MALAYSIA COMMITS TO WOMEN AND CHILDREN COMMISSION

HANOI, April 7 (Bernama) -- Kuala Lumpur is prepared to play an active role
in and is fully committed to the future undertakings of the Asean Commission on
the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children in the
advancement of the two groups.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul
Jalil said that at the national level, Malaysia had established the mechanisms
to promote the rights of women and children to live in peace, dignity and
prosperity.

This was in line with the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the UN Convention on the Rights of
Children as had been adopted by Malaysia since 1995, she said in the country's
statement at a meeting after the inauguration of the commission at the National
Convention Centre, here, Wednesday.

The statement was read out by Deputy Information Communication and
Culture Minister Joseph Salang Gandum.

Shahrizat said the existence of the commission should be viewed as a
commendable effort to elevate women socially, economically and politically as
well to ensure that the future of children in the Asean countries are protected.


She said the existence of the commission would be a momentous move in
providing a comprehensive agenda for the development of the region as it moved
towards becoming an Asean Community by 2015.

"Thus, our presence today will be a big step towards ensuring and
safeguarding the rights of all women and children in Asean in our efforts to
achieve a better tomorrow," she said.

She said the establishment of the commission and its alignment with the
Asean
Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights, which was set up last year, would
further strengthen Asean's human rights framework as a whole.

Malaysia, she said, acknowledged the importance of the establishment of the
commission as a special commission dedicated to addressing the issues of women
and children.

Women and children, who represent 50 per cent of Asean's 550 million
population, were an integral part of society and contributed in no small measure
to the development of a nation, she said.


Malaysia also believed that the contribution from women, especially those in
the labour force, was highly significant in this region, she said, adding that
the presence of women in the economic sector was a pivotal contributor to the
prosperity of a nation.

In this regard, she added, the participation of women in the labour force
had resulted in an increase in productivity, creating wealth for the nation.

"Consequently, we firmly believe that investing in women is smart
economics."

-- BERNAMA



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