The Jakarta Declaration for the Advancement of Women in Asia and the Pacific adopted in June 1994, and the Beijing Platform for Action adopted in September 1995, identified the protection and promotion of the human rights of women as an issue of critical concern. As part of its role in setting international standards for the recognition of the human rights of women, the United Nations produced and adopted the Convention on the elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1979. To follow up these developments the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) organised an Expert Group Meeting on Promoting Women's Rights as Human Rights which was held in Japan from 7-9 August 1996. This is the report of this expert group meeting. It reviews the progress achieved in the ESCAP region in treating women's rights as human rights. It formulates recommendations on women's legal rights and the elimination of violence against women.