Inter-American Convention to Prevent, Punish and Eradicate Violence against Women (Convención de Belém do Pará)
Inter-American Commission of Women
Established in 1928, the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) was the first inter-governmental agency established to ensure recognition of women’s human rights.
Mission: Shape the public policy agenda from a rights-based perspective for the full citizenship of women and the elimination of gender-based discrimination and violence.
Vision: CIM is the main generator of hemispheric policies that link public policy with international legal framework on human rights through dialogue between strategic sectors.
As pioneer, in 1990, CIM convoked the Inter-American Consultation on Women and Violence to consider the draft Inter-American Convention on Women and Violence. Following that in April, 1994, a Special Assembly of CIM delegates was able to study and approve the Convention for submission and final adoption by the Twenty-fourth Regular General Assembly of the OAS, which was held in Belém do Pará, Brazil, in June 1994. Once again, CIM was the first international body placing before international political bodies a question that is of crucial concern both for women and for the better health of democratic societies.
Follow-up Mechanism to the Belém do Pará Convention (MESECVI)
The effective implementation of the Convention requires a continuous and independent evaluation process, which in 2004 led to the creation of the Follow-up Mechanism to the Belém do Pará Convention (MESECVI).
MESECVI is a systematic and permanent multilateral evaluation methodology that is based on exchange and technical cooperation between the States Party to the Convention and a Committee of Experts.
MESECVI analyzes progress in the implementation of the Convention by the States Party, as well as persistent challenges to an effective State response to violence against women.
Conference of States Party
The Conference of States Parties brings together the Competent National Authorities and other representatives of the States that have signed and/or ratified the Convention of Belém do Pará to discuss the national reports and the recommendations prepared by the Committee of Experts, validate and adopt the Report Hemispheric, address routine issues of the MESECVI operation and exchange ideas on the effective and sustainable implementation of the Convention.
The Committee of Experts (CEVI) of the Follow-up Mechanism of the Belem do Pará Convention
The CEVI is the technical organism of the Mechanism responsible for analyzing and evaluating the implementation of the tenets of the Convention by the States Parties. In the course of their duties, the CEVI points out that violence against women in the region remain a reality. The responsibilities of the Committee of Experts include:
- Prepare and circulate the questionnaire on the implementation of the Convention of Belém do Pará
- Evaluate the responses of the States Parties and formulate recommendations to strengthen the implementation of the Convention
- Prepare the national reports and the consolidated Hemispheric Report
- Identify and circulate the indicators for monitoring the recommendations
- Prepare the monitoring report