MARUAH Singapore

https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2026/02/statement-committee-elimination-discrimination-against-women-united

17 February 2026

Women’s and girls’ rights are human rights — this has and always will be non-negotiable.

This year, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (the Convention) celebrates its 45^th anniversary, with near universal ratification. Its 189 States parties have undertaken legally binding obligations to guarantee equal rights to women and girls — half of the world’s population – as to the rest of humanity. Alarmingly, the unprecedented financial and liquidity crisis runs counter to these obligations.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (the Committee) — the body mandated under Article 17 of the CEDAW Convention to monitor how States parties implement the Convention, expresses its grave concern that the financial and liquidity crisis directly hampers its ability to effectively implement its mandate. This crisis results from Member States’ failure to pay in full and in time their assessed contributions to the UN adopted budget for the year, resulting in a widening financial gap and serious setback in the international protection of human rights, including the rights of women and girls enshrined in the CEDAW Convention.

The Committee, like other treaty bodies, was forced to cancel one of its three annual sessions in 2025 and it might again have to cancel at least one of its sessions in 2026 because of the financial crisis. Cancellations have the direct effect of significantly reducing the number of States parties reviewed under the Convention and individual communications and inquiry requests considered under the Optional Protocol to the Convention, thereby hampering the Committee’s ability to conduct timely and effective monitoring of the Convention. This results in continued violations and limits access to justice for women and girls.

States parties to the CEDAW Convention failing to pay assessed contributions therefore severely undermine their obligations to respect and ensure the rights of women and girls as well as to respect the mandate of the Committee. In addition, Member States who do not pay their dues fail to comply with article 17 (2) of the Charter of the United Nations, stipulating that the expenses of the Organization shall be borne by the Members as apportioned by the General Assembly.

As the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Volker Türk warned – during the launch of a USD 400 million funding appeal for 2026 to address global human rights needs – “with mounting crises, the world cannot afford a human rights system in crisis”.

The financial crisis comes at a particularly perilous moment when according to UN Women, one out of every four countries is experiencing backlash against women’s and girls’ rights to equality. Across the globe, women and girls are increasingly excluded from decisions that shape their own lives, their societies, and our shared future. They are facing mounting gender-based violence, offline and online, in peace as well as in conflict. At the same time, hard-won gains in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights, political participation and civic freedoms are being rolled back, undermining women’s and girls’ rights and dignity. 

The full implementation of women’s and girls’ rights is first and foremost a matter of rights and justice.

But it is also decisive for the well-being of humanity as a whole. In a world ridden by conflict, injustice, immense power imbalances and nearing climate collapse, the preamble to CEDAW reminds us that “the full and complete development of a country, the welfare of the world and the cause of peace require the maximum participation of women on equal terms with men in all fields.” Women, as research demonstrates, are crucial drivers of peace, with peace agreements signed by women being more likely to be implemented and lasting. Yet, women remain largely underrepresented in or even excluded from conflict prevention and peace building.  Women are essential in building a more sustainable and resilient future, and gender equality is an important driver for inclusive economic growth, as underscored in the World Bank’s Gender Equality Strategy 2024–2030. Yet, women are often at the margins of decision-making in this regard. Women’s political leadership has been linked to greater stability and peace, stronger responsiveness to people’s needs and enhanced cooperation, and yet women’s political participation and activism are under attack. The international community cannot claim to prioritize gender equality as a key driver of sustainable peace and development when it allows the primary international mechanism for monitoring women’s and girls’ rights to collapse.

We echo the UN Secretary-General’s  call addressed to Member States, to honour their financial commitments or reform financial regulations that require the United Nations to return funds it has never received.

We call on all States parties to explore emergency measures to fill the financial gap and ensure that the Committee can fully and effectively deliver on its crucial mandate.

We call on governments, civil society organizations, women’s and girls’ rights advocates, and concerned citizens – to do everything within their power to ensure that the CEDAW Committee can continue its essential work – for the implementation of women’s and girls’ rights and for the benefit of humanity as a whole.

As recently mentioned by the Secretary General, “we cannot – and will not – give in to the disturbing pushback on the rights of women and girls – half of humanity – and the hard-won gains in equality, participation, and protection.”

The women and girls of the world are counting on us. We must not fail them. The world needs a functioning and strong CEDAW Committee.