Nahla Haidar, the newly appointed chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at the U.N. (Credit: UN Human Rights MENA Facebook page)
BEIRUT — Lebanese jurist Nahla Haidar was re-elected to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on Monday, this time as its Chair.
Haidar, who was previously vice-chair, published a statement on X saying she is "humbled by this new responsibility" and that she hopes to "meet the high expectations placed upon me during these extremely challenging times for human rights and the multilateral system."
Haidar has been working with the U.N. for over 35 years, both at headquarters and in the field, in a career that spans social development, humanitarian assistance, peace-building, and human rights. The lawyer, who was an active member of the Arab Lawyers Union in the early 80’s, speaks Arabic, French, English and Spanish, has a master of law degree from Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris, and a degree in international law from Saint Joseph University (USJ) in Beirut.
She previously served as a commissioner for the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and played a pivotal role as the rapporteur for the development and adoption of the committee's General Recommendation 37 on the gender-related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change.
The committee is a 23-member expert body that was established in 1982 to monitor the progress for women in countries that are party to the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The convention's text was prepared in 1976, deliberated over for three years, and adopted by the General Assembly with 130 in favor, none against, and 10 abstentions.
During a special ceremony at the Copenhagen Conference in July 1980, 64 member states signed the convention and by September 1981, 20 states had ratified it, bringing it into force faster than any previous human rights convention had done.
The convention has recently been used to challenge the treatment of women in the Congo, Japan, Saudia Arabia and Brazil.
Abaad, a Lebanese NGO that aims to achieve gender equality in the MENA region told L'Orient Today that while the organization has "not had the honor" of working closely with Haidar before, "We have been in communication with her around committee meetings and the submission of Lebanon CEDAW shadow reports," their spokesperson explained.
"We are willing to reinforce our work with her upon her election as chair of the committee, which would be a significant step forward for all activists in the MENA region, especially in Lebanon. Her leadership would bring voices from the region to the table amidst ongoing crises, led by someone who is deeply aware of the region’s complexities."
Decades of UN experience
Haidar’s extensive U.N. experience includes work with various UN Programs, Funds, and Specialized Agencies, such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Her roles have ranged from social development (1977–1979), human resources management (1979–1982), and relief coordination (1982–1988), to emergency management training and capacity-building (1988–1998), development cooperation (1998–2001), peace-building (2001–2005), and intellectual property and development (2005–2009).
On Monday, the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the U.N. congratulated Haidar on her election, posting on X:
“Congratulations to Nahla Haidar on her election as Chair of CEDAW! This milestone is a proud moment for Lebanon. Her expertise and dedication make her the perfect choice for this esteemed role. We are confident in her leadership to advance women's rights and gender equality globally!”
Congratulations to Nahla Haidar on her election as Chair of CEDAW! This milestone is a proud moment for Lebanon. Her expertise and dedication make her the perfect choice for this esteemed role. We are confident in her leadership to advance women's rights&gender equality globally! pic.twitter.com/q5DzCkYoEz
— UN Lebanon Mission (@LebanonUN) February 3, 2025