BACKGROUND RELEASE

Committee to consider Women’s rights in Burkina Faso, Singapore, Paraguay, Nauru, Israel, Kuwait, Kenya, Oman, Norway, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Monaco and Guatemala

GENEVA (19 October 2017) - The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women will hold its sixty-eighth session at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 23 October to 17 November, during which it will review reports presented by Burkina Faso, Singapore, Paraguay, Nauru, Israel, Kuwait, Kenya, Oman, Norway, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Monaco and Guatemala on how they implement the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

At the opening meeting on Monday, 23 October, the Committee will adopt its agenda and programme of work, and hear a presentation of the report of the Chair on activities undertaken between the sixty-seventh and sixty-eighth sessions of the Committee. During the session, the Committee will consider the reports of 12 States parties, and 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. It will also hold an expert panel, in public meeting, to launch its recent general recommendation No. 35 on gender based violence against women, updating general recommendation No. 19.

Burkina Faso is presenting its seventh periodic report CEDAW/C/BFA/7. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the sixth periodic report, considered in October 2010, can be found in CEDAW/C/BFA/CO/6.

Singapore is presenting its fifth periodic report CEDAW/C/SGP/5. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the fourth periodic report, considered in July 2011, can be found in CEDAW/C/SGP/CO/4/Rev.1.

Paraguay is presenting its seventh periodic report CEDAW/C/PRY/7. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the sixth periodic report, considered in October 2011, can be found in CEDAW/C/PRY/CO/6.

Nauru is presenting its combined initial and second periodic reports CEDAW/C/NRU/1-2.

Israel is presenting its sixth periodic report CEDAW/C/ISR/6 under the simplified reporting procedure. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the fourth and fifth periodic reports, considered in January 2011, can be found in CEDAW/C/ISR/CO/5.

Kuwait is presenting its fifth periodic report CEDAW/C/KWT/5. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined third and fourth periodic reports, considered in October 2011, can be found in CEDAW/C/KWT/CO/3-4.

Kenya is presenting its eighth periodic report CEDAW/C/KEN/8. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the seventh periodic report, considered in January 2011, can be found in CEDAW/C/KEN/CO/7.

Oman is presenting its combined second and third periodic reports CEDAW/C/OMN/2-3. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the initial report, considered in October 2011, can be found in CEDAW/C/OMN/CO/1.

Norway is presenting its ninth periodic report CEDAW/C/NOR/9. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the eighth periodic report, considered in February 2012, can be found in CEDAW/C/NOR/CO/8.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is presenting its combined second to fourth periodic reports CEDAW/C/PRK/2-4. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the initial report, considered in July 2005, can be found in CEDAW/C/PRK/CO/1.

Monaco is presenting its combined initial to third periodic reports CEDAW/C/MCO/1-3.

Guatemala is presenting its combined eighth and ninth periodic reports CEDAW/C/GTM/8-9. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the seventh periodic report, considered in February 2009, can be found in CEDAW/C/GUA/CO/7.

Detailed meetings coverage can be found in English and French on the United Nations Information Service’s webpage and further information, including copies of the States parties’ reports, all related documentation and the programme of work, are available on the session’s webpage.

The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings will be available via the following link: http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/.

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, 109 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, if a State party to the Optional Protocol has not opted out from the confidential inquiry procedure.

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); Magalys Arocha Dominguez (Cuba); Gunnar Bergby (Norway); Marion Bethel (Bahamas); 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); Rosario Manalo (Philippines); Lia Nadaraia (Georgia); Aruna Devi Narain (Mauritius); Theodora Oby Nwankwo (Nigeria); Bandana Rana (Nepal); Patricia Schulz (Switzerland); Wenyan Song (China); and Aicha Vall Verges (Mauritania).

Ms. Leinarte is the Committee Chairperson. The Vice-Chairs are Ms. Oby Nwankwo, Ms. Halperin-Kaddari, and Ms. Arocha Dominguez. Ms. Manalo is the Committee Rapporteur.

Programme of Work

Monday, 23 October

10 a.m. Opening of the session, adoption of the agenda, report of the Chair

11:30 a.m. Closed meeting

3. p.m. Informal meetings with non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions

Tuesday, 24 October

10 a.m. Seventh periodic report of Burkina Faso CEDAW/C/BFA/7

3 p.m. Burkina Faso (continued)

Wednesday, 25 October

10 a.m. Fifth periodic report of Singapore CEDAW/C/SGP/5

3 p.m. Singapore (continued)

Thursday, 26 October

10 a.m. Seventh periodic report of Paraguay CEDAW/C/PRY/7

3 p.m. Paraguay (continued)

Friday, 27 October

10 a.m. Combined initial and second periodic reports of Nauru CEDAW/C/NRU/1-2

3 p.m. Nauru (continued)

Monday, 30 October

10 a.m. Closed meeting

4 p.m. Informal meetings with non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions

Tuesday, 31 October

10 a.m. Sixth periodic report of Israel CEDAW/C/ISR/6

3 p.m. Israel (continued)

Wednesday, 1 November

10 a.m. Fifth periodic report of Kuwait CEDAW/C/KWT/5

3 p.m. Kuwait (continued)

Thursday, 2 November

10 a.m. Eighth periodic report of Kenya CEDAW/C/KEN/8

3 p.m. Kenya (continued)

Friday, 3 November

10 a.m. Combined second and third periodic reports of Oman CEDAW/C/OMN/2-3

3 p.m. Oman (continued)

Monday, 6 November

10 a.m. Closed meeting

4 p.m. Informal meetings with non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions

Tuesday, 7 November

10 a.m. Ninth periodic report of Norway CEDAW/C/NOR/9

3 p.m. Norway (continued)

Wednesday, 8 November

10 a.m. Combined second to fourth periodic reports of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea CEDAW/C/PRK/2-4

3 p.m. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (continued)

Thursday, 9 November

10 a.m. Combined initial to third periodic reports of Monaco CEDAW/C/MCO/1-3

3 p.m. Monaco (continued)

Friday, 10 November

10 a.m. Combined eighth and ninth periodic reports of Guatemala CEDAW/C/GTM/8-9

3 p.m. Guatemala (continued)

Monday, 13 November

Closed meetings

Tuesday, 14 November

10 a.m. Closed meeting

3 p.m. Expert panel to launch CEDAW general recommendation No. 35 (2017) on gender based violence against women,
updating general recommendation No. 19

Wednesday, 15 November

Closed meetings

Thursday, 16 November

Closed meetings

Friday, 17 November

10 a.m. Closed meeting

4 p.m. Public closing of the session

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For use of the information media; not an official record