PRINTER'S NO. 17
No. 17 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY C. WILLIAMS, MELLOW, BOSCOLA, FONTANA, TARTAGLIONE, LAVALLE, KITCHEN, COSTA, RHOADES, MUSTO, STOUT, WOZNIAK AND FERLO, JANUARY 29, 2007
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, JANUARY 29, 2007
A RESOLUTION 1 Memorializing the President of the United States to support and 2 the Senate of the United States to ratify the United Nations 3 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination 4 against Women. 5 WHEREAS, The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of 6 Discrimination against Women was adopted by the United Nations 7 General Assembly on December 18, 1979, and became an 8 international treaty on September 3, 1981, and currently, 185 9 nations, including all of the industrialized world except the 10 United States, have agreed to be bound by the Convention's 11 provisions; and 12 WHEREAS, The United States supports and has a position of 13 leadership in the United Nations as an active participant in the 14 drafting and a signatory to the Convention; and 15 WHEREAS, The spirit of the Convention is rooted in the goals 16 of the United Nations and the United States, to affirm faith in 17 fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human 18 person and in the equal rights of men and women; and
1 WHEREAS, The Convention provides a comprehensive framework 2 for challenging the various forces that have created and 3 sustained discrimination based on sex against half the world's 4 population, and the nations in support of the present Convention 5 have agreed to follow Convention prescriptions; and 6 WHEREAS, Although women have made major gains in the struggle 7 for equality in social, business, political, legal, educational 8 and other fields in this century, there is much yet to be 9 accomplished, and through its support, leadership and prestige, 10 the United States can help create a world where women are no 11 longer discriminated against and can achieve one of the most 12 fundamental of human rights, equality; and 13 WHEREAS, Over 100 organizations have endorsed the Convention, 14 including: American Bar Association, American Federation of 15 Teachers, Americans for Democratic Action, Baha'is of America, 16 Episcopal Church, General Federation of Women's Clubs, Hadassah, 17 League of Women Voters of the United States, Lutheran Office for 18 Governmental Affairs, National Association of Social Workers, 19 National Association of Women Lawyers, National Council of Negro 20 Women, NOW, Legal Defense and Education Fund, Planned Parenthood 21 Federation of America, Presbyterian Church USA, Sierra Club, 22 Unitarian Universalists, United Methodist Church, United Nations 23 Association of the USA, Women's National Democratic Club, Women 24 of Reform Judaism, Women's Action for New Directions, Citizens 25 for Global Solutions, YWCA of the USA; therefore be it 26 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 27 memorialize the President of the United States and the Secretary 28 of State to place the United Nations Convention on the 29 Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in the 30 highest category of priority in order to accelerate this 20070S0017R0017 - 2 -
1 treaty's passage through the United States Senate Foreign 2 Relations Committee and the full Senate of the United States 3 with the goal of United States ratification; and be it further 4 RESOLVED, That the United States Senate Foreign Relations 5 Committee pass this treaty favorably out of committee; and be it 6 further 7 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the United States ratify the 8 United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of 9 Discrimination against Women and support the Convention's 10 continuing goals; and be it further 11 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 12 the President of the United States, the Secretary of State of 13 the United States and each member of the Pennsylvania 14 Congressional Delegation. A5L82JS/20070S0017R0017 - 3 -