Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Closes Eighty-Sixth Session in Geneva

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today closed its eighty-sixth session after adopting concluding observations on the reports of Albania, Bhutan, France, Guatemala, Jamaica, Malawi, Philippines and Uruguay, and provisional concluding observations on the report of Nicaragua, which was considered in the absence of a delegation.

The concluding observations adopted by the Committee on the countries under review will soon be available on the session’s webpage.

In concluding remarks, Committee Chairperson Ana Peláez Narváez said that during the eighty-sixth session, the Committee had considered the reports of nine States parties and adopted concluding observations on each, including provisional concluding observations in relation to the review of Nicaragua in the absence of a delegation, which would be made final in February 2024.

The Committee also decided to request an exceptional report of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on conflict-related sexual violence in its Eastern provinces.  Informal meetings had been held with non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions, and the Committee was pleased with the level of participation from civil society.  Among the highlights of the session was the first reading of the draft report of inquiry 2019/1, which would be adopted at the Committee’s next session.

Progress had been made on harmonising working methods, especially on enhancing modalities of the constructive dialogue, the assessment of the Committee’s pilot regarding the structure of constructive dialogues, and the amendment of rules of procedure in relation to provisional concluding observations.

Ms. Peláez Narváez said today, the Committee had adopted a statement entitled “the cause of peace is the cause of women”, regarding the sensitive topic of Israel and Palestine.  The Chair thanked the work and support of the entire Committee for enabling the statement to be issued.

The Working Group on Individual Communications had prepared three final decisions on individual communications which were adopted during the session.  The Working Group on Inquiries had carried forward several follow-up assessments, as well as requests for country visits in confidential inquiry proceedings.

During the session, the Committee held exchanges and social events, including the annual meeting with the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls; an informal meeting with the outgoing Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity; a remote informal meeting with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on sexual violence in conflict; a briefing by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on national femicide review committees; and a convivial meeting with members of the Human Rights Committee and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

In closing, Ms. Peláez Narváez thanked all Committee Experts for their hard work during the session and acknowledged the active participation of country task force members in dialogues with States parties and the review of Nicaragua in the absence of a delegation.  She also thanked the members of the Secretariat who had supported the Committee.

At the beginning of the meeting, Committee Rapporteur Marion Bethel presented the draft report of the session, which contained the draft report of the Working Group of the Whole and the provisional agenda for the Committee’s eighty-seventh session.  The Committee then adopted the report ad referendum.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women will hold its eighty-seventh session from 29 January to 16 February 2023.  The list of countries whose reports will be reviewed during the session is not yet available.

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CEDAW23.038E