Committee on Elimination of

Discrimination against Women

Twenty-fifth Session

529^th Meeting (PM)

WOMEN’S COMMITTEE SAYS ASSEMBLY SPECIAL SESSION ON CHILDREN

SHOULD GIVE ATTENTION TO SITUATION OF GIRLS

Work Concluded on Reports from 8 Countries on Compliance

With Anti-Discrimination Convention; Aims Is to Clear Backlog by 2003

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women concluded its twenty-fifth session this evening with the adoption of its draft report, as amended, by which it decided to convene an additional session in 2002, pending approval by the General Assembly, in order to reduce the backlog of reports.  It also decided to forward a statement to the special session of the General Assembly on Children, to be held in New York in September.

The Committee meets twice a year to monitor compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.  The actions taken today by the 23-member expert body followed three weeks of consideration of the compliance of eight States parties, each at varying stages of implementation: Andorra, Guinea, Guyana, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden and Viet Nam.  The experts’ recommendations are to be contained in the final report of the Committee.

Operational since 1981, the Convention is often referred to as an international bill of rights for women.  It expresses the conviction that the full and complete development of a country, the welfare of the world and the cause of peace require the maximum participation of women on equal terms with men.  The

168 States parties are required to eliminate discrimination against women in civil, political, economic and cultural spheres.  In pursuit of the Convention's goals, member countries are encouraged to synchronize national legislation with the treaty and introduce affirmative action measures designed to promote equality.

According to the decision to hold a third session next year, the Committee approved, on an exceptional basis, a three-week session consisting of 30 meetings in August 2002, to be used entirely for the consideration of the reports of States parties, in order to reduce the backlog.  It also approved an enlargement of the pre-session working group scheduled to meet from 4 to 8 February 2002, in order to prepare issues and questions relating to reports to be considered at the exceptional session in August.

The experts were informed at today’s meeting about the programme budget implications of adding that session in 2002.

The statement to be forwarded to the special session of the General Assembly on children recognizes the complementarity of the Women’s Convention and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the importance of respecting, promoting and protecting women’s human rights in the realization of a better future for children.  It also proposes that the outcome document of the special session should incorporate a stronger gender perspective by referring to the need to eliminate discrimination against girls, and including references to the specific and critical problems of discrimination against girls, and the necessary interventions to ensure a better future for them. 

Also by that decision, the Committee agreed, subject to the availability of resources, to nominate one member to participate in the special session on its behalf.

It was further decided that, in drawing up the list of issues and questions with regard to periodic reports, the pre-session working group should normally formulate a short list of issues and questions, focusing on themes already addressed by the Convention. 

A suggestion adopted by the Committee would have the Division for the Advancement of Women establish a confidential electronic database in order to register communications submitted under the Optional Protocol to the Convention, similar to that established by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.  The Division was requested to report on progress made in that regard at the Committee's twenty-sixth session in January/February 2002.

[The Optional Protocol, which entered into force on 22 December 2000, entitles the Committee to consider petitions from individual women or groups of women who have exhausted national remedies.  It also entitles the Committee to conduct inquiries into grave or systematic violations of the Convention.  As of  31 May, there were 21 States parties to the Optional Protocol.]

Another suggestion concerned guidelines for the country presentation of written and oral reports.

Also today, the Committee adopted the provisional agenda for its twenty-sixth session, to be held in January/February 2002. 

Concluding Statements

In closing remarks, YAKIN ERTURK, Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women, congratulated the members of the Committee on their achievements during the session.  During the consideration of the reports, she had been impressed by the exhaustive interaction between the Committee and the representatives of the eight States parties.  The vibrant and constructive dialogue that had developed during the meetings provided a framework for better implementation of the Convention not only in the countries reviewed, but in all 168 States parties to that instrument. 

During the session, the Committee’s Optional Protocol Working Group had met several times, making important progress, she continued, which included the development of the basic features of a model communications form that would guide would-be petitioners.  Her Division had taken note of the Working Group’s recommendations with regard to the development of a dedicated database for communications and would make all efforts to ensure that the recommendation became a reality.  The Division had also initiated the preparation of a flow chart, that would indicate each activity and its timeframe from the moment a complaint was received. 

One of the actions taken by the Committee during the session was the decision on the way the pre-session working group should frame its list of issues and questions with regard to periodic reports.  Perhaps, the most important decision was the request for an additional session of the Committee in 2002.  If the General Assembly approved that request, the Committee would clear its backlog by the end of the first session in 2003. 

Today was the last time she was addressing the Committee, Ms. Erturk said, as she was leaving the Division for the Advancement of Women at the end of September to return to her university post.  She was confident that the members of the Committee would give all the needed support to her successor and enable him or her to work effectively.  She was truly privileged to have worked with the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.  Although she felt sad to leave the Division, she would continue to work on the Convention and lobby to encourage wider ratification of the Optional Protocol. 

In conclusion, she assured the experts that although she was leaving, the Division remained committed to providing the Committee with the best possible service.  Also, on behalf of Assistant Secretary-General Angela King, the Division and herself, she expressed her gratitude to Chikako Taya, who was also leaving the Committee.

Before closing the session, the Chairperson of the Committee, CHARLOTTE ABAKA of Ghana, thanked Ms. Erturk for the environment she had created, which had allowed the Committee to maintain a good relationship with the Division.  With the experience she had gained, Ms. Erturk would be able to make the Convention more visible, wherever she found herself.  She also thanked Ms. Taya for her contribution to the work of the Committee.  “Even as we say goodbye, you will always be with us”, she said.   

She also thanked the experts for their endurance and commitment to the women’s cause.  Even entrusted with the difficult task of monitoring compliance with the Convention, the members of the Committee maintained friendly relations.  Since the adoption of the Convention, they had been the staunch defenders of its principles.  Now, the Committee had the difficult task of making the Optional Protocol as widely known as possible.

Background on Committee

Previously, the Committee had adopted general recommendations covering such issues as the economic situation of women; the impact of structural adjustment policies; maternity leave; measures taken to allow women to combine child-bearing with employment; violence against women; the dissemination of the Convention and its provisions; and the extent to which non-governmental organizations have been incorporated into the process of preparing reports on the implementation of the Convention.  As of 31 May, there were 24 general recommendations.  During the twenty-fourth session, the Committee began work on its twenty-fifth general

recommendation, which will address article 4.1 of the Convention on temporary special measures aimed at accelerating de facto equality between men and women. 

Committee Membership

The 23 expert members of the Committee, serving in their personal capacity, are:  Charlotte Abaka, Ghana; Ayse Feride Acar, Turkey; Sjamsiah Achmad, Indonesia; Emna Aouij, Tunisia; Ivanka Corti, Italy; Feng Cui, China; Naela Gabr, Egypt; Françoise Gaspard, France; Maria Yolanda Ferrer Gomez, Cuba; Aida Gonzalez, Mexico; Savitri Goonesekere, Sri Lanka; Rosalyn Hazelle, Saint Kitts and Nevis; Fatima Kwaku, Nigeria; Rosario Manalo, Philippines; Goran Melander, Sweden; Asha Rose Mtengeti-Migiro, United Republic of Tanzania; Mavivi Myakayaka-Manzini, South Africa; Zelmira Regazzoli, Argentina; Hanna Beate Schopp-Schilling, Germany; Heisoo Chin, Republic of Korea; Frances Livingstone Raday, Israel; Maria Regina Tavares da Silva, Portugal; and Chikako Taya, Japan.

Committee Officers

The Bureau was elected in January for a term of two years.  Charlotte Abaka of Ghana is the Committee's Chairperson; Ayse Feride Acar of Turkey, Zelmira Regazzoli of Argentina and Rosario Manalo of the Philippines are its three Vice-Chairpersons; and Rosalyn Hazelle of St. Kitts and Nevis is the Committee's Rapporteur.

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