III

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. RES. 237

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States Senate Committee

on Foreign Relations should hold hearings and the Senate should act

on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination

Against Women (CEDAW).

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

NOVEMBER 19, 1999

Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mrs. MURRAY, Mrs. LINCOLN, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mrs.

FEINSTEIN, Ms. COLLINS, Ms. LANDRIEU, and Ms. SNOWE) submitted

the following resolution; which was ordered to lie over, under the rule

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations should hold

hearings and the Senate should act on the Convention

on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination

Against Women (CEDAW).

Whereas the United States has shown leadership in promoting human rights, including the rights of women and

girls, and was instrumental in the development of international human rights treaties and norms, including the

International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms

of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW);

Whereas the Senate has already agreed to the ratification of

several important human rights treaties, including the
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SRES 237 IS

Genocide Convention, the Convention Against Torture,

the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of

Racial Discrimination;

Whereas CEDAW establishes a worldwide commitment to

combat discrimination against women and girls;

Whereas 165 countries of the world have ratified or acceded

to CEDAW and the United States is among a small minority of countries, including Afghanistan, North Korea,

Iran, and Sudan, which have not;

Whereas CEDAW is helping combat violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world;

Whereas CEDAW has had a significant and positive impact

on legal developments in countries as diverse as Uganda,

Colombia, Brazil, and South Africa, including, on citizenship rights in Botswana and Japan, inheritance rights in

Tanzania, property rights and political participation in

Costa Rica;

Whereas the Administration has proposed a small number of

reservations, understandings, and declarations to ensure

that U.S. ratification fully complies with all constitutional

requirements, including states’ and individuals’ rights;

Whereas the legislatures of California, Iowa, Massachusetts,

New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Vermont have endorsed U.S. ratification of

CEDAW;

Whereas more than one hundred U.S.-based, civic, legal, religious, education, and environmental organizations, including many major national membership organizations,

support U.S. ratification of CEDAW;
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SRES 237 IS

Whereas ratification of CEDAW would allow the United

States to nominate a representative to the CEDAW oversight committee; and

Whereas 1999 is the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of

CEDAW by the UN General Assembly: Now, therefore,

be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that—

2 (1) the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

3 should hold hearings on the Convention on the

4 Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against

5 Women (CEDAW); and

6 (2) the Senate should act on CEDAW by March

7 8, 2000, International Women’s Day.

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