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JAMAICA RATIFIES HEMISPHERIC TREATY TO ERADICATE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Jamaica has ratified the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women, becoming the 32nd member of the Organization of American States (OAS) to do so. Ambassador Gordon V. Shirley, the Jamaican Permanent Representative to the OAS, deposited the ratification instruments with OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza during a ceremony on Wednesday, after formally signing the convention on behalf of the government.

The treaty was adopted at the OAS General Assembly in Belém do Pará, Brazil, on June 9, 1994, entering into force March 5 the following year.

Ratifying the Convention of Belém do Pará “reaffirms the Jamaican government’s commitment to continue to prevent, punish and eradicate all forms of discrimination against our women,” the Ambassador stated during the ratification ceremony. He underscored how Jamaica’s ratification of this OAS treaty will also “serve to strengthen other international instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and other regional agreements that uphold women’s rights and access to justice.”

Citing the hemispheric convention, the Jamaican diplomat asserted that violence against women “lowers the dignity of women regardless of their race, class or social status and is a manifestation of the historically unequal power relations between women and men.” Gender-based violence also restricts women from enjoying their fundamental rights and freedoms and compromises their ability to make meaningful contributions to socio-economic, cultural and political development, Shirley noted.

He urged member states to take every step to protect women’s rights and to stamp out violence against women. Ambassador Shirley underscored Jamaica’s recognition of the role played by the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) in “devoting special attention to the issue of violence against women and in putting in place the mechanism to follow up on the implementation of the Convention.”

On the question of follow-up, the Secretary General spoke about proposals for the next regular session of the OAS General Assembly to discuss an assessment of progress towards fulfilling the objectives of the Belém do Pará Convention. Such an exercise is necessary, he said, because “equality and non-discrimination against women are a basic feature of democracy.” Insulza added that an evaluation would also reveal if there are areas where progress is not being made and would help to determine whether any corrective steps should be taken.

The Secretary General said the OAS would be following this issue as closely as it monitors such other critical issues as human rights and corruption. “We now have two basic instruments, so we cannot complain about not having the legal element,” said Insulza, referring to the OAS and the UN conventions.

Reference: E-292/05