International politics and Law - Essay Example

47 states are currently the members of UNHRC of which African and Asian contribution is 13 states each, 12 states are from Europe, 8 from Latin America and Caribbean and United States of America is the only member from North America. The UNHRC was established in March 2006. The council adopted its Institution Building Package in its first meeting in June 2007 and the elements of the institution package were formulated to serve as guideline for future developments. The most important element is the Universal Periodic Review which is formulated for the assessment of the human rights situation in all the member states of the United Nations.

An advisory committee looks after the human rights situation in the different regions of the world and gives recommendations to device strategies and plans of action for ensuring the delivery of human rights to each and every human in this world. The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by the General Assembly resolution 34/180 of 18 December 1979 and was entered into force on 3rd September 1981.

It is one of the nine major treaties of United Nations on Human Rights. All the state party to this human rights treaty are bound to observe the clauses of the treaty and the UN Human Rights Council gives recommendations to the governments for observing the human rights restrictions as mentioned in this convention. The convention is based on the UN Charter of fundamental human rights which states the dignity and worth of the human person and equal rights for men and women. The convention states that discrimination against any person based on race, creed, nationality or sex is unacceptable because all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and each and every individual in this world is free to practice his beliefs and ideology and lead a life according to the way he deems suitable for himself.

The convention lays stress on the rights of women in the states party to the convention and states that equal economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights of men and women should be ensured. The convention establishes concerns over the women rights violation in the world and emphasizes the eradication of racism, aggression, deprivation of basic rights of food, clothes and shelter to women. Over the years the convention has been signed and ratified by almost all the countries of the world and has proven to be very effective in ensuring the provision of women rights in various regions of the world.

The condition of women is very deplorable in various regions of the world which include South Asia, Africa, Middle East and Northern Africa. Certain inhumane traditions are still practiced in various countries of these regions and women are targeted in these traditions. The women in these regions are still not treated on equal basis in these regions of the world. The governments of these regions have established rules and guidelines and have passed constitutional laws and amendments for protecting the rights of the women but the situation in some of the regions is still very alarming.

The United Nations Human Rights Council is working very effectively in reporting such incidents to the respective governments and United Nations bodies and taskforces. UNHRC also gives its recommendations to the governments and the United Nations bodies to enforce the human rights conventions in these areas. These efforts have been proved very