Many women continue worldwide, dying from pregnancy or childbirth. They continue dying despite the existence of health information and services.

According to the West-African NGOs report on the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, ECOWAS Member States had, for the period 2000-2007, registered maternal mortality rates ranging between 210 and 2100 deaths for 100 thousand live births, which is higher than the threshold of 100 deaths for 100,000 live births set by the Cairo Programme of Action for the period 2000-2005.

It is in this framework that the Global conference on maternal health and childbirth is organized by Women Deliver, a U.S. NGO. It will be held from 7 to 9 June 2010 in Washington, USA under the theme "Delivering solutions to women and girls".

The conference aims to develop strategies to reduce maternal and child mortality and also find ways to provide health information services to mothers and babies.

The conference will tackle other issues such as poverty reduction, women’s human rights and economic development.

The conference will bring together participants from 75 countries worldwide.

For more details, please visit the website: http://www.womendeliver.org

Part of a series of meetings the Inter-Parliamentary Union will organize throughout its programme on violence against women (VAW), this regional meeting for Latin America aims to provide parliamentarians and parliamentary staff with an opportunity to exchange of experience between Parliaments confronted with similar situations and challenges.

It will examine the status of legislation on violence against women VAW and discuss mechanisms for its effective enforcement. Particular attention will be placed on costing VAW, gender-sensitive budgeting and monitoring mechanisms as tools to support proper enforcement of VAW legislation.

Organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Legislative Assembly of Ecuador, the meeting will be held in Cuenca on 21, 22 and 23 April 2010 and will enable participants to:
• gain a deeper understanding of the issues related to violence against women in the region; • discuss the status of existing legislation on VAW;
• identify gaps and challenges;
• discuss the use of gender-sensitive budgeting as an effective mechanism to support enforcement of VAW legislation; • gain understanding of the costs of VAW and gender implications of budgeting, both in theory and in practice; • examine different national monitoring mechanisms that can secure effective implementation of the VAW legislation;
• develop common strategies and parliamentary cooperation to combat VAW.

For more information, please visit: http://www.ipu.org/splz-e/cuenca10.htm

This international conference will give participants the chance to share and discuss promising modes of intervention that can diminish the impact of sexual violence. CIVS 2007 is for all workers, researchers, and professionals involved with victims of sexual violence. Additional information: www.civs2007.org

Civil Service International (SCI) Switzerland and UNITED For Intercultural Action are organising a large European conference against racism in the framework of the “all different -all equal” campaign of the Council of Europe. The conference will be held in Neuchatel, Switzerland from 14-19 November 2006. For more information, consult: Louise Latt, SCI Switzerland, 031 381 46 20/ louise.laett@scich.org www.united.non-profit.nl/pdfs/pressCH_F2.pdf

What are the dynamics of globalization or of participation in globalization that are set by the increasing internationalization caused by a surge in communication and to what extent does culture, formerly governed by geographically bound sovereign territories, resist or adhere to the prevailing determinisms of universality? This is in essence the principal question around which the Brazzaville-Kinshasa conference presentations will focus. Dates: 16-20 April, 2007 http://www.cipaco.org/article.php3?id_article=898

The Committee will hold its 36th session in New York from 7 to 25 August 2006. Cape Verde and Ghana will be under exam.

See: un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/36sess.htm

The Gambia, Benin and Burkina Faso will be examined at the 33rd session. The one from Mali and Togo will be handle at the 34th session.

33rd session: 5 to 22 July 2005 34th session: 16 January to 6 Feb. 2006

Venue: New York

Source: www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/33sess.htm

Eighty-sixth session will take place in New York from 13-31 March 2006. Democratic Republic of Congo will be examined.

84th session: 11 to 29 July 2005 85the session: 17 October to 4 Nov. 2005

Venue: Geneva, Switzerland

Source: www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrc/sessions.htm

61st session: 14 March au 22 April 2005

Venue: Genève

Source: www.ohchr.org/french/bodies/chr/sessions/61/index.htm

39th ORDINARY SESSION of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

11 to 25 May 2006 at Kairaba Beach Hotel, Banjul, Gambia

More information: achpr.org/francais/_info/news_fr.html

36th ordinary session: 23 November to 7 December 2004

Venue: Dakar, Senegal

Commission: www.achpr.org

50th session

Date: 27 February - 10 March 2006

Venue: New York

49th session

Date: 28 February to 11 March 2005

Venue: New York

Source: www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/Review/index.htm