International Conference on Violence Against Women Draws to a Close
The International Conference on Violence Against Women has wound up with a reading of the
Italian Presidency's final document
, which is to be submitted to the attention of the G8 Foreign Ministers' meeting on the slate for the end of the month in New York. The document was read out by Equal Opportunities Minister Mara Carfagna at the end of the second day of talks. One of the key passages in the document reads thus: "The time has come for a new era in international cooperation and for a broad alliance between all governments and civil society, to address the common challenge of putting an end to every form of violence against women".
The declaration calls all acts of violence against women and children quite simply "a crime" that prevents them from enjoying their basic rights and freedoms, as well as denying them the right to build for themselves a life free of pressure and threats. Thus the talks, held at the Foreign Ministry in Rome, irrevocably and unequivocally condemn all such forms of violence. In this connection, the document adds: "The role played by men is crucial". In the course of a news conference held after the document had been adopted, Minister Carfagna, with UN Deputy Secretary General Asha Rose Migiro by her side, spoke of the importance of involving not only "the men in the institutions, the men who are responsible for people's fate" but also, and above all, the world's youngsters by getting them to take part in a broad debate as part of an "investment for the future".
Moreover, there must be increasing room for, and recognition of, women's role in that future. This, because the declaration calls women "peace brokers" and goes on to call for all-round initiatives and programmes designed to promote them in that capacity, thanks also to their role as crucial players in the "development and promotion of democracy". In that sense, an important part of the document concerns the need for sufficient resources to be allocated for the pupose, and it calls on the G8 countries to see the issue of women as being part and parcel of all the funding decided on at the G8 Summit in L'Aquila in July.
The Italian G8 Presidency remains committed to pursuing the action that has been set in motion with this initiative. The document says in conclusion: "We trust that the Canadian presidency next year will pick up the baton that this conference has entrusted to it", thus expressing the hope that the meeting held for the first time in Rome this year may turn into an annual working engagement for the G8 group of countries.
Documents:
Final Document - Presidency's Conclusions
