Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Holds Informal Meeting with States Parties

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women this morning held an informal meeting with States parties.

Committee Experts briefed States parties on the Committee’s work on individual communications; gender-based violence against women; the women, peace and security agenda; and the strengthening and harmonisation of working methods.

The Russian Federation, Finland, Chile, China and Spain took the floor to make comments and ask questions.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s eighty-ninth session is being held from 7 October to 25 October. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’swebpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

The Committee will next meet in public at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, 25 October to launch its general recommendation 40 on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems.

Statements by Committee Experts

ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ,Committee Chairperson, said the meeting today aimed to provide Member States with information about the work that the Committee had carried out over the past two years, and work for the future. Over the past two years, the Committee had held constructive dialogues with around 25 States every year. There were currently 37 States pending review. Regrettably, due to the liquidity crisis, one of the pre-sessional meetings of the Committee was cancelled, which meant some delays. Thirteen States had chosen not to abide by the simplified reporting procedure.

The Committee had pursued its work in considering all the communications submitted to the working group on communications. In 2023, the Committee registered 19 cases, adopting 12 decisions and determining rights violations in six of those cases. The Committee had approved a confidential inquiry on the right to abortion, which was published this year. Last year, the Committee paid a confidential visit to a State party regarding the kidnapping of girls by armed groups.

It was regretful that the meetings of the working groups had been reduced due to the liquidity crisis. Today, the Committee would launch a general recommendation which guaranteed parity in participation. During the next session, the Committee would hold a half day debate with States parties to address the upcoming general recommendation. Ms. Peláez Narváez appealed to Member States for additional funding to carry out the Committee’s work, particularly in the case of general recommendation 41.

The Committee co-chaired the Platform of Independent Expert Mechanisms on Discrimination and Violence against Women which coordinated mechanisms relating to violence against women. A document would be developed and made available to Member States. Despite setbacks, the Committee continued to carry out its work. Member States were urged to support the use of a predictable review calendar, with a view to strengthening the treaty body system. The Committee was requesting resources to implement these proposals.

MARION BETHEL,Committee Vice Chair, said the working group on gender-based violence was formed in 2021. The work of the working group focused on using the Convention framework jurisprudence, based on the Committee’s concluding observations, communications, views and inquiry findings, as a tool to address norms that influenced legislation, policies and programmes around gender-based violence. The working group held States parties responsible for preventing, investigating and prosecuting cases of gender-based violence. During dialogues, States were urged to implement the necessary political will to address gender-based violence.

The Working Group had also produced a paper which underscored the adequacy of the Convention framework as the mechanism for addressing gender-based violence against women, which highlighted the pressing need for better implementation of the existing framework of the Convention. Through the general recommendation 40, the Committee stressed that gender-based violence against women was the result of an unequal and discriminatory system, based on the structural domination and exclusion of women. The Committee urged States parties to adopt a comprehensive approach and implement all rights under the Convention, including institutionalising parity, as the key safeguard against gender-based violence.

ESTHER EGHOBAMIEN,Committee Expert, said emerging technologies made cyberspace a place for committing different forms of violence. Instruments to deal with cyber violence were currently limited, including the Budapest Convention 2004, among others. Currently, around 80 per cent of United Nations Member States had an international law discussing cybercrime. However, there was no universally accepted definition for online violence which specifically targeted women and recognised their vulnerability. Therefore, the Committee’s work focused on legal governance, including the new global convention which failed to address certain components of the Convention. The Committee was engaging in activities which would address cybercrime and violence.

BANDANA RANA,Committee Expert, said the Committee continued to be deeply concerned at the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, where the denial to women and girls of education, employment, restrictions on movement, and presence in public spaces constituted grave violations of the Convention. In January 2022 the Committee requested information from the de facto authorities on measures for the prevention of gender-based violence and the curtailment of rights in all sectors. In their response, the de facto authorities claimed substantial improvements in the status and rights of women, which starkly contradicted with the increase in the abuses reported on the ground.

In discussions with Afghan civil society, organizations urged the Committee to continue engagement using the full potential of the Convention mechanism for advancing accountability. In this regard, the Committee had initiated discussion and preparation for considering the fourth periodic report of Afghanistan. The Committee called on all stakeholders to engage in the process for safeguarding the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan as enshrined in the Convention.

RANGITA DE SILVA DE ALWIS,Committee Expert, said the Committee was concerned that women’s voices were still missing from key security forums. The women, peace and security agenda had transformed, as had the Committee’s ways of implementing it. Women’s minds were battlegrounds for power and control, especially in the context of an institutionalised ban of women’s education under the Taliban. The Committee had also raised the alarm on food insecurity in Gaza. The next 25 years would range new challenges, where women were required to lead urgent responses to crisis prevention.

HIROKO AKIZUKI,Committee Expert, said in 2022, the Committee made a significant decision to endorse the proposal of the annual meeting of the Chairpersons of the human rights treaty bodies to implement a predictable 8-year reporting calendar once operationalised, which would include follow-up reviews in between. In October 2023, the Committee amended its rules of procedure to introduce a new rule, allowing for the examination of State party reports in the absence of their representatives. To promote more effective and constructive dialogues, the Committee decided to identify five to 10 priority themes for discussion, which were communicated to the State party two days in advance of the dialogue. In May 2024, the Committee accepted an invitation from the South Pacific Community to organise a technical cooperation event in Fiji in 2025, during which the Committee planned to engage with three States parties from the region. The concluding observations would be adopted at the subsequent formal session of the Committee in Geneva.

Questions and Comments by States Parties

Russian Federation took note of the work of the Committee to consider individual reports to parties of the Convention. The problem of violence against women was a topical issue. The Committee was called on to use clearer wording in this regard. The item on the agenda of the Security Council on women, peace and security had nothing to do with the Convention. There was a disproportionate use of time within the Committee’s sessions. The consideration of individual communications led to delays in considering States parties reports. Considering reports in the absence of a delegation was counterproductive.

Finland said the treaty bodies contributed to the scope of human rights law. The Committee’s work on gender-based violence was important, as was the women, peace and security agenda. Had any measures been taken to establish a more structured follow-up procedure to individual communications?

Chile said it was aware of the Convention’s importance and reiterated strong support to the Convention and its principles, including the Optional Protocol. The Committee had made significant progress in combatting gender-based violence. Violence against women and girls was one of the most flagrant violations of human rights, rooted in gender stereotypes. Chile had developed a policy to combat gender-based violence, which took the Committee’s recommendations into account. Chile was seriously concerned by the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan. The State would work tirelessly to implement the principles of the Convention.

China said it would continue to support the Committee’s critical role in strengthening human rights globally. Nearly 30 years ago, the fourth World Conference on Women was held in Beijing. Over the past three decades, the spirit of the Beijing Declaration had been upheld and the social status of women had been significantly enhanced. At the recent conclusion of the Human Rights Council’s fifty-seventh session, China and other countries sponsored a resolution to mark the Declaration’s thirtieth anniversary, which was unanimously adopted. Treaty bodies should hold extensive consultation with States parties regarding their working methods.

Spain said it supported streamlining and coordinating procedures and was concerned at the impact of the liquidity crisis on the Committee’s work.

Responses by the Committee Experts

NAHLA HAIDAR,Committee Expert, said there was no structured follow-up procedure as such for communications. There was an inter-committee focused on this issue. It was hoped this issue would be resolved shortly. The issue of the financial crisis had greatly impacted the Committee’s work.

HIROKO AKIZUKI,Committee Expert, said the participation of State party representatives in person was very important and effective for the dialogue. Once the eight-year cycle was operational, the country list would be published. Countries should be ready to come to Geneva to speak with the Committee.

BANDANA RANA,Committee Expert, said the Committee’s general recommendation 30 on women in conflict situations and peacebuilding provided a mechanism to assess and recommend stronger measures for addressing the rights of women in conflict and post conflict.

RANGITA DE SILVA DE ALWIS,Committee Expert, said the women, peace and security agenda was built on four pillars. Unfortunately, the pillar on prevention of conflict had not been given the same emphasis as the protection of women during the aftermath of conflict. The women, peace and security agenda’s main goal was to create a geopolitical situation to address the ways that women’s leadership could strengthen the agenda and general recommendation 30.

MARION BETHEL,Vice Chair, said a paper had been published on the Committee’s website which illustrated the adequacy of the Convention in addressing gender-based violence as a form of gender discrimination. It was important to implement legislation, policies and programmes to prevent gender-based violence, as well as carry out investigations into cases and provide reparations for victims. The document served as a guidance tool for States parties to incorporate into their legislation.

In concluding remarks, ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ,Committee Chairperson, thanked everyone for their participation in the dialogue. The meeting had been important to address concerns raised by Members States.