United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to meet in Geneva from 6 to 24 July 2015

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
  against Women

2 July 2015

BACKGROUND RELEASE

Committee to Consider Situation in Senegal, Spain, the Gambia, Viet Nam, Bolivia, Croatia, Namibia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women will hold its sixty-first session at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 6 to 24 July 2015, during which it will review reports presented by Senegal, Spain, the Gambia, Viet Nam, Bolivia, Croatia, Namibia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 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 on Monday, 6 July, the Committee will be addressed by a representative of the Secretary-General and adopt its agenda.  In addition to considering the reports of eight States parties, the Committee will hold public informal meetings with non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions that will brief the Committee on the situation in the countries whose reports will be considered.  It will also consider individual complaints as well as inquiries under the Optional Protocol to the Convention, in closed meetings.  The Committee will discuss matters relating to general recommendations and its methods of work. 

Senegal is presenting its combined third to seventh periodic reports CEDAW/C/SEN/3-7.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the second periodic report, considered in January 1994, can be found in A/49/37(SUPP)paras.666-728. 

Spain is presenting its combined seventh and eighth periodic reports CEDAW/C/ESP/7-8.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the sixth periodic report, considered in August 2009, can be found in CEDAW/C/ESP/CO/6.  

The Gambia is presenting its combined fourth and fifth periodic reports CEDAW/C/GMB/4-5.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined second and third periodic reports, considered in August 2005, can be found in A/60/38(SUPP)paras.171-220. 

Viet Nam is presenting its combined seventh and eighth periodic reports CEDAW/C/VNM/7-8.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the sixth periodic report, considered in February 2007, can be found in CEDAW/C/VNM/CO/6.

Bolivia is presenting its combined fifth and sixth periodic reports CEDAW/C/BOL/5-6.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the fourth periodic report, considered in April 2008, can be found in CEDAW/C/BOL/CO/4. 

Croatia is presenting its combined fourth and fifth periodic reports CEDAW/C/HRV/4-5.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined second and third periodic reports, considered in August 2005, can be found in A/60/38(SUPP)paras.178-209. 

Namibia is presenting its combined fourth and fifth periodic reports CEDAW/C/NAM/4-5.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined second and third periodic reports, considered in February 2007, can be found in CEDAW/C/NAM/CO/3.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is presenting its combined fourth to eighth periodic reports CEDAW/C/VCT/4-8.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the second and third periodic reports, considered in January 1997, can be found in A/52/38/REV.1(SUPP) paras.123-150.  

The reports that the Committee will review during the session as well as other documentation can be found on the webpage of the Committee. 

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 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, 106 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): Bakhita Al-Dosari (Qatar); Nicole Ameline (France); Magalys Arocha Dominguez (Cuba);  Barbara Evelyn Bailey (Jamaica); Niklas Bruun (Finland); Louiza Chalal (Algeria); Naela 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).



Proposed Programme of Work

Monday, 6 July

10 a.m.         Opening of session, adoption of agenda, organization of work, report of the Chair on activities undertaken, ways
and means of expediting the work of the Committee

3 p.m.           Informal meeting with non-governmental organizations

4:30 p.m.      Informal meeting with national human rights institutions

Tuesday, 7 July  

10 a.m.         Combined third to seventh periodic reports of Senegal CEDAW/C/SEN/3-7

3 p.m.           Senegal (continued)
         
Wednesday, 8 July
         
10 a.m.         Combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of Spain CEDAW/C/ESP/7-8

3 p.m.           Spain (continued)

Thursday, 9 July

10 a.m.         Combined fourth and fifth periodic reports of the Gambia  CEDAW/C/GMB/4-5

3 p.m.           The Gambia (continued)

Friday, 10 July
         
10 a.m.         Combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of Viet Nam CEDAW/C/VNM/7-8

3 p.m.           Viet Nam (continued)

Monday, 13 July
 
10 a.m.         Closed meeting

3 p.m.           Informal meeting with United Nations bodies and specialized agencies

4 p.m.           Informal meeting with non-governmental organizations

5 p.m.           Informal meeting with national human rights institutions
 
Tuesday, 14 July

10 a.m.         Combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Bolivia CEDAW/C/BOL/5-6

3 p.m.           Bolivia (continued)

Wednesday, 15 July
 
10 a.m.         Combined fourth and fifth periodic reports of Croatia CEDAW/C/HRV/4-5

3 p.m.           Croatia (continued)

Thursday, 16 July

10 a.m.         Combined fourth and fifth periodic reports of Namibia CEDAW/C/NAM/4-5

3 p.m.           Namibia (continued)

Friday, 17 July
 
UN Holiday

Monday, 20 July

10 a.m.         Combined fourth to eighth periodic reports of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines CEDAW/C/VCT/4-8

3 p.m.           Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (continued)

Friday, 24 July
 
10 a.m.         Closed Meeting

4 p.m.           Public closing of the session

Live webcasts of the session can be viewed on http://www.treatybodywebcast.org/. 

The concluding observations will be published on 27 July here:
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=944&Lang=en

For more information and media requests, please contact Liz Throssell (+41 (0) 22 917 9466/ ethrossell@ohchr.org

To learn more about the Committee on the Elimination of the Discrimination against Women, visit: http://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/cedaw/pages/cedawindex.aspx

Treaty Bodies at a glance – pdf booklet:
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/TB/TB_booklet_en.pdf
 
 
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