Ambassador Obaid Salem Al Zaabi, U.A.E. Permanent Representative to UN and other International Organisations in Geneva, has stressed that the U.A.E. takes special interest in combating the violence against women, being a blatant violation to women dignity.
Ambassador Al Zaabi made the remark yesterday, while delivering the U.A.E. statement before the Human Rights Council, which is holding its 26th session from 10- 27, June.
He added that "the U.A.E. has taken measures in three levels: the first level is prevention of violence through spreading awareness on family and marital relations, setting family guide sections at the courts nationwide, and holding workshops on violence against women with participation from women societies and competent organisations. The second level is punitive through setting up family prosecution sections, and tightening punishments to deter cases of violence against women. While the third level is protection through establishment of public administration to take care of human rights under the supervision of the Community Development Authority in Dubai in order to provide psychological assistance and legal advice to victims of violence and abuse." Ambassador Al Zaabi thanked Rashida Manjoo, Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, on her valuable report on the violence against women, causes and consequences over the last 20 years.
He added, "It is clear from the report of the Special Rapporteur that the violence against women continues unabated to occupy the attention of many of the agencies of the UN since the participants recognised at the Vienna Congress in 1993, the phenomenon of violence against women as a violation of human rights, which indicates the seriousness of this phenomenon and the difficulty of finding appropriate solutions. It is clear from the report that after the passage of 20 years, the findings of the UN remain insufficient to put an end to the violence against women, despite the adoption of a set of international agreements and the establishment of a number of mechanisms, and the preparation of a series of reports over the issue." Ambassador Al Zaabi noted that lack of clear criteria to find appropriate solutions to the issue of accountability in the acts of violence would adversely affect any attempt to limit or mitigate acts of violence against women.
He concluded that the U.A.E.. endorsed all the recommendations referred to in the report, especially the recommendation that the Human Rights Council would bridge the standard gap referred to in the report to be added to the rest of the efforts made by the UN to tackle multiple forms of violence against women.
Source: WAM