COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN CONCLUDES FORTY-THIRD SESSION

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women this afternoon concluded its forty-third session, adopting concluding observations and recommendations on the reports of Dominica, Armenia, Haiti, Cameroon, Libya, Germany, Guatemala and Rwanda, which it examined at this session, as well as adopting two statements – on the situation in Gaza and on the international financial crisis and its consequences on the human rights of women and girls.

The eight countries whose reports were examined at the present session are among the 185 States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In ratifying the Convention, these States commit to submitting regular reports to the Committee on how they are implementing the Convention’s provisions. Following an examination of those reports, in the presence of delegations from the States parties, the Committee adopted, in private session, concluding observations and recommendations for each report, contained in the following documents: for Armenia, CEDAW/C/ARM/CO/4; for Cameroon, CEDAW/C/CMR/CO/3; for Dominica, CEDAW/C/DMA/CO/7; for Germany, CEDAW/C/DE/CO/6; for Guatemala, CEDAW/C/GUA/CO/7; for Haiti, CEDAW/C/RWA/CO/6; for Libya, CEDAW/C/LBY/CO/2; and for Rwanda, CEDAW/C/RWA/CO/6. These documents will be available on the Committee’s Web page next week at the following link: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/cedaws43.htm

In a statement on Gaza adopted at this session, the Committee expresses deep concerned about the recent military engagement in Gaza between Israel and the Hamas, which has resulted in heavy civilian casualties and a humanitarian crisis in Gaza including the killing and injuring of a large number of women and children. It also notes with deep concern that the human rights of women and children, in particular to peace and security, free movement, livelihood and health have been “seriously violated” during this military engagement. The Committee further urges the parties to involve women, in accordance with Security Council resolution 1325, in the decision-making process on the promotion and maintenance of peace and security at all levels.

In another statement adopted at this session, the Committee expresses its concern on the effects of the current international financial crisis upon the full realization and promotion of human rights of women worldwide, noting that women in both developed and developing countries have always been economically disadvantaged, a situation which has been further exacerbated by the growing financial crisis. “There are already clear signs, globally, of a sharp decrease in women’s economic activity”, the Committee notes, stressing the necessity, in such a scenario, to identify and respond to specific needs of women and girls in such situations of crisis, as well as calling upon States parties to include women in the dialogue and decision-making processes around those issues.

During this session the Committee has also discussed the economic consequences of divorce, as well as issues surrounding the organization of the Committee’s work and its cooperation with other human rights treaty bodies. In that regard, Naela Gabr, Chairperson of the Committee, recalled that the present session of the Women’s Committee had coincided with the fiftieth session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child. The two bodies had held a meeting and had decided to create a working group to identify ways to cooperate on crosscutting issues.

In some closing remarks, Ms. Gabr underscored that the Committee continued to strive for ways to remedy persistent gaps between men and women experienced in States parties. She also thanked the non-governmental organizations that had participated in the informal meetings at the present session and encouraged them to redouble their efforts in favour of women and their rights.

During the session, the Committee held two informal public meetings with representatives of NGOs and national human rights institutions which provided complementary information regarding the situations in the countries whose reports were examined at the present session.

At the opening of the session, the Committee swore in eight new members, and elected a new bureau from among its membership. The Committee members now are: Nicole Ameline (France); Ferdous Ara Begum (Bangladesh); Magalys Arocha Dominguez (Cuba); Violet Tsisiga Awori (Kenya); Barbara Evelyn Bailey (Jamaica); Meriem Belmihoub-Zerdani (Algeria); Niklas Bruun (Finland); Saisuree Chutikul (Thailand); Dorcas Coker-Appiah (Ghana); Cornelis Flinterman (Netherlands); Naela Mohamed Gabr (Egypt); Ruth Halperin-Kaddari (Israel); Yoko Hayashi (Japan); Indira Jaising (India); Soledad Murillo de la Vega (Spain); Violeta Neubauer (Slovenia); Pramila Patten (Mauritius); Silvia Pimentel (Brazil); Victoria Popescu (Romania); Zohra Rasekh (Afghanistan); Dubravka Šimonoviæ (Croatia); and Zou Xiaoqiao (China). Ms. Gabr was elected Chairperson; Ms. Halperin-Kaddari, Ms. Pimentel and Ms. Zou are Vice Chairpersons; and Ms. Neubauer is Rapporteur.

The next session of the Committee will be held in New York from 20 July to 7 August 2009, during which it will consider the reports of Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Denmark, Guinea Bissau, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Japan, Liberia, Spain, Switzerland, Timor Leste, and Tuvalu.


For use of the information media; not an official record

CEDAW09013E