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----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 3:37 PM
Subject: ICN Issues a Strong Call for an Effective, Funded UN Agency for
Women
Press information . Communique de presse . Comunicado de
prensa
ICN Issues a Strong Call for an Effective, Funded UN Agency for Women
Geneva, Switzerland, 13 June 2006 - As the global representative of the
world's 13 million nurses, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) is
adding its voice to the wide-spread and growing demand for an effective,
funded international women's agency, able to redress the unacceptable lack
of gender equality worldwide and the exclusion of women from decision making
at almost every level. ICN encourages its member national nurses
associations to lobby their government representatives and to press the
ongoing United Nations Coherence Panel* to establish a women's agency as an
urgent priority. The Coherence Panel, key in establishing reform of the UN's
operational work, is mandated by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to identify
how gender equality can be more fully addressed in the work of the UN. As
such, the Panel provides a unique opportunity to establish a women-specific
agency, with sufficient resources, power and authority to have a real impact
on the condition of women and girls worldwide. The Panel will deliver its
recommendations to the UN General Assembly in September.
"Poverty, inequitable relationships between men and women, poor access to
health care, inadequate education, violence and a variety of social,
economic, political and cultural factors adversely affect the health and
well-being of millions of women and girls worldwide" stated Hiroko Minami,
President of ICN. "The need for a women's agency to address these issues is
obvious and its creation long overdue. As powerful advocates for the rights
and health of women and girls, nurses everywhere can make their voices heard
on this now."
While women worldwide are overwhelmingly poorer, more likely to be victims
of violence and lacking power in virtually all societies, nowhere is the
failure to establish women's rights more tragically evident than in the
HIV/AIDS pandemic. Fundamental gender inequalities fuel the epidemic,
particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where women and girls now make up over
60% of those living with HIV and 76% of those in the 15-24 years of age
group.
ICN joins leaders in health and human rights from every region in insisting
on a high priority for the establishment of a strong, women-specific
machinery within the UN. Time is short. Organizations, governments and
individuals can take advantage of the opportunity presented by the Coherence
Panel to ensure that the UN reform achieves the gender goals it espouses.
* UN High-Level Panel on System-wide Coherence in the Areas of Development,
Humanitarian Assistance and the Environment. The 15 members include Shaukat
Aziz (Co-Chair), Prime Minister, Pakistan; Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the
Exchequer, United Kingdom; Luísa Dias Diogo (Co-Chair), Prime Minister,
Mozambique; Mohamed T. El-Ashry, Egypt Senior Fellow, United Nations
Foundation; Robert Greenhill, President of the Canadian International
Development Agency, Canada; Ruth Jacoby, Director-General for Development
Cooperation,, Sweden; Ricardo Lagos Escobar; President of the Republic of
Chile; Louis Michel, Belgium, European Commissioner for Development and
Humanitarian Aid; Benjamin W. Mkapa, Former President, United Republic of
Tanzania; Jean-Michel Severino, France,Director General, French Development
Agency; Josette S. Shiner Under Secretary for Economic, Business and
Agricultural Affairs, United States of America; Jens Stoltenberg,
(Co-Chair), Prime Minister, Norway; Keizo Takemi, Member of the House of
Councillors, Japan; Kemal Derviþ, Turkey, Administrator of the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP);Lennart Båge, Sweden, President of the
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Editor's Note
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a federation of 129 national
nurses' associations representing the millions of nurses worldwide.
Operated by nurses for nurses since 1899, ICN is the international voice of
nursing and works to ensure quality care for all and sound health policies
globally.
For further information contact Linda Carrier-Walker
Tel: +41 22 908 0100 Fax: +41 22 908 0101
Email: [log in to unmask] ICN Website: www.icn.ch <http://www.icn.ch>
ICN/PR/06 #12
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