Anti-discrimination Committee concludes session, having examined women’s situation in Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Japan, Morocco, Slovenia and New Zealand

Committee on Elimination of
Discrimination against Women
628th Meeting (PM)



Having considered reports of eight States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the monitoring body of that human rights instrument today made recommendations for the advancement of women in Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Japan, Morocco, Slovenia and New Zealand.

Concluding its three-week session this afternoon, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women –- the only international treaty body that deals exclusively with women’s rights -- adopted its final report for the twenty-ninth session.  The document describes the Committee’s meetings from 30 June through 18 July, and contains concluding comments on the eight States parties that had reported at this session on their compliance with the Convention.  The main issues addressed by the Committee during its deliberations included women’s access to decision-making; means of overcoming negative stereotypes; women’s education and health; the situation of rural women; discrimination within the family and in the labour market; and special measures to advance gender equality.

Often described as an international bill of rights for women, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was adopted by the General Assembly in 1979 and entered into force on 3 September 1981.  The Convention, which, as of 3 June 2003 had been ratified or acceded to by 174 countries, requires States parties to eliminate discrimination against women in the enjoyment of all civil, political, economic and cultural rights.  In pursuing the Convention’s goals, States parties are encouraged to introduce affirmative action measures designed to promote equality between women and men.

Closing the session, Committee Chairperson Ayse Feride Acar, an expert from Turkey, said that the Committee, in an intense session, had not only reviewed the reports of eight States parties, but also had taken action on a number of matters towards the overall goals of the Convention.  The Committee had consistently requested reporting States to give wide publicity to its concluding comments, which it hoped would be the basis for specific follow-up in the legislative, policy and administrative areas.  The Committee had also taken steps to contribute to the efforts of the human rights treaty bodies towards the overall objectives of the treaty system.

Most importantly, the Committee had decided on modalities for implementing its incremental approach to encourage reporting by those States parties whose reports were more than five years overdue.  For the first time, the Committee had met in a closed session with States parties to identify challenges in report preparation.  The session had been particularly well attended by representatives of non-governmental organizations.

The Committee had also continued its work under the Optional Protocol to the Convention, she said, both in regard to the communications procedure and under its article concerning the inquiry procedure.  [The Optional Protocol, which entered into force on 22 December 2000, entitles the Committee to conduct inquiries into grave or systematic violations of the Convention and enables it to consider petitions from individual women or groups of women who have exhausted national remedies.]

In her concluding remarks, Carolyn Hannan, Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women, summarized the work of the session and expressed confidence that the Committee’s concluding comments would make a significant contribution to the ongoing process of achieving equality for all women.  The outcome of the session included a decision to consider, during the next session, the option of holding meetings in parallel working groups to enhance the Committee’s working methods and achieve timely consideration of periodic reports of States parties.

The Committee had also focused on ways and means of encouraging reporting by States parties, she continued.  In particular, it had convened a meeting with States whose reports under the Convention have been due for over five years and decided that the Chairperson would send reminders to over 25 States whose initial reports were more than five years overdue.  Considerable attention had been devoted to the issue of assistance to States parties to increase their reporting capacity.  Those elements were closely linked, and she believed that greater focus on the Convention at national level would lead to better implementation and adherence to the reporting obligations.

Domestically, she added, preparation of the report should be an ongoing process of reviewing and monitoring implementation.  It should also be an opportunity to formulate and revise national legislation, policy, administrative practices and procedures for the advancement of women.

The Division for the Advancement of Women, on its part, would provide all necessary support to the Committee, she said.  It would also do its best to complete, as soon as possible, the training materials and packages that would facilitate the task of those who are responsible for the implementation of the Convention at the national level.  The Handbook for Parliamentarians, which had been jointly prepared by the Division and the Inter-Parliamentary Union and presented during this session, should become a most useful tool in that regard.

Also this afternoon, the Committee approved its provisional agenda for the next session, which is scheduled to take place in early 2004.

Background on Committee

The Committee is part of the United Nations human rights machinery monitoring implementation of major international conventions, which establish the legitimacy and global outreach of human rights in the economic, social and political spheres.

The 23 experts of the Committee, who serve in their personal capacities, monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which came into force in 1981.  In its 16 substantive articles, it provides a definition of discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end it.  As of 3 June 2003, the Convention had been ratified or acceded to by 174 countries.  It is now an international human rights treaty with the second largest number of ratifications and accessions.

States parties to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice.  They are also committed to submit their initial reports on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations one year after becoming a State party, and subsequent reports at least once every four years thereafter.  In addition to reviewing the reports and evaluating progress made in its concluding comments, the Committee formulates general recommendations on eliminating discrimination against women.  It also receives information from United Nations specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations.

Prior to the beginning of its latest session, the Committee had considered 122 initial, 92 second, 72 third, 45 fourth, 18 fifth and one sixth periodic reports.  It has also reviewed five reports on an exceptional basis -– Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), and Rwanda.

The Committee has adopted 24 general recommendations covering such issues as violence against women; reservations to the Convention; equality in marriage and family relations; women in political and public life; and women and health.  The Committee is currently working on its twenty-fifth general recommendation, which was begun during its twenty-fourth session.  When completed, this new recommendation will address article 4.1 of the Convention on temporary special measures aimed at accelerating de facto equality between men and women.

Committee Membership

The current 23 members of the Committee, serving in their personal capacity, are:  Ayse Feride Acar, Turkey; Sjamsiah Achmad, Indonesia; Meriem Belmihoub-Zerdani, Algeria; Huguette Bokpe Gnacadja, Benin; María Yolanda Ferret Gómez, Cuba; Cornelis Flinterman, Netherlands; Naela Gabr, Egypt; Françoise Gaspard, France; Aída González Martínez, Mexico; Christine Kapalata, United Republic of Tanzania; Salma Khan, Bangladesh; Fatima Kwaku, Nigeria; Rosario Manalo, Philippines; Göran Melander, Sweden; Krisztina Morvai, Hungary; Pramila Patten, Mauritius; Victoria Popescu Sandru, Romania; Fumiko Saiga, Japan; Hanna Beaten Schöpp-Schilling, Germany; Heisoo Shin, Republic of Korea; Dubravka Šimonovic, Croatia; and Maria Regina Tavares da Silva, Portugal.

For a list of States parties to the Convention and to the Optional Protocol, see Press Release WOM/1402.