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UN in BiH marks 30th anniversary of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

	12/18/2009 The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was adopted on the 18^th of December 1979 by the UN General Assembly. To date, 186 countries have ratified the Convention. CEDAW remains the essential international tool for achieving women’s human rights and it is one of the most widely subscribed-to international treaties in existence. Countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations.
	The Convention’s 30th Anniversary provides an occasion to celebrate its near-universal ratification, as well as to acknowledge the progress that has been made at the national level to implement CEDAW and make true gains for women’s and girls’ rights on a practical, everyday level. Through the passage of new constitutions as well as national laws and policies based on the principle of gender equality, women’s human rights are now becoming national standards. In Bosnia and Herzegovina CEDAW was ratified in 1993 and it is now an integral part of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Progress has been made in BiH in regards to the incorporation of CEDAW provisions in the national legislation and in the development of gender-sensitive policies. Currently the Government of BiH is preparing a comprehensive Fourth and Fifth periodic CEDAW Report covering the period from 2006 to 2010 highlighting those issues. Despite the work done by different actors, plenty of challenges to the advancement of women’s rights still exist in BiH and broader awareness around the Convention is still low. The true measure of the impact of the CEDAW treaty is the condition of women’s actual lives today. To achieve full implementation of CEDAW in BiH, national partners and the UN need to continue to work together to ensure gender equality is a reality for all women and girls. For additional information see the CEDAW 30th anniversary website www.unifem.org/cedaw30

Ensure environmental sustainability

BiH is blessed with natural beauty and pristine landscapes. Growing pollution and a general disregard for the environment threatens this inherence. Sadly, policy responses have been incoherent and the technical capacity to deal with environmental problems remains low.