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International Instruments and Standards Promoting Gender Equality

In recent years ADB has embraced a number of non-binding international instruments related to gender equality and development, including the Beijing Platform for Action and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as well as the core labor standards included in several ILO conventions. ADB has not explicitly incorporated the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) as part of its policies, even though CEDAW has been ratified by virtually all ADB member countries, and the values and standards embodied in CEDAW are already embraced by ADB through its Gender and Development Policy, Enhanced Poverty Reduction Strategy, Social Protection Strategy and law and policy reform initiatives (including support for access to justice).

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This seminar provided information and perspectives on CEDAW and its relevance to the work of ADB. The seminar presentations focused in particular on these areas:

• Are rights relevant? Is CEDAW relevant? “Hard” law, “soft” law and policy statements
• CEDAW – an overview of its substantive provisions and their relevance to ADB activities
• The CEDAW expert committee – its functions, output and relevance to the work of ADB

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• Professor Andrew Byrnes (Presentation Outline) [ PDF ]
  University of South Wales



• Ms. Imrana Jalal
  Pacific Human Rights Education Resource Team (RRRT)



• Professor Emeritus Savitri Goonesekere [ PDF ]
  University of Colombo

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The seminar was organized for lawyers in ADB's Office of the General Counsel.