UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN CONCLUDES SIXTIETH SESSION

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its sixtieth 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 Gabon, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Tuvalu, Denmark, Kyrgyzstan, Eritrea and Maldives.

The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the eight reports are available on its webpage for the session. Summary reports of the eight country reviews can be found here.

In closing remarks Barbara Bailey, Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, summarized the Committee’s work during its three-week session. In a meeting with High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein he assured Committee Members of his support for the quest to promote and protect women’s equal rights. The Committee held informal meetings with non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions and benefitted from several interesting thematic briefings by them. Ms. Bailey was pleased by the high level of attendance of local non-governmental organizations, which once again made significant contributions to the work of the Committee.

A big step forward this session was the full first reading of General Recommendation No. 33 on women’s access to justice, said Ms. Bailey, saying she hoped it would be adopted at the next session. The Committee’s Working Group on Women in Conflict Prevention, Conflict And Post-Conflict Presentation prepared an important contribution to the Global Study on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. The Committee also adopted three decisions on individual communications.

Ms. Bailey noted the publication of a report today in which the Committee found that the police and justice system of Canada had failed to effectively protect Aboriginal women, hold offenders to account, and ensure that victims had redress. A press release was also issued.

Finally, Ms Bailey said the Committee was thankful to United Nations entities, country teams and other inter-governmental bodies which provided it with detailed information or attended the session, and noted with pleasure that UN-Women was again actively engaging with the Committee through its new representative in Geneva.

The Committee’s sixty-first session will be held from 6 to 24 July 2015 when it will review the reports of Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Croatia, Gambia, Namibia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Spain and Viet Nam.


For use of the information media; not an official record

CEDAW15/013E