COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN CONCLUDES SIXTY-SECOND SESSION

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its sixty-second session after adopting its concluding observations and recommendations on the implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women by Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Portugal, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Timor-Leste, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.

The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the 11 reports will be available on the webpage for the session on Monday, 23 November in the afternoon. Press releases on the consideration of the reports can be found here.

A panel discussion “Connecting CEDAW and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda”, jointly organized on the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security, took place on 19 November. The opening remarks by the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Flavia Pansieri were followed by the interventions of four panellists: Pramila Patten, Member of the Committee; Zainab Hawa Bangura, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict; Chaloka Beyani, Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons; and Sarah Abu Assali, Member of the Syrian Women League. The panellists discussed the added-value of integrating a human rights element in the Women, Peace and Security agenda and the monitoring role that the Committee could play for an increased and more effective implementation of the Agenda.

At the beginning of the closing session, Patricia Schulz, Committee Rapporteur, introduced a draft report enclosing the concluding observations and recommendations on the 11 States parties considered and a draft report of the Working Group of the Whole, containing actions taken by the Committee on the implementation of article 21 of the Convention, and on the ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee. The reports were adopted.

In closing remarks, Yoko Hayashi, Chairperson of the Committee, stated that the Committee was pleased by the high level of attendance of local non-governmental organizations from the States parties considered, which had made significant contributions to the work of the Committee. Progress had been made in implementing General Assembly resolution 68/268 on treaty body strengthening, which was particularly manifested through the decision on enhanced coordination by country rapporteurs. Progress had also been made by starting to adopt draft General Recommendation No. 34 on rural women, which, once adopted, would represent a milestone in the promotion and protection of the human rights of that very large, yet disadvantaged, group of women. Three decisions on individual communications, based on the quality drafts from the Working Group on Communications, had been adopted. Progress had been made in the work on a number of pending inquiry proceedings and submissions. The Committee had adopted a statement on the situation of women in the refugee crisis. The Committee had also met with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, the Director of the Global Indicators Group of the World Bank on global indicators on gender equality, and held a joint informal meeting with the Human Rights Committee, where the two Committee had continued their discussion on abortion.
Ms. Hayashi noted that the session had been overshadowed by the terrible attacks on the Russian plane in Egypt, in Beirut, Paris and today’s developments in Mali.

The Committee proceeded to adopt the provisional agenda for the sixty-third session, which will take place in Geneva from 15 February until 4 March 2016. During the sixty-third session, the Committee will consider reports of the following States parties: Czech Republic, Haiti, Iceland, Japan, Mongolia, Sweden, Tanzania and Vanuatu.


For use of the information media; not an official record

CEDAW15/045E