COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN CONCLUDES TWENTY-SECOND SESSION

Press Release
WOM/1175

COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN CONCLUDES TWENTY-SECOND SESSION

Adopts Recommendations on Luxembourg, Myanmar, Jordan, India, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burkina Faso, Belarus and Germany

Concluding its twenty-second session this afternoon, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women adopted recommendations for advancing the status of women in Luxembourg, Myanmar, Jordan, India, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burkina Faso, Belarus and Germany.

Also adopting its draft report for the twenty-second session, the 23-member expert body expressed satisfaction at the General Assembly’s adoption on 6 October 1999 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its opening for signature, accession and ratification. Twenty-four State parties had already signed it, while others had indicated they would act for early ratification.

The draft report notes the close link between the Convention and the Beijing Platform for Action adopted in 1995. The adoption of the Optional Protocol was one concrete outcome of the Platform for Action. Many countries that had ratified the Convention had integrated it into their constitutional and legislative framework. It, therefore, had significance for women in the fields of both domestic and international law and had been influential in the formulation and implementation of government policy and in the development of the domestic jurisprudence which had advanced the human rights of women in all regions of the world.

According to the draft report, the monitoring process established under the Convention will play a crucial role in ensuring the achievement of Beijing's goals, as well as any fresh initiatives emerging from the special session of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century" to be convened in June 2000.

Among other actions taken by the Committee this afternoon was the adoption of the provisional agenda for its twenty-third session, which will take place from 12 to 30 June. It also adopted the dates for the pre-session working group for the twenty-fourth session, which will meet from 3 to 7 July.

The Committee also recommended that its Chairperson or an alternate should attend the Commission on the Status of Women acting as a preparatory committee for the special session of the General Assembly; the fifty-sixth session of the Commission on Human Rights; the twelfth meeting of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies; and the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly (Third Committee).

Women’s Anti-Discrimination Committee - 2 - Press Release WOM/1175 466th Meeting (PM) 4 February 2000

Angela King, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, addressing the Committee, said that the adoption of the Committee’s rules of procedure, expected to be finalized during its next session, would provide the backdrop against which rules and procedures for the Optional Protocol could be developed.

She said that the just-concluded session had taken place at a critical time for United Nations initiatives for the advancement of women, when Member States were almost ready for the General Assembly special session.

The Committee had adopted a statement on linkages between the Convention and the Beijing Platform for Action, she said, urging expert members to continue their active involvement in preparations for the special session. Women’s enjoyment of their human rights was both an end in itself and a means for achieving societal goals. The Convention and the work of the Committee, in ensuring that it was an effective instrument in the daily lives of women worldwide, must be fully reflected in the recommendations that governments would adopt in June.

Aida Gonzalez Martinez, Chairperson of the Committee, reiterated the importance of the close link between the Convention and the Beijing Platform for Action. It was hoped that, with early ratification, the Committee’s contributions to that instrument would bear fruit.

The Committee wished to emphasize the importance of the legal framework of the Convention in implementing the Beijing Platform, she said. Many Member States would agree with the Committee as soon as they analysed its decisions.

Aware that the Division for the Advancement of Women would have difficulty in providing financial support to the Committee when it became the executor of the Optional Protocol, she expressed appreciation for Ms. King’s suggestion that resources for the Committee's work must be allocated from the regular budget. Otherwise, it would risk, obtaining only periodic support.

Throughout the three-week session, which began on 17 January, Committee members expressed concern over a wide range of issues affecting equal rights of women. They include violence against women; the negative influence of traditions, customs and religious beliefs that resulted in stereotyping of women and relegated them to inferior status; inequality in employment and labour; lack of health and reproductive rights; and imbalances in public and political representation of women.

Experts expressed special concern over the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where foreign forces had become involved in a disastrous civil war. The situation had exacerbated the already rampant spread of HIV/AIDS.

They also expressed concern about the marriage laws of Jordan, which were even more stringent than those of other Islamic countries. Trafficking in women and forced prostitution was raised by many Committee members. Germany had established laws to combat those practices and to protect the victims, particularly foreigners. On the other hand, German women in the private sector faced wage discrimination -- an average of 73 per cent less than men.

The Committee also heard that it was difficult for women in Burkina Faso to free themselves of traditional and cultural prejudices and practices due to a 92 per cent female illiteracy rate. The experts urged that that country's Government focus more on tradition and culture, as well as on its education policy.

Background on Committee and Convention

As the only United Nations human rights body dealing exclusively with women's rights, the Committee monitors the implementation of the Convention, which was adopted by the General Assembly in 1979 and came into force in 1981. As of last December, it had been ratified or acceded to by 165 countries. It requires States to eliminate discrimination against women in the enjoyment of all civil, political, economic and cultural rights.

Besides reviewing reports and evaluating progress made, the Committee formulates general recommendations to States parties as a whole in eliminating discrimination against women. It may also invite United Nations specialized agencies to submit reports for consideration and receive information from non- governmental organizations. In pursuance of the Convention's goals, States parties are encouraged to introduce affirmative action measures designed to promote equality between women and men.

The Committee has met twice annually since 1997. To date, it has considered 101 initial, 70 second, 46 third and 14 fourth periodic reports. It has also received five reports on an exceptional basis -- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Rwanda, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

States Parties to Convention

The following are among the 165 States that have either ratified or acceded to the Convention, which entered into force on 3 September 1981: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel and Italy.

Also: Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Committee Membership

The Committee's 23 expert members serve in their personal capacity. They are: Charlotte Abaka, Ghana; Ayse Feride Acar, Turkey; Emma Aouij, Tunisia; Carlota Bustelo Garcia del Real, Spain; Silvia Rose Cartwright, New Zealand; Ivanka Corti, Italy; Feng Cui, China; Naela Gabr, Egypt; Yolanda Ferrer Gomez, Cuba; Aida Gonzalez Martinez, Mexico; Savitri Goonesekere, Sri Lanka; Rosalyn Hazelle, Saint Kitts and Nevis; Salma Khan, Bangladesh; Yung-Chung Kim, Republic of Korea; Rosario Manalo, Philippines; Mavivi Myakayaka-Manzini, South Africa; Ahoua Ouedraogo, Burkina Faso; Zelmira Regazzoli, Argentina; Anne Lise Ryel, Norway; Hanna Beate Schopp-Schilling, Germany; Carmel Shalev, Israel; Kongit Sinegiorgis, Ethiopia; and Chikako Taya, Japan.

Committee Officers

Aida Gonzalez Martinez of Mexico was elected last January to chair the Committee, whose members serve a two-year term. The three vice-chairpersons are Yung-Chung Kim of the Republic of Korea, Ahoua Ouedraogo of Burkina Faso and Hanna Beate Schopp-Schilling of Germany. Ayse Feride Acar of Turkey is the Rapporteur.

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