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WORKING GROUP II

The Working Group, chaired by Irene Freudenschuss (Austria), met during a morning session to discuss Section D (violence). Informal consultations were held during the evening to review outstanding issues.

In 113 (description), delegates agreed to leave the sentences in their current order and to unbracket [all] societies. Paragraph 115 (acts of violence) is pending the results of the contact group on health. In 118 (acts/threats of violence), "equity" was deleted. In 119 (historical and cultural origins of violence), delegates agreed that media images of violence "are" contributory factors.

In 122 (training of officials), the G77/China proposed lifting the brackets. Azerbaijan, supported by India, proposed a reference to women hostages in areas of armed conflict. The EU, supported by Australia, the Holy See and Canada, proposed deleting the bracketed text. The G77/China proposed forming a group to ensure all elements in the paragraph were covered elsewhere in the document before deleting them. In 123 (trafficking in women and girls), brackets were lifted from "unwanted pregnancy."

In 125(a) (compliance with Declaration on Elimination of Violence against Women), Canada amended the reference to the Declaration with the phrase "as set out in." In 125 (d) (review legislation), "compensation for" was replaced by "access to just and effective remedies including compensation and indemnification." In paragraph 125 (e) (human rights instruments), the G77/China and Canada reformulated the bracketed language to read "work actively to ratify and/or implement all international human rights norms and instruments as they relate to violence against women." In 125(j) (national and local plans of action), the G77/China proposed lifting the brackets. The EU, supported by the US, proposed "national and/or local" or "at all appropriate levels of government." In 125 (p) (mobilization of resources), "at all appropriate" levels was added. In 126 (f) (intermediate institutions and abuse related services), brackets were removed from "family planning centers" and "existing school health services."

In 126 (g) (education and training on effects of violence), Norway, supported by the EU and G77/China, introduced an amendment on sensitization programmes on the effects of violence and non-violent communication and training for protection. In 126 (j) (media and stereotypes), existing brackets were removed and bracketed texts were introduced: "consistent with freedom of expression" (US) and a reference to the need for freedom of information not to justify stereotyping (Cuba).

In 130 (d) (stereotypes in the media), the G77/China proposed lifting the brackets. The EU preferred "which in some cases may foster," but accepted lifting the brackets. In 131(d) (healing for victims of trafficking), the EU lifted the brackets around the paragraph.

The informal evening session discussed a proposal to resolve the approximately twenty bracketed sections regarding "universal" human rights. An additional paragraph would be added to 213 (introduction to human rights section), noting that the promotion and protection of human rights must be considered as a priority objective of [Return to start of article]