Brussels, 30/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) has put some “recommendations” on the situation of women in the EuroMed area to the Euro Mediterranean Ministerial Conference in Marseilles on 3-4 November. It calls for the revision of the Istanbul Plan of Action (IPA) on strengthening the role of women in society, adopted in November 2006 following a special ministerial conference. The EMHRN wants the IPA to become “a political tool that clearly encourages the elimination of discrimination against women”. The IPA contains the commitment “to strengthen the role of women in the political, civil, social, economic, and cultural spheres as well as to fight discrimination” and to “to achieve the … objectives within a five-year plan (2006-2010)”. The EMHRN, however, points to a number of “shortcomings”, including in the “follow-up mechanism”, and a lack of clear assignment of responsibility. The revision, it feels, should make the IPA “clear, explicit and goal specific” in the short, medium and long terms, and “incorporate indicators to measure progress towards achieving the goals and means of implementation, including financial resources”. (F.B./transl.rt)