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Following the very successful Round Table on AGREEING GLOBAL ACTION ON WIDOWHOOD that we hosted at the 54th Session of the UN CSW on the 3rd March, where the Recommendations of that meeting were further discussed on the 4th March with the UN DSG, Her Excellency Asha-Rose Merigo, there have been further developments.

The UN DSG while being most supportive of the Recommendations made by our meeting that the UN SG should consider commissioning a special report on Widowhood and Conflict, advised that the mission of WPD must now be to campaign to get Member States to take up these Recommendations. And for Member States to request the UN SG to take them up.

WPD has now been invited to have an informal meeting with the Commonwealth Secretariat. Their letter of April 16 states “we would welcome an informal meeting with you and Baroness Gould, Chair of the UK Women’s National Commission to discuss potential work in the area of widowhood and how the Secretariat can engage with the recommendations made by Widows for Peace through Democracy”. Due to the activities preceding the UK General Election taking place on May 6th this year, we have had to postpone meeting with the Commonwealth Secretariat until after the election. WPD views this invitation as a very positive sign that at least we can get Commonwealth Countries to consider moving forward on our Recommendations and presenting them to the UN...

WPD also drafted the Resolution endorsed unanimously at the Triennial Congress of the International Council for Women (ICW) last October, and that Resolution has also gone forward to the UN Secretary-General.

WPD’S WIDOWS’ CHARTER has been presented to the CEDAW, and has also been submitted to the SAADC, South Asian Development Committee by our partner in Nepal, WHR-SWG (Women for Human Rights-Single Women’s Group).
 
Any additional queries, please contact: Margaret Owen, (Director, WPD) email: director.wpd@googlemail.com