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Consejo Económico Y Social NACIONES UNIDAS E Consejo Económico Distr. GENERAL y Social E/CN.4/2003/75/Add.2 14 de enero de 2003 ESPAÑOL Original: INGLÉS COMISIÓN DE DERECHOS HUMANOS 59º período de sesiones Tema 12 a) del programa provisional INTEGRACIÓN DE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS DE LA MUJER Y LA PERSPECTIVA DE GÉNERO: LA VIOLENCIA CONTRA LA MUJER Informe de la Relatora Especial sobre la violencia contra la mujer, sus causas y consecuencias, Sra. Radhika Coomaraswamy, presentado de conformidad con la resolución 2002/52 de la Comisión de Derechos Humanos Adición Comunicaciones enviadas a los gobiernos y recibidas de éstos* * El resumen de este informe y el formulario confidencial (véase el apéndice) se distribuyen en todos los idiomas oficiales. El informe figura anexo al resumen y se distribuye en los idiomas en los que se presentó solamente. GE.03-10403 (S) 050203 280203 E/CN.4/2003/75/Add.2 página 2 Resumen En su 58º período de sesiones, la Comisión de Derechos Humanos, en su resolución 2002/52, pidió a todos los gobiernos que prestaran su colaboración y asistencia a la Relatora Especial en el desempeño de las tareas y funciones que se le habían encomendado, que le proporcionaran toda la información solicitada y que respondieran a las comunicaciones y visitas de la Relatora Especial. Por otra parte, la Comisión celebró los esfuerzos realizados por la Relatora Especial para solicitar información a los gobiernos sobre casos específicos de presunta violencia, a fin de determinar e investigar situaciones concretas de violencia contra la mujer, sus causas y consecuencias, en particular, cuando procediera, mediante llamamientos y comunicaciones urgentes con otros relatores especiales. La Relatora Especial ha preparado un formulario estándar para la presentación de información que puede utilizarse para documentar supuestos casos de violencia contra la mujer (véase el apéndice). A este respecto, cabe señalar que, con arreglo a su mandato, la Relatora Especial sólo puede estudiar casos de violencia contra la mujer específicamente motivados por su sexo, es decir actos de violencia o amenazas de tales actos contra la mujer por su pertenencia al sexo femenino. La definición de violencia basada en la pertenencia al sexo femenino que usa la Relatora Especial se ha tomado de la Declaración sobre la eliminación de la violencia contra la mujer, aprobada por la Asamblea General en su resolución 48/104 de 20 de diciembre de 1993. La Relatora Especial desea comunicar a la Comisión que durante el período que se examina envió comunicaciones a los Gobiernos de Australia, Bangladesh, Camboya, el Canadá, China, Colombia, El Ecuador, Egipto, los Emiratos, Árabes Unidos, España, la India, Indonesia, el Irán (República Islámica del), Israel, Liberia, México, Myanmar, Nigeria, el Pakistán, la República Democrática del Congo, Sri Lanka, el Sudán, Suecia, Tailandia, el Togo, Turquía, Uganda, Uzbekistán, Venezuela, el Yemen y a la Autoridad Palestina. Además, los Gobiernos de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos, España, Myanmar Sri Lanka, Suecia, Tailandia y Turquía enviaron a la Relatora Especial respuestas sobre casos presentados durante el año que se examina, y los Gobiernos de la India, México, Sri Lanka y Turquía lo hicieron respecto de casos presentados en años anteriores. En el informe se presentan, país por país, resúmenes de las denuncias generales y particulares, así como llamamientos urgentes transmitidos a los gobiernos, y las respuestas de éstos a esos llamamientos. Cuando corresponde, se incluyen también las observaciones de la Relatora Especial. E/CN.4/2003/75/Add.2 página 3 Annex Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, submitted in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/52: Communications to and from Governments CONTENTS Paragraphs Page Australia ................................................................................................... 1 - 2 5 Bangladesh ............................................................................................... 3 - 16 5 Cambodia ................................................................................................. 17 - 19 7 Canada ...................................................................................................... 20 - 25 7 China ........................................................................................................ 26 - 33 9 Colombia .................................................................................................. 34 - 39 10 Democratic Republic of the Congo .......................................................... 40 - 42 11 Ecuador .................................................................................................... 43 - 44 12 India .......................................................................................................... 45 - 59 13 Indonesia .................................................................................................. 60 15 Iran (Islamic Republic of) ........................................................................ 61 - 63 16 Israel.......................................................................................................... 64 16 Liberia ...................................................................................................... 65 - 70 16 Mexico ...................................................................................................... 71 - 72 17 Myanmar .................................................................................................. 73 - 147 18 Nigeria ...................................................................................................... 148 - 149 26 Pakistan .................................................................................................... 150 - 153 27 Spain ......................................................................................................... 154 - 168 28 Sri Lanka .................................................................................................. 169 - 200 31 Sudan ........................................................................................................ 201 - 203 38 Sweden ..................................................................................................... 204 - 207 39 Thailand .................................................................................................... 208 - 209 41 Togo ......................................................................................................... 210 - 212 41 Turkey ...................................................................................................... 213 - 227 42 E/CN.4/2003/75/Add.2 página 4 CONTENTS (continued) Paragraphs Page Uganda ..................................................................................................... 228 45 United Arab Emirates ............................................................................... 229 - 230 46 Uzbekistan ................................................................................................ 231 46 Venezuela ................................................................................................. 232 - 233 46 Yemen ...................................................................................................... 234 47 Palestinian Authority ................................................................................ 235 47 Appendix: Confidential violence against women information form .................................. 48 E/CN.4/2003/75/Add.2 página 5 INFORMATION REVIEWED BY THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR WITH RESPECT TO VARIOUS COUNTRIES Australia 1. On 25 January 2002, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography concerning the reportedly inadequate response to domestic violence and child abuse in Australia. According to information received, the legal and welfare systems insufficiently protect children from abuse during contact visits (formerly known as “access”) with non-residential (formerly “non-custodial”) parents. Children are reportedly subject to unsafe, court-ordered contact arrangements despite evidence and suspicion of abuse. It is alleged that problems have worsened since the introduction of the Family Law Reform Act in 1996, reductions in Legal Aid funding and an increased use of “conferencing”. Reports allege that paedophilia and child abuse are major problems that are inadequately addressed by the State. 2. In particular the Special Rapporteur informed the Government that she had received information regarding the individual case of Tania Hawting and her 5-year-old daughter Grace. According to information received, Tania Hawting married Graham Ross Germon in June 1995 and throughout their relationship she and her four children were subjected to domestic and sexual violence. Of immediate concern was the return of Grace to her alleged abuser, Mr. Germon, on 26 January 2002. Documented evidence of physical, psychological and sexual abuse against Ms. Hawting and her children was reportedly not taken into account by police or in court and Mr. Germon has been granted custody of Grace. Bangladesh 3. By a letter dated 10 December 2002, the Special Rapporteur informed the Government that she had received information that more than 2,000 women in Bangladesh between the ages of 7 and 80 had been raped, gang-raped, beaten and subjected to degrading treatment by fundamentalist groups following the 1 October
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