Simplified reporting procedure

At its sixty-ninth session in March 2018, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women decided to reinstate the simplified reporting procedure (decision 69/V; see A/73/38, Part Three), which had been suspended in November 2016 (decision 65/V, see A/72/38, Part Two) after the procedure had initially been made available from 1 January 2015 on a pilot basis (decision 58/II; see A/70/38, Part One).

In decision 69/V, the Committee decided to make the simplified reporting procedure available to all States parties, upon their request, irrespective of whether or not their respective periodic report is overdue, provided that the State party concerned: (1) previously submitted an initial report which was considered under the regular procedure; and (2) has submitted an updated common core document, in accordance with the “Harmonized guidelines on reporting under the international human rights treaties, including guidelines on a common core document and treaty-specific documents” (HRI/MC/2006/3 and Corr.1), which dates back no more than five years. It also decided to keep under review the practical modalities of the implementation of the simplified reporting procedure to ensure the effectiveness of the procedure for all stakeholders.

Under the simplified reporting procedure, the Committee’s pre-sessional working group prepares a list of issues to be approved by the Committee at its next regular session, to be transmitted to the State party concerned prior to the submission of its report (such lists are known as lists of issues prior to reporting - LOIPR). The replies of the State party to the list of issues prior to reporting constitute its periodic report under article 18, paragraph 1 (b), of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 68/268, paragraph 16, the periodic report must not exceed 21,200 words.

The Committee is of the view that the simplified reporting procedure will assist States parties to prepare and submit more focused reports. The LOIPR, transmitted to States parties prior to the submission of their reports, will guide the preparation and content of their periodic report, facilitate the reporting process of States parties and strengthen their capacity to fulfil their reporting obligation in a timely and effective manner.

After the submission of the State party's replies to the LOIPR, no further list of issues will be established by the Committee before the consideration of the State party’s report. For that reason, reports received under this procedure will be scheduled by the Committee for consideration as a matter of priority.

See documentation relating to the optional reporting procedure by State party.