Statement delivered by the Permanent Representative of the Argentine Republic, Ambassador María del Carmen Squeff
October 9th
Mrs. President
We appreciate the comprehensive report A/75/144 of the Rapporteur in which she addresses the problem of gender-based violence in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, I would like to share that Argentina has implemented a large number of measures with gender perspectives to fight the pandemic, which has been recognized in the Global Tracker recently launched by UN Women and the United Nations Development Program.
In its report, it highlights the importance of updating and applying national action plans on violence against women in accordance with existing international standards. In this sense, the President of the Nation and the Minister of Women, Gender and Diversity of Argentina have launched the National Plan of Action against gender-based violence that raises a paradigm shift, because we go from an individual approach to one integral and intersectional. This means that we are promoting public policies that create material conditions so that the people and groups most affected by gender violence can develop an autonomous life project.
In effect, with this Plan we are abandoning an approach focused only on emergency care, to another that has as its horizon the modification of structural conditions than to people in situations of gender-based violence. At the same time, we think about gender-based violence not only for women, but for the entire LGBTI population.
The plan was drawn up with the conviction that the right to live a life free of violence and to develop autonomous life projects is presented as an essential condition to live in more egalitarian, just and respectful societies for the human rights of all people.
Likewise, I would like to highlight that at the United Nations, Argentina led, together with the European Union, Morocco, Mongolia, Namibia, New Zealand and Turkey, a "Declaration of support for the Request of the United Nations Secretary General to put an end to Gender-based violence in the context of the COVID-19 crisis”, which had the support of 146 Member States and observers.
Now I would like to ask the Rapporteur a question:
Taking into account your intervention at the High Level Meeting of the 25th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform on October 1st, I would like to ask you what do you consider to be the main challenges that countries face in harmonizing the existing international regulatory framework, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Beijing Platform and General Recommendation Nº 35 of CEDAW, with national legislation and policies, particularly in terms of access to justice for survivors of gender-based violence?
Thank you very much.