The United Nations Association, USA, San Francisco (UNA SF) is pleased to announce the RATIFY MOVEMENT (formerly the New Agenda for US Human Rights: Ratification of the CEDAW and UNCRC).

The top priority is to ratify the UN Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in two years.

Nearly all 193 UN Member Nations have ratified both the CEDAW and the UNCRC. The US is painfully overdue to ratify the CEDAW and CRC. The only UN Member Nations not to have ratified the CEDAW are Iran, Somalia, North Sudan, South Sudan, Palau, Tonga, and the US. The only UN Member Nation not to have ratified the UNCRC is the US.

As we witness a historic change in the Presidential Administration, there is an awakening to the tremendous opportunity for the success of the RATIFY MOVEMENT for Human Rights, including U.S. ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). These two treaties have enjoyed broad American support at times. In 1979 President Jimmy Carter signed the CEDAW, but the Senate failed to ratify. The Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, signed the UNCRC in 1995 with the support of President Clinton. However, the UNCRC was not submitted to Congress. However, the Optional Protocols prohibiting the involvement of Children in armed conflict, the sale of Children, as well as Prostitution and Child Pornography have been ratified by the Senate.

Since the US has not ratified the CEDAW, it is not represented on the UN CEDAW Committee. Thus the US may not provide any oversight of its enforcement domestically or internationally. CEDAW is important to the international community, because it further reinforces international norms and obligations to protect the rights of women as as well as girls. The CEDAW or “Women’s Bill of Rights” intersects with the rights of children (UNCRC).

The overlap between the well being of the child as it relates to the well being of the mother is cause to support the US ratification of the CEDAW and UNCRC. All children should be protected from violent situations to promote healthy and sustainable behavior.

Again, the goal of the Ratify Movement is U.S. ratification of CEDAW and the UNCRC.

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BACKGROUND

On January 16, 2021, UNA SF Advisory Board Members Emily Murase and Antonia Lavine and Young Professional Member Micaela Leonarte Paredes proposed to the UNA SF Board of Directors that the San Francisco Chapter lead the movement for ratification of the CEDAW and UNCRC. The Board voted “Yes.” to the 2-year movement to get the CEDAW and UNCRC ratified by the US Congress.

The movement for ratification was launched during the UN Commission on the Status of Women meetings, March 15 - 26. In a historic partnership between UNA San Francisco, the National Council of Jewish Women San Francisco, the Soroptimist International of San Francisco, the Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women, CareerGirls, and the Geneva-based International Alliance of Women, we convened a "San Francisco Series" as part of the NGO Forum hosted by the UN Committee on the Status of Women New York to coincide with the UN CSW meetings. Covering almost the entire two weeks, this partnership presented panels each day on topics key to the advancement of women and girls, including ending human trafficking, addressing the needs of aging women, expanding economic empowerment, and showcasing local implementation of CEDAW.

Statewide Partners

Through the UNA SF leadership, the United Nations Association of San Diego partnered with the Ratify Movement to host panels in March 2021 as part of the UN Commission on the Status of Women NGO Forum organized by the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, New York. The two events are included in the “San Francisco Series” and the San Diego Chapter provided a portion of the speakers for those two events.

UNA SF Members President Mary Steiner, Board Members Srujana Kaddevarmuth, Jennipha Nielsen, Swagata Sen, Young Professional Member Micaela Leonarte Paredes, and Advisory Board Members Antonia Lavine and Dr. Emily Murase convene regular meetings of the growing coalition of women’s and children’s organizations.

The UNA SF is further leveraging the robust national and (international) network of UNAs and lead the initiative in partnership with not only the organizations listed above but also newly identified supporters. There are already over 40 communities across the country that are part of the "Cities for CEDAW campaign" that can be recruited as National Partners Organization.

The RATIFY MOVEMENT Coalition is composed of representatives from each of the Partner Organizations. Nearly 40 government and civil society organizations are engaged and meet regularly. Secretariat duties rely heavily on work-sharing technology and are kept to a minimum. JOIN US!