ICJW at the UN in Geneva

ICJW has representatives in Geneva who attend the three annual sessions of the Human Rights Council and other UN bodies that are based there or meet there regularly.

NGOs in Geneva may attend all open public sessions and submit written and/or oral statements, which they try to coordinate/co-sign with other like-minded NGOs, on subjects such as violence against women and education for peace. We also participate in discussions with Special Rapporteurs and attend the Universal Periodic Reviews, where countries’ records on issues such as human rights and discrimination against women are reviewed by their peers.

Our permanent representative Léonie de Picciotto is vice president of the NGO Committee on Human Rights and participates actively in the Geneva NGO Committee on the Status of Women. ICJW’s representatives also participate in the activities of the NGO Committees on Freedom of Religion and Belief, the Committee on  Ageing, and on the Committee on Human Rights Education. ICJW is also involved with the special NGO task-force on promoting Gender Equality in the face of discriminatory cultural and traditional practices towards women.

Whenever CEDAW – the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women – is in session, ICJW representatives attend those sessions that are relevant to Israel and other countries where there are concerns about the situation of women.