Background Release

EXPERT COMMITTEE TO REVIEW COMPLIANCE OF 11 COUNTRIES WITH WOMEN’S

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION CONVENTION, IN NEW YORK, 20 JULY–7 AUGUST

 

Domestic violence, political participation, discriminatory family law, eliminating stereotypes and preventing trafficking will be among the areas explored by a committee of 23 experts charged with ensuring that Governments eliminate discrimination against women, when it meets in New York from 20 July to 7 August at United Nations Headquarters.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Woman (CEDAW) will also hear information from non-governmental organizations and United Nations entities about protecting the rights of older women (21 July) and about the economic consequences of divorce (4 August).

Eleven States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women will report to the Committee on compliance with the Convention -- four for the first time ( Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu) -- and then make recommendations to each Government about what more it should do to eliminate discrimination against women.

The Committee regularly reviews each country’s compliance once it becomes a party to the Convention. So far, 186 countries have accepted the Convention, which was adopted 30 years ago.

The 23 experts will be looking at the situation of women in Azerbaijan (24 July), Bhutan (23 July), Denmark (22 July), Guinea-Bissau (3 August), Lao People's Democratic Republic (24 July), Japan (23 July), Liberia (31 July), Spain (22 July), Switzerland (27 July), Timor-Leste (30 July) and Tuvalu (29 July).

Government representatives of each country will be questioned by the experts about how they are ensuring that women are able to fully exercise their rights under each of the 16 substantive articles of the 30-article Convention.

All the sessions are public meetings; however, the Committee will also meet in private to consider complaints from individuals or groups of individuals claiming to be victims of a violation of their rights.  

Currently, Naela Gabr, expert from Egypt, is the Committee Chairperson.

The provisional agenda and reports about each country, including from non-governmental organizations and United Nations entities, received by the Committee are available at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/cedaws44.htm.

For media information, please contact Susan Markham, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, New York, tel: +1 917 367 3292, e-mail: markham@un.org; or Charlotte Scaddan, Department of Public Information, New York, tel: +1 917 367 9378, e-mail: scaddan@un.org.

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For information media • not an official record