Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to hold sixty-fifth session in Geneva from 24 October to 18 November 2016

BACKGROUND RELEASE
 
Committee to Consider Situation in Canada, Burundi, Bhutan, Belarus, Argentina, Switzerland, Honduras, Armenia, Bangladesh, Estonia, and the Netherlands
 
GENEVA (20 October 2016) - The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women will hold its sixty-fifth session at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 24 October to 18 November, during which it will review reports presented by Canada, Burundi, Bhutan, Belarus, Argentina, Switzerland, Honduras, Armenia, Bangladesh, Estonia, and the Netherlands on how they implement the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. 
 
States parties to the Convention commit themselves to ending all forms of discrimination against women in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or other fields.  The Committee, a 23-person expert body, monitors compliance with the Convention.  It assesses to what extent each State party is meeting its obligations, and makes recommendations for the implementation of the Convention.

At the opening meeting at 10 a.m. on Monday, 24 October, the Committee will hear an address by a representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and will adopt its agenda and programme of work.  During the session, the Committee will consider the reports of 11 States parties, and will also hold public informal meetings with non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions to discuss the situation in the countries whose reports will be considered. 

Canada is presenting its combined eighth and ninth periodic reports CEDAW/C/CAN/8-9.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined sixth and seventh periodic reports, considered in October 2008, can be found in CEDAW/C/CAN/CO/7.
 
Burundi is presenting its combined fifth and sixth periodic reports CEDAW/C/BDI/5-6.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined second, third and fourth periodic reports, considered in January 2008 can be found in CEDAW/C/BDI/CO/4.
 
Bhutan is presenting its combined eighth and ninth periodic reports CEDAW/C/BTN/8-9.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the seventh periodic reports, considered in July 2009, can be found in CEDAW/C/BTN/CO/7.
 
Belarus is presenting its eighth periodic report CEDAW/C/BLR/8.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the seventh periodic report, considered in January 2011, can be found in CEDAW/C/BLR/CO/7.
 
Argentina is presenting its seventh periodic report CEDAW/C/ARG/7.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the sixth periodic report, considered in July 2010, can be found in CEDAW/C/ARG/CO/6.
 
Switzerland is presenting its combined fourth and fifth periodic reports CEDAW/C/CHE/4-5.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined third periodic reports, considered in July 2009, can be found in CEDAW/C/CHE/CO/3.
 
Honduras is presenting its combined seventh and eighth periodic reports CEDAW/C/HND/7-8.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined fourth, fifth and sixth periodic reports, considered in July 2007, can be found in CEDAW/C/HON/CO/6.
 
Armenia is presenting its combined fifth and sixth periodic reports CEDAW/C/ARM/5-6.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined third and fourth periodic reports, considered in January 2009, can be found in CEDAW/C/ARM/CO/4/Rev.1.
 
Bangladesh is presenting its eighth periodic report CEDAW/C/BGD/8.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined sixth and seventh periodic reports, considered in January 2011, can be found in CEDAW/C/BGD/CO/7.
 
Estonia is presenting its combined fifth and sixth periodic reports CEDAW/C/EST/5-6.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the fourth periodic report, considered in July 2007, can be found in CEDAW/C/EST/CO/4.
 
The Netherlands is presenting its sixth periodic report CEDAW/C/NLD/6.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the fifth periodic report, considered in January 2010, can be found in CEDAW/C/NLD/CO/5.
 
The reports that the Committee will review during the session, all related documentation and the programme of work can be found on the session’s webpage.
 
Following the consideration of the country reports, the Committee will adopt concluding observations and recommendations with regard to their implementation of the Convention, which will be published at the end of the session and will be available here.
 
The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings will be available via the following link: http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/ .
 
Detailed meeting coverage can be found in English and French on the United Nations Information Service Geneva’s webpage.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 1979, and entered into force on 3 September 1981. Often described as an international bill of rights for women, the Convention both defines discrimination against women and sets an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. Since its entry into force, the Convention has achieved near-universal acceptance, with 189 States parties.

The Convention defines discrimination against women as "... any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field".

By accepting the Convention, States parties commit themselves to undertake a series of measures to end discrimination against women in all forms, including: incorporating the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system; abolishing all discriminatory laws and adopting appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women; establishing public institutions to ensure the effective protection of women against discrimination; and ensuring the elimination of all acts of discrimination against women by persons, organizations or enterprises.

Optional Protocol to the Convention

On 22 December 2000, the Optional Protocol to the Convention entered into force, by which States parties recognize the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications submitted by individuals or groups of individuals claiming to be victims of a violation of their rights under the Convention.

To date, 108 of the Convention's 189 States parties have accepted the Optional Protocol. Before the Committee considers a complaint, it first must establish its admissibility under the terms of the Optional Protocol. The Optional Protocol also enables the Committee, upon the fulfilment of certain criteria, to undertake inquiries into possible grave or systematic violations of women's rights.

Membership

The Committee is made up of 23 experts of high moral standing and recognized competence in the field of women's rights.  Members are nominated and elected by the States parties and serve in their personal capacity.

The Committee Members are: Ayse Feride Acar (Turkey); Gladys Acosta Vargas (Peru); Nicole Ameline (France); Bakhita Al-Dosari (Qatar); Magalys Arocha Dominguez (Cuba); Barbara Evelyn Bailey (Jamaica); Niklas Bruun (Finland); Louiza Chalal (Algeria); Naéla Mohamed Gabr (Egypt); Hilary Gbedemah (Ghana); Nahla Haidar (Lebanon); Ruth Halperin-Kaddari (Israel); Yoko Hayashi (Japan); Lilian Hofmeister (Austria); Ismat Jahan (Bangladesh); Dalia Leinarte (Lithuania); Lia Nadaraia (Georgia); Theodora Oby Nwankwo (Nigeria); Pramila Patten (Mauritius); Silvia Pimentel (Brazil); Biancamaria Pomeranzi (Italy); Patricia Schulz (Switzerland); and Xiaoqiao Zou (China).

The Chairperson is Ms. Hayashi.  The Vice Chairpersons are Ms. Bailey, Ms. Gabr and Ms. Leinarte.  Ms. Schulz is the Rapporteur.
 

Proposed Programme of Work 

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