6 (a) Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women [excerpt]* The States Parties to the present Protocol, Noting that the Charter of the United Nations reaffirms faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women, Also noting that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind, including distinction based on sex, Recalling that the International Covenants on Human Rights and other international human rights instruments prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, Also recalling the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (“the Convention”), in which the States Parties thereto condemn discrimination against women in all its forms and agree to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating discrimination against women, Reaffirming their determination to ensure the full and equal enjoyment by women of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and to take effective action to prevent violations of these rights and freedoms, Have agreed as follows: * Adopted by General Assembly resolution 54/4 of 6 October 1999. The Optional Protocol entered into force on 22 December 2000. It currently has 51 States Parties, namely: Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Senegal, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Uruguay, Venezuela. 73