot for gays in Havana. “This doesn’t mean we don’t have to work in the political arena and in the education of all of society.”
Ms. Castro said she felt no pressure to enter the family business of politics. She studied psychology in college, she said, and is now on the forefront of Cuba’s effort to make sex, in all its variety, as natural a discussion topic as it is a physical act. Her center helped produce a soap opera on state television last year featuring a married man who discovered he was attracted to other men. It was hugely popular.
Ms. Castro, who is writing her Ph.D. dissertation on transvestitism, is also pushing for an overhaul of Cuban laws so that, among other things, the government health care system covers surgery for transsexuals and that new official identification documents are issued after the operation.
Already, a government panel reviews individual cases of those wishing to change their sex and refers some transsexuals to therapy and hormone treatment. Currently, 26 transsexuals have been approved for treatment by the committee, with another 50 under review, Ms. Castro said.
She recalled several years ago her discomfort when some transvestites and transsexuals first approached her at the center to raise their difficulties with the authorities. “At the beginning, I didn’t understand them,” she said.
But the more she listened, the more she began to believe that Cuba’s Communist state, in which she is a committed believer, ought to accept transvestites and transsexuals as comrades along with everyone else.
NO sex-related topic is off limits in the center’s publication, Sexology and Society, which features artwork and poetry with sexual themes and academic articles dealing with subjects like gay bashing, domestic violence and hormone therapy for transsexuals.
Her magazine publishes research from scientists around the world regardless of their nations’ relations with Cuba. That means American sex research sometimes finds its way onto the pages of Sexology and Society.
Ms. Castro attended a sexology conference in California several years ago, which was her only trip to the United States. A return trip seems unlikely any time soon, though, she said with a smile and a shrug, since she cannot get a visa.
Ms. Castro, who has two sisters and a brother, insists her family name “doesn’t help me at all.” To the contrary, she said, when she has tried to work with the Cuban military, commanders were so concerned about nepotism that they were uncooperative.
But Ms. Castro acknowledges that she has access to the very top of Cuba’s bureaucracy, which certainly does not hurt in pressing her agenda.
She said she puts a copy of her center’s magazine on her father’s bedside table and briefs him on her work whenever she can. “He has told me he supports me, that he supports the personal rights of homosexuals,” she said of her father, who is 75 and spent his life as a military man. “He always says go slowly, though, so you don’t build walls.”
Making the case to her uncle, Fidel, has been even more of a challenge. He is known for firing back questions at those briefing him and expecting knowledgeable answers. “I was terrified he would ask me something I didn’t know,” she said.
Now she gives him informal briefings whenever she can. He is a busy man, though, she said, so getting an audience is not easy.
Ms. Castro views her work as a continuation of that of her mother, Vilma Espín, who has been the head of the Cuban Women’s Federation for nearly half a century. The sexual education center, like just nearly every other group in Cuba, is part of the government bureaucracy. But Ms. Castro said she participated in politics as an everyday citizen, not as the niece of El Commandante, whom she recently described as being in “stupendous” condition.
Despite her government’s restrictions on political speech, Ms. Castro is an outspoken advocate for more open sexual discourse. The more young people learn about sexuality, she contends, the less they will pick up from the streets. And politicians, too, need to be briefed on the topic, she said, to lead to more enlightened public policy.
“If you suppress things, they will become hidden,” she said. “It has been proven in scientific research in Cuba and other countries that the more education you give adolescents and adults, the more people are free to make their own decisions.”
The Quiet Scandal of 10 Million Deaths
April 17, 2008 
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 2 (IPS) – A global coalition of governments and
organisations has launched a new campaign to drastically improve pre- and
post-natal healthcare in places like India, which alone accounts for a
staggering 25 percent of the world’s child deaths and 20 percent of maternal deaths.
Called “Deliver Now” — a reference to the pledge made by 189 world leaders
meeting at the United Nations seven years ago to reduce child deaths by
two-thirds and maternal deaths by three-quarters by 2015, among other goals –
it brings together local government agencies, civil society, media and others to
allocate existing health resources more effectively.
Halfway toward the deadline to achieve the so-called Millennium Development
Goals, more than 10 million mothers and children still die every year, mostly
from preventable causes. Four million newborns die in their first four weeks of
their life, three million in the first week.
“The cause of women’s and children’s health has remained in the shadows for too
long and been neglected on the political agenda,” said Dr. Francisco Songane,
director of the partnership.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 42 percent of pregnant women
around the world experience a complication, of which 15 percent are
life-threatening. These problems mostly occur in developing countries: 95
percent of all maternal and newborn deaths worldwide occur in 75 countries in
Africa, Asia and Latin America.
According to recent research, at least 7 million of these deaths could be
prevented by expanding access to health systems.
These relatively simple measures include regular vaccinations, breastfeeding,
access to antibiotics and the help of a skilled birth attendant.
The first specific country programmes will start in 2008 in India and Tanzania,
which currently faces a critical shortage of qualified health workers to assist
during childbirth. Some 54 percent of women receive no skilled attendance; as a
result, a woman dies of pregnancy-related complications there every hour of
every day.
Besides Norway, France, Canada, Germany and Britain are also supporting the
campaign. More donor countries will become engaged.
Experts say that at least 9 billion dollars a year is needed to meet the basic
health care needs of women and children. As of 2004, only 2 billion dollars –
less than a quarter of what is needed — was available to support such services
in developing countries.
Good health also requires a sound environment and commitment to upholding
women’s fundamental rights.
Sexual Frustration Will Hurt Asia’s Economies
By William Pesek
Nov. 2 (Bloomberg) — “The Geopolitics of Sexual Frustration.” That’s how Martin Walker, a senior fellow at the New School University of New York, refers to an underappreciated risk to Asia’s economic outlook.
French demographer Christophe Guilmoto calls it “masculinization.” Others put it more bluntly: “The Penis Preference.”
No matter what one calls it, the desire for sons in China, India and other Asian economies is causing a dangerous gender gap. In China, for example, 120 boys were born for every 100 girls in 2005, according to a new United Nations report. This growing testosterone glut is something investors making long-term bets on Asia should be monitoring, and closely.
“Sex ratio imbalances only lead to far-reaching imbalances in society,” Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, head of the UN Population Fund, said in Hyderabad, India, on Oct. 29. “We must carry forward the message that every human being is born equal in dignity, worth and human rights.”
Tell that to the ever-growing numbers of families from Beijing to New Delhi and from Hanoi to Kathmandu actively avoiding the birth of daughters. It’s a cultural phenomenon governments have yet to address sufficiently and one that could have unexpected economic side effects.
The preference for boys often boils down to economics. Sons tend to support parents in their old age, while daughters are often seen as a liability. Families sometimes need to pay a dowry when daughters marry. In some cultures, sons perform last rites when parents die and continue the family name.
Reverse Darwinism
It’s a bit of Darwinism in reverse. Families are conducting a kind of unnatural selection process to get ahead economically. Yet hundreds of millions of households engaging in such an experiment may backfire on entire economies. Guilmoto, who wrote the UN report, says men will outnumber women by 23 million in India and by 26 million in China by 2030. Some estimates are even higher.
In the 1990s, economist Amartya Sen drew attention to the phenomenon of “missing women.” Improved census data now allow us to see how much the trend is growing and could undermine Asian growth, productivity and lead to bigger budget deficits. It might even lead to an increase in violence.
This latter risk was detailed in the 2004 book “Bare Branches: Security Implications of Asia’s Surplus Male Population.” In it, Valerie Hudson and Andrea den Boer warned that Asia’s shortage of women is giving rise to an entire generation of young men with no prospects of finding a mate. They argue that biology, sociology and history suggest the imbalance will lead to crime and social disorder.
Gender Gap
Farfetched, perhaps, yet the UN warns that the focus on sons in countries such as China, India, Nepal and Vietnam may fuel sexual violence and trafficking in women. The UN notes that if Asia’s overall sex ratio were the same as the rest of the globe, in 2005 the region would have had 163 million more females.
Here, China and India should be the largest concern for investors. Multinational companies are relying on increased consumer demand in the two most-populous nations. So are investors, who are betting on strong economic growth, rising productivity and an ample supply of increasingly skilled labor.
“To address the socio-economic basis for the preference for boys, both societies need to reduce the dependence of parents on their male children, while improving the economic standing of daughters,” says Jing Ulrich, chairman of China equities at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in Hong Kong. “This will require improvements in social security and policies to improve education and female participation in the workforce.”
Trafficking
One consequence of Chinese becoming richer may be more sex selection, not less. Improving ultrasound and amniocentesis technology is making it easier for parents to abort girls, and reports of female infanticide are becoming routine. The same is true of India; the wealthier the region, the wider the gender divide is likely to be.
What also concerns the UN is what all those single men will do with their desire for female companionship. Sadly, the real winner could be the human-trafficking business amid increased demand for prostitution and the outright purchase of mates.
China’s government is beginning to address the issue. Earlier this year, the Communist Party vowed to take “tough measures” to control the imbalance. Yet China needs to become more aggressive in tackling a problem that’s partly at the root of President Hu Jintao’s push for a “scientific outlook on development.”
Sexual Frustration
Hu wants to spread the benefits of China’s 11.5 percent growth. At the moment, the lack of safety nets — public help with education, health care and pensions — means that sons are the safety net. Having a boy is your retirement plan and until that changes, Chinese may welcome fewer and fewer daughters.
Among the biggest obstacles is the not-in-my-backyard dynamic that demographers confront in Asia. It’s recognition by parents that it’s important to have more girls — just as long as someone else has them. Breaking this NIMBY mindset will require tremendous political will and spending in the years ahead.
In Asia’s case, worsening sexual frustration may frustrate economic growth.
To contact the writer of this column: William Pesek in Tokyo at wpesek@bloomberg.net
DRAFT OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS Prepared by the Chairperson-Rapporteur 4 April 2008
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Prepared by the Chairperson-Rapporteur
4 April 2008
The States Parties to the present Protocol,
Considering that, in accordance with the principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Also 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, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status,
Recalling that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenants on Human Rights recognize that the ideal of free human beings enjoying freedom from fear and want can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights,
Reaffirming the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Considering that in order further to achieve the purposes of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (hereinafter referred to as the Covenant) and the implementation of its provisions it would be appropriate to enable the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) to carry out the functions provided for in the present protocol,
Recalling that each State Party to the Covenant undertakes to take steps, individually and through international assistance and cooperation, especially economic and technical, to the maximum of its available resources, with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of the rights recognized in the Covenant by all appropriate means, including particularly the adoption of legislative measures,
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
Competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications
1. A State Party to the Covenant that becomes a Party to the present Protocol recognizes the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications as provided for by the provisions of the present Protocol.
2. No communication shall be received by the Committee if it concerns a State Party to the Covenant which is not a Party to the present Protocol.
Article 2
Communications
1. Communications may be submitted by or on behalf of individuals or groups of individuals, under the jurisdiction of a State Party, claiming to be victim of a violation of any of the rights set forth in Parts II and III of the Covenant by that State Party. Where a communications is submitted on behalf of individuals or groups of individuals, this shall be with their consent unless the author can justify acting on their behalf without such consent.
Article 3
Admissibility
1. The Committee shall not consider a communication unless it has ascertained that all available domestic remedies have been exhausted. This shall not be the rule where the application of such remedies is unreasonably prolonged.
2. The Committee shall declare a communication inadmissible when:
(a) It is not submitted within one year after the exhaustion of domestic remedies, except in cases where the author can demonstrate that it had not been possible to submit the communication within that time limit;
(b) The facts that are the subject of the communication occurred prior to the entry into force of the present Protocol for the State Party concerned unless those facts continued after that date;
(c) The same matter has already been examined by the Committee or has been or is being examined under another procedure of international investigation or settlement;
(d) It is incompatible with the provisions of the Covenant;
(e) It is manifestly ill-founded, not sufficiently substantiated or exclusively based on reports disseminated by mass media;
(f) It is an abuse of the right to submit a communication; or when
(g) It is anonymous or not in writing.
Article 4
Communications not revealing a clear disadvantage
The Committee may, if necessary, decline to consider a communication where it does not reveal that the author has suffered a clear disadvantage, unless the Committee considers that the communication raises a serious issue of general importance.
Article 5
Interim measures
1. At any time after the receipt of a communication and before a determination on the merits has been reached, the Committee may transmit to the State Party concerned for its urgent consideration a request that the State Party take such interim measures as may be necessary in exceptional circumstances to avoid possible irreparable damage to the victim or victims of the alleged violations.
2. Where the Committee exercises its discretion under paragraph 1 of the present article, this does not imply a determination on admissibility or on the merits of the communication.
Article 6
Transmission of the communication
1. Unless the Committee considers a communication inadmissible without reference to the State Party concerned, the Committee shall bring any communication submitted to it under the present Protocol confidentially to the attention of the State Party concerned.
2. Within six months, the receiving State Party shall submit to the Committee written explanations or statements clarifying the matter and the remedy, if any, that may have been provided by that State Party.
Article 7
Friendly settlement
1. The Committee shall make available its good offices to the parties concerned with a view to reaching a friendly settlement of the matter on the basis of the respect for the obligations set forth in the Covenant.
2. An agreement on a friendly settlement closes consideration of the communication under the present Protocol.
Article 8
Examination of communications
1. The Committee shall examine communications received under article 2 of the present Protocol in the light of all documentation submitted to it, provided that this information is transmitted to the Parties concerned.
2. The Committee shall hold closed meetings when examining communications under the present Protocol.
3. When examining a communication under the present protocol, the Committee may consult, as appropriate, relevant documentation emanating from other United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, funds, programmes and mechanisms, and other international organizations, including from regional human rights systems, and any observations or comments by the State party concerned.
4. When examining communications under the present Protocol, the Committee shall consider the reasonableness of the steps taken by the State Party in accordance with Part II of the Covenant. In doing so, the Committee shall bear in mind that the State Party may adopt a range of possible policy measures for the implementation of the rights set forth in the Covenant.
Article 9
Follow-up to the views of the Committee
1. After examining a communication, the Committee shall transmit its views on the communication, together with its recommendations, if any, to the parties concerned.
2. The State Party shall give due consideration to the views of the Committee, together with its recommendations, if any, and shall submit to the Committee, within six months, a written response, including information on any action taken in the light of the views and recommendations of the Committee.
3. The Committee may invite the State Party to submit further information about any measures the State Party has taken in response to its views or recommendations, if any, including as deemed appropriate by the Committee, in the State Party’s subsequent reports under articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant.
Article 10
Inter-State communications
1. A State Party to the present Protocol may at any time declare under this article that it recognizes the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications to the effect that a State Party claims that another State Party is not fulfilling its obligations under the Covenant. Communications under this article may be received and considered only if submitted by a State Party that has made a declaration recognizing in regard to itself the competence of the Committee. No communication shall be received by the Committee if it concerns a State Party which has not made such a declaration. Communications received under this article shall be dealt with in accordance with the following procedure:
(a) If a State Party to the present Protocol considers that another State Party is not fulfilling its obligations under the Covenant, it may, by written communication, bring the matter to the attention of that State Party. The State Party may also inform the Committee of the matter. Within three months after the receipt of the communication the receiving State shall afford the State that sent the communication an explanation, or any other statement in writing clarifying the matter which should include, to the extent possible and pertinent, reference to domestic procedures and remedies taken, pending or available in the matter;
(b) If the matter is not settled to the satisfaction of both States Parties concerned within six months after the receipt by the receiving State of the initial communication, either State shall have the right to refer the matter to the Committee, by notice given to the Committee and to the other State;
(c) The Committee shall deal with a matter referred to it only after it has ascertained that all available domestic remedies have been invoked and exhausted in the matter. This shall not be the rule where the application of the remedies is unreasonably prolonged;
(d) Subject to the provisions of subparagraph (c) of the present paragraph, the Committee shall make available its good offices to the States Parties concerned with a view to a friendly solution of the matter on the basis of the respect for the obligations set forth in the Covenant;
(e) The Committee shall hold closed meetings when examining communications under the present article;
(f) In any matter referred to it in accordance with subparagraph (b) of the present paragraph, the Committee may call upon the States Parties concerned, referred to in subparagraph (b), to supply any relevant information;
(g) The States Parties concerned, referred to in subparagraph (b) of the present paragraph, shall have the right to be represented when the matter is being considered by the Committee and to make submissions orally and/or in writing;
(h) The Committee shall, with all due expediency after the date of receipt of notice under subparagraph (b) of the present paragraph, submit a report, as follows:
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If a solution within the terms of subparagraph (d) of the present paragraph is reached, the Committee shall confine its report to a brief statement of the facts and of the solution reached;
-
If a solution within the terms of subparagraph (d) is not reached, the Committee shall, in its report, set forth the relevant facts concerning the issue between the States Parties concerned. The written submissions and record of the oral submissions made by the States Parties concerned shall be attached to the report. The Committee may also communicate only to the States Parties concerned any views that it may consider relevant to the issue between them.
In every matter, the report shall be communicated to the States Parties concerned.
2. A declaration under paragraph 1 of the present article shall be deposited by the States Parties with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall transmit copies thereof to the other States Parties. A declaration may be withdrawn at any time by notification to the Secretary General. Such a withdrawal shall not prejudice the consideration of any matter that is the subject of a communication already transmitted under the present article; no further communication by any State Party shall be received under the present article after the notification of withdrawal of the declaration has been received by the Secretary-General, unless the State Party concerned has made a new declaration.
Article 11
Inquiry procedure
1. A State Party to the present Protocol may at any time declare that it recognizes the competence of the Committee provided for under this article.
2. If the Committee receives reliable information indicating grave or systematic violations by a State Party of the rights set forth in the Covenant, the Committee shall invite that State Party to cooperate in the examination of the information and to this end to submit observations with regard to the information concerned.
3. Taking into account any observations that may have been submitted by the State Party concerned as well as any other reliable information available to it, the Committee may designate one or more of its members to conduct an inquiry and to report urgently to the Committee. Where warranted and with the consent of the State Party, the inquiry may include a visit to its territory.
4. Such an inquiry shall be conducted confidentially and the cooperation of the State Party shall be sought at all stages of the proceedings.
5. After examining the findings of such an inquiry, the Committee shall transmit these findings to the State Party concerned together with any comments and recommendations.
6. The State Party concerned shall, within six months of receiving the findings, comments and recommendations transmitted by the Committee, submit its observations to the Committee.
7. After such proceedings have been completed with regard to an inquiry made in accordance with paragraph 2, the Committee may, after consultations with the State Party concerned, decide to include a summary account of the results of the proceedings in its annual report provided for in article 15.
8. Any State Party having made a declaration in accordance with paragraph 1 of the present article may, at any time, withdraw this declaration by notification to the Secretary-General.
Article 12
Follow-up to the inquiry procedure
1. The Committee may invite the State Party concerned to include in its report under articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant details of any measures taken in response to an inquiry conducted under article 10 of the present Protocol.
2. The Committee may, if necessary, after the end of the period of six months referred to in article 10, paragraph 6, invite the State Party concerned to inform it of the measures taken in response to such an inquiry.
Article 13
Protection measures
A State Party shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that individuals under its jurisdiction are not subjected to any form of ill-treatment or intimidation as a consequence of communicating with the Committee pursuant to the present Protocol.
Article 14
International assistance and cooperation
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The Committee shall transmit, as it may consider appropriate, and with the consent of the State Party concerned, to United Nations specialized agencies, funds and programmes and other competent bodies, its views or recommendations concerning communications and inquiries that indicate a need for technical advice or assistance, along with the State Party’s observations and suggestions, if any, on these views or recommendations.
-
The Committee may also bring to the attention of such bodies, with the consent of the State Party concerned, any matter arising out of communications considered under the present Protocol which may assist them in deciding, each within its field of competence, on the advisability of international measures likely to contribute to assisting States Parties in achieving progress in implementation of the rights recognized in the Covenant.
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A trust fund shall be established in accordance with the relevant procedures of the General Assembly, to be administered in accordance with the financial regulation regulations and rules of the United Nations, with a view to provide expert and technical assistance to States Parties, with the consent of the State Party concerned, for the enhanced implementation of the rights contained in the Covenant, thus contributing to building national capacities in the area of economic, social and cultural rights in the context of the present Protocol.
4. The provisions of this article are without prejudice to the obligations of each State Party to fulfil its obligations under the Covenant.
Article 15
Annual report
The Committee shall include in its annual report a summary of its activities under the present Protocol.
Article 16
Dissemination and information
Each State Party undertakes to make widely known and to disseminate the Covenant and the present Protocol and to facilitate access to information about the views and recommendations of the Committee, in particular, on matters involving that State Party, and to do so in accessible formats, for persons with disabilities.
Article 17
Signature, ratification and accession
1. The present Protocol is open for signature by any State that has signed, ratified or acceded to the Covenant.
2. The present Protocol is subject to ratification by any State that has ratified or acceded to the Covenant. Instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the United Nations.
3. The present Protocol shall be open to accession by any State that has ratified or acceded to the Covenant.
4. Accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of accession with the Secretary General of the United Nations.
Article 18
Entry into force
1. The present Protocol shall enter into force three months after the date of the deposit with the Secretary-General of the United Nations of the tenth instrument of ratification or accession.
2. For each State ratifying or acceding to the present Protocol, after the deposit of the tenth instrument of ratification or accession, the Protocol shall enter into force three months after the date of the deposit of its instrument of ratification or accession.
Article 19
Amendments
1. Any State Party may propose an amendment to the present Protocol and submit it to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Secretary-General shall communicate any proposed amendments to States Parties, with a request to be notified whether they favour a meeting of States Parties for the purpose of considering and deciding upon the proposals. In the event that, within four months from the date of such communication, at least one third of the States Parties favour such a meeting, the Secretary-General shall convene the meeting under the auspices of the United Nations. Any amendment adopted by a majority of two thirds of the States Parties present and voting shall be submitted by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly for approval and thereafter to all States Parties for acceptance.
2. An amendment adopted and approved in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the number of instruments of acceptance deposited reaches two thirds of the number of States Parties at the date of adoption of the amendment. Thereafter, the amendment shall enter into force for any State Party on the thirtieth day following the deposit of its own instrument of acceptance. An amendment shall be binding only on those States Parties which have accepted it.
Article 20
Denunciation
1. Any State Party may denounce the present Protocol at any time by written notification addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Denunciation shall take effect six months after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary-General.
2. Denunciation shall be without prejudice to the continued application of the provisions of the present Protocol to any communication submitted under articles 2 and 9 or to any procedure initiated under article 10 before the effective date of denunciation.
Article 21
Notification by the Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall notify all States referred to in article 26, paragraph 1, of the Covenant of the following particulars:
(a) Signatures, ratifications and accessions under the present Protocol;
(b) The date of entry into force of the present Protocol and of any amendment under article 22;
(c) Any denunciation under article 24.
Article 22
Official languages
1. The present Protocol, of which the Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the United Nations.
2. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall transmit certified copies of the present Protocol to all States referred to in article 26 of the Covenant.
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STATEMENT FROM INTERNATIONAL SEX WORKER HARM REDUCTION CAUCUS
The International Sex Worker Harm Reduction Caucus is a working group of sex workers and sex worker rights advocates who are committed to increasing the participation of sex workers and their organizations in discussions of harm reduction at the international level. We are pleased to present the following key messages about sex workers rights and harm reduction issues to delegates and participants in Barcelona:
* Human rights for sex workers: Recognizing and ensuring the protection of sex workers’ human rights is essential to promoting health and safety. Ensuring that sex workers have full enjoyment of their human rights is the best way to reduce or eliminate the discrimination and abuse to which sex
workers are often subjected and to improve access to health and social services.
* Sex workers are part of the solution: Sex worker leadership and empowerment are essential in fighting HIV and discrimination. Sex workers are their own best resource-they should be at the forefront of developing and implementing the programs and policies that impact their lives. It is
only by empowering sex workers to speak for themselves and developing sex worker leadership that stigma and rights violations will be stopped.
* Support self-representation of sex work experiences and culture: A rich tradition of cultural representation (books, films, online presentations, festivals, dance) exists in sex worker communities and organizations all over the world. This year in Barcelona we inaugurate our first sex work and
harm reduction film festival to celebrate sex worker self-representation on this topic. Cultural expression makes the aims of our rights based movement more accessible to people who may not be familiar with the realities of sex workers’ experience and is an essential part of our struggle for rights and change.
* Sex work is work, not “harm”: Sex work (itself) is not inherently harmful. The reasons people engage in sex work vary widely, as do the reasons people chose a variety of other jobs. Many sex worker health and rights organizations use a harm reduction framework when they address the needs
of sex workers. Other sex worker organizations have a less comfortable relationship with harm reduction because “harm” is sometimes erroneously defined as sex work or sex workers themselves). We are resolute that any harm associated with sex work results from repressive environments in
which sex work is not recognized as work, and because sex workers lack basic human rights and access to appropriate health services.
* Labour rights for sex workers: Sex work should be recognized as work in order to ensure safe and appropriate working conditions. The lack of labour rights leaves sex workers vulnerable to abuse and poor working conditions. Sex work should not be “over-regulated” or subject to special restrictions because of discriminatory fears about sex work and sex workers. Sex work should be treated like other forms of labour.
In addition, following consultation during Harm Reduction 2008: IHRA’s 19th International Conference we would like to affirm that sex workers are key players in promoting human rights and harm reduction, and are pleased to do so in conjunction with allies who share our philosophies and commitment to justice.
“Nothing about us, without us.”
Cambodia Suspends Foreign Marriages
Date: Monday, April 14, 2008 Source: Voice of America News Phnom Penh — Cambodia has temporarily banned marriages between foreigners and Cambodians because of concerns over the rising number of brokered unions involving poor, uneducated women. The move follows the publication of a report highlighting the abuse of many Cambodian brides who went to South Korea following hastily arranged marriages. Rory Byrne reports from Phnom Penh. The ban will at least briefly halt the increasing number of marriages of poor Cambodian women to foreign men, mostly from Taiwan and South Korea. Most such marriages are hastily arranged by brokers who charge clients up to $20,000 for each bride. Of this, only $500 to $1,000 typically goes to the Cambodian woman’s family – the brokers pocket the rest. A recent report by the International Organization for Migration says more than 1700 South Korean marriage visas were issued to Cambodian women in 2007, up from just 72 in 2004. The IOM says the grooms were mostly factory workers and farmers who had trouble finding wives in South Korea because of their low job status. While the report found no evidence of systematic abuse of Cambodian women who married South Koreans, it says that many do suffer violence. Srey Roth is the director of the Cambodia Women’s Crisis Center. “Some they cannot stay with the husband because the husband (is) so violent,” Roth said. “And then the husband forces them to earn money for support their family. And they cannot get the nationality (citizenship), so it means that they stay under the husband or mother-in-law’s control.” Experts say that many marriage brokers from Taiwan and South Korea have moved to Cambodia since Vietnam banned them two years ago. Now the Cambodian government appears to be cracking down. Three South Korean marriage agencies have been closed recently, accused of using arranged marriages as a front for people trafficking. The blanket ban on foreigners marrying Cambodians is seen as the next step in the process, designed to give the authorities here more time to properly investigate brokered marriages. Srey Roth opposes a blanket ban on mixed-marriages, but says that the government should run background checks on all foreigners who wish to marry Cambodian women. “I want our government (to) have one department to investigate the guy before agree(ing) the foreigner (can) marry to our Cambodian (women),” Roth said. “They should know about the background and living situation and then tell our girl and then our girl can make the decision if they want to marry or not.” Although the IOM report focuses on marriages between Cambodians and South Koreans, it emphasizes that the potential for problems exists globally. It says all brokered unions needed to be better regulated. Cambodian officials say the ban on foreigners marrying Cambodians will be lifted after the government develops a legal framework to address these marriages.
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That’s right! The government should take action for long time. There are many women have suffer this problem. In a case of a girl who married to a Taiwanese man and was treated as a servant and was forced to serve sex to her husband, her husband’s father and other men in the family. Is this the only one case? No! more and more and similar cases to women marry to Taiwan and South Korea.
If you come to Cambodia and if any families have their daughter marry to any foreigner, Cambodian will consider that family is a lucky family and they will have a great reputation in their community. Why? because moving to those places or to the West are their dream places to be and they are rich countries. People think it’s good good but they never think it is a disaster. Today this news has spread to some local villages. Some people believe it is happened but some don’t.
