full version - World Organisation Against Torture

Violence Against Women: 10 Reports / Year 2003It also needs to know whether the State party gives access tosafe abortion to women who have become pregnant as aresult of rape. The States Parties should also provide theCommittee information on measures to prevent forced abortionor forced sterilisation. In States Parties where the practiceof genital mutilation exists, information on its extentand on measures to eliminate it should be provided. Theinformation provided by States parties on all these issuesshould include measures of protection, including legal remedies,for women whose rights under article 7 have been violated.”1.1 Estonia’s International ObligationsEstonia became a member state of the United Nations on 17 September1991. Estonia acceded to the ICCPR on 21 January 1991. Estonia’s governmentreport is submitted in accordance with article 40, paragraph 1 ofthe ICCPR and is Estonia’s second periodic report on the measures takenby the government to implement the rights proclaimed in the ICCPR andon the progress made in the exercise of those rights.Estonia acceded to the First Optional Protocol to the Covenant on 21October 1991. It is not a State party to the Second Optional Protocol toICCPR aiming at the abolition of the death penalty.Estonia is also a State party to other international and regional humanrights instruments prohibiting violence, including torture, and other cruel,inhuman or degrading treatment, directed against women. Estonia accededto the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman orDegrading Treatment or Punishment (hereafter the Convention againstTorture) on 20 November 1991.Estonia has acceded, without reservations, to the Convention on theElimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women on 20November 1991. The Committee on the Elimination of DiscriminationAgainst Women (CEDAW) considered Estonia’s combined initial, secondand third periodic report on the implementation of the Convention duringits 26 th session in January 2002. OMCT regrets the fact that Estonia didnot ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention.242