International: UNDAW/DESA addressing violence against women
Source:
UN Expert Group Meeting on Good Practices in Legislation on Violence Against Women.
The United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDAW/DESA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) convened an expert group meeting on good practices and lessons learned in regard to legislation on violence against women, held at the United Nations at Vienna, from 26 to 28 May 2008.
The main objectives of the meeting were to:
* Analyze different approaches in the law for addressing all forms of violence against women, with particular attention to experiences in different legal systems, and the scope of such legislation;
* Assess lessons learned in the implementation of legislation on violence against women, with particular attention to effectiveness of legislation, legislative reforms over time, the reasons for such reforms, and methodologies for evaluating the effectiveness of legislative frameworks;
* Identify good practices in the law and recommended standards for legislation on violence against women, with particular attention to different forms of violence against women.
Expected outcome
The expert group meeting will prepare a report that will:
* Present prevailing approaches, in different legal systems, for addressing violence against women, with attention to laws that target different forms and manifestations of violence against women;
* Present lessons learned and good practices in the application of laws, and reasons for the effectiveness of particular legal frameworks for addressing violence against women;
* Develop guidelines and a model framework for legislation on violence against women.
The guidelines and model framework are expected to assist States in enhancing existing, and developing new legislation on violence against women. The outcome of the expert group meeting is also expected to contribute good practices for the Secretary-General’s database on violence against women, which is currently under development in response to resolution 61/143, paragraph 19.
For Background Papers, Expert Papers and Presentations and Supporting Papers please go to the UN website: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/vaw_legislation_2008/vaw_legislation_2008.htm
