Ask the UN to enforce women's rights on the Anniversary of Bejing

Amnesty asks for support in the campaign:

The United Nations is a galvanizing force in setting new international standards and commitments to protect and promote women's human rights. But, the UN’s capacity to support national implementation of these standards and commitments is woefully underfunded and inadequate. This has limited the potential for women around the world, especially those at risk of violence, or facing poverty, to fully enjoy their rights in practice,

A global network of over 300 women's, human rights and social justice groups representing millions of people, are campaigning for a new strong UN agency for women to effectively support the protection and promotion of women's human rights. Show your solidarity for women worldwide and sign the global petition to the President of the UN General Assembly.

As the representative of all 192 UN member states, the President of the UN General Assembly, His Excellency Dr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, can help to prioritize the establishment of the new UN women’s agency, making sure it becomes fully operational in 2010 - the 15th anniversary year of the Beijing World Conference on Women. The new agency should have:

* ­ World coverage and the necessary country presence and strong policy and programmatic mandate to effectively improve the lives of women worldwide.
* Accountability mechanisms in place at both national and international levels, including through meaningful involvement of civil society, particularly women’s non-governmental organizations.
* Substantial and predictable resources to ensure the capacity to meet expectations and deliver results at all levels. It must be funded initially at a minimum level of $1 billion USD, with increases over time.
* An Under-Secretary-General, appointed by International Women’s Day on 8 March 2010, in order to lead the agency