Desiring
to implement the principle of equality of rights for
men and women contained in the Charter of the United Nations,
Recognizing that everyone has the
right to take part in the government of his country directly or indirectly
through freely chosen representatives, and has the right to equal access to
public service in his country, and desiring to equalize the status of men and
women in the enjoyment and exercise of political rights, in accordance with the
provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights,
Having resolved to conclude a
Convention for this purpose,
Hereby agree as hereinafter
provided:
Article I
Women shall be entitled to vote in all
elections on equal terms with men, without any discrimination.
Article II
Women shall be eligible for election to all
publicly elected bodies, established by national law, on equal terms with men,
without any discrimination.
Article III
Women shall be entitled to hold public office
and to exercise all public functions, established by national law, on equal
terms with men, without any discrimination.
Article IV
1. This Convention shall be open for signature
on behalf of any Member of the United Nations and also on behalf of any other
State to which an invitation has been addressed by the General Assembly.
2. This Convention shall be ratified and the
instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of
the United Nations.
Article V
1. This Convention shall be open for accession
to all States referred to in paragraph 1 of article IV.
2. Accession shall be effected by the deposit
of an instrument of accession with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Article VI
1. This Convention shall come into force on
the ninetieth day following the date of deposit of the sixth instrument of
ratification or accession.
2. For each State ratifying or acceding to the
Convention after the deposit of the sixth instrument of ratification or
accession the Convention shall enter into force on the ninetieth day after
deposit by such State of its instrument of ratification or accession.
Article VII
In the event that any State submits a
reservation to any of the articles of this Convention at the time of signature,
ratification or accession, the Secretary-General shall communicate the text of
the reservation to all States which are or may become Parties to this
Convention. Any State which objects to the reservation may, within a period of
ninety days from the date of the said communication (or upon the date of its
becoming a Party to the Convention), notify the Secretary-General that it does
not accept it. In such case, the Convention shall not enter into force as
between such State and the State making the reservation.
Article VIII
1. Any State may denounce this Convention by
written notification to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Denunciation shall take effect one year after the date of receipt of the
notification by the Secretary-General.
2. This Convention shall cease to be in force
as from the date when the denunciation which reduces the number of Parties to
less than six becomes effective.
Article IX
Any dispute which may arise between any two or
more Contracting States concerning the interpretation or application of this
Convention, which is not settled by negotiation, shall at the request of any
one of the parties to the dispute be referred to the International Court of
Justice for decision, unless they agree to another mode of settlement.
Article X
The Secretary-General of the United Nations
shall notify all Members of the United Nations and the non-member States
contemplated in paragraph 1 of article IV of this Convention of the following:
(a) Signatures and instruments of ratification
received in accordance with article IV;
(b) Instruments of accession received in
accordance with article V;
(c) The date upon which this Convention enters
into force in accordance with article VI;
(d) Communications and notifications received
in accordance with article VII;
(e) Notifications of denunciation received in
accordance with paragraph 1 of article VIII;
(f) Abrogation in accordance with paragraph 2
of article VIII.
Article XI
1. This Convention, of which the Chinese,
English, French, Russian and Spanish texts shall be equally authentic, shall be
deposited in the archives of the United Nations.
2. The Secretary-General of the United Nations
shall transmit a certified copy to all Members of the United Nations and to the
non-member States contemplated in paragraph 1 of article IV.
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Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Geneva, Switzerland