A roundtable on "The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women. Experience of France and Uzbekistan" was held on 4 May 2007 at the "Shodlik Palace" hotel in Tashkent.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Uzbekistan in cooperation with National Association of NGOs of Uzbekistan (NANNOUz), Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan and with the support of the Embassy of France in the Republic of Uzbekistan organized the event.

The roundtable was conducted in the framework of the project "The Legislative and Institutional Capacity Development for Women’s Empowerment in Uzbekistan", which aims to support and build the capacity of the government, civil society and mass media in reducing the gender gaps via raising awareness of and implementing the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Committee to Uzbekistan.

The participants of the roundtable included deputies of Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, law-enforcement agencies, lawyers, and National Center on Human Rights of Republic of Uzbekistan - experts who are dealing with promotion and protection of women’s rights in their day-to-day work.

The event was logical continuation of the two-day workshop "On Improvement of Family Protection Mechanisms", which covered international and national experience, based on the model of experience of France. The workshop took place on 2-3 May 2007 at the "Shodlik Palace" hotel in Tashkent.

Visiting Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Paris, member of administrative board of Paris Center of Information on rights of women Ms. Françoise Guyot shared experience of France in family protection mechanisms and legislation against violence in the family.

Ms. Farida Akbarova, deputy chairperson of Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan, said, "Two-day workshop allowed to discuss a lot [on women’s rights and violence in family]. Thanks to Ms. Françoise Guyot, who told a lot on legislation and women in France."

Ms. Akbarova added that women in Uzbekistan should advance and lead young generation with them.

Mr. Sherzod Shermatov, head of Good Governance Unit of the UNDP Uzbekistan, said gender issues are actual around the world and the UN pays special attention to them. He said Uzbekistan did a lot to achieve gender parity: several legislative acts were adopted, Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan and some women organizations operate.

UNDP Uzbekistan is realizing several projects with its local partners to address existing problems in gender issues in the country, he said.

Mr Shermotov said, "We hope that this roundtable will serve to expand opportunities on implementation of provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in Uzbekistan, study experience of the foreign countries in implementation of this convention in justice and lawmaking."

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. Uzbekistan was the first Central Asian country to ratify the convention in 1995 and has reported twice to the CEDAW Committee on its implementation.