ISLAMABAD, Dec 17: Participants of the national conference on Pakistan's draft implementation report on UN Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) have called for joint efforts to promote women's rights in the country.

Participants drawn from political parties and civil society organizations were unanimous on one notion that regardless of political affiliations and personal differences, everyone should work for women's emancipation.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister's Adviser on Women Development Nilofar Bakhtiar said, "we want to take everybody on board for the protection of women's rights in the country. "Though this meeting was not mandatory, however, the ministry has taken this initiative believing that a national- level consensus on CEDAW is of critical importance."

Pakistan became the signatory of CEDAW in April 1996, and it was supposed to submit country's report on the UN convention in 1997. However, owing to lack of infrastructure and political commitment the report could not be prepared until the present day, she said.

But with the present government's concerted efforts, the report is ready to be submitted to the UN on the eve of its session on the status of women scheduled to be held in early March, 2005, she added.

The adviser said: "Today is an important day. We are gathered here as stakeholders to examine and comment upon Pakistan's draft consolidated initial and secondary periodic report under CEDAW."

She said from the point of view of the women development ministry, there was no international document more important than CEDAW. It is the second most heavily ratified human rights treaty in the world, she added.

Ms Bakhtiar said more than 170 states had either acceded to it or had ratified it. CEDAW is an international constitution on women's rights and also called the passport to women's rights, she added.

She said CEDAW was also among the basic policy documents for the ministry and central to its function of promoting and protecting the rights of women. The adviser said CEDAW addressed all aspects of the women's rights as it presented a detailed description of discrimination against women.

It stresses establishment of national machineries for promotion and protection of women's rights and remedial measures for women who face discrimination. It also calls for abolition of gender stereotypes and places special emphasis on the rights of rural women.

The one field which it does not specifically address is violence against women. However, the CEDAW committee through two detailed recommendations have addressed these omissions, Ms Bakhtiar said.

Samia Raheel Qazi of MMA recording her reservations on the report said, "We have been invited when the government has already finalized the report and just sharing with us." There must be a continuous consultation process for such an issue and people from all walks of life should be involved from the very beginning, she added.