Note to Correspondents

Experts to Review Eight Countries’ Records as Committee on the Elimination

 

of Discrimination against Women Holds Session 11-29 July

 

Violence against women, political participation, discriminatory family law, eliminating gender stereotypes and preventing trafficking will be some of the areas explored by a committee of 23 experts charged with ensuring that Governments eliminate discrimination against women.

From 11 to 29 July at United Nations Headquarters in New York, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Woman will review the situation of women in the following eight countries: Costa Rica, 12 July; Zambia, 13 July; Italy, 14 July; Ethiopia, 15 July; Republic of Korea, 19 July; Nepal, 20 July; Djibouti, 21 July (first report to the Committee); and Singapore, 22 July.

The Committee will also hold a half-day general discussion and exchange of views on “Women in armed conflict and post-conflict situations” in an open meeting on 18 July.

Following the eight reviews, the experts will adopt concluding observations, making recommendations to each Government about what more it should do to eliminate discrimination against women.  Concluding observations will be available by 29 July.

Background

The Committee regularly reviews each country once it becomes a party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.  Currently, 187 countries have accepted the treaty, which was adopted in 1979.

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

While all the sessions are public meetings, 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.

Silvia Pimentel of Brazil is the Committee’s current Chairperson.

Press contact: Fred Kirungi, +1 917 367 3431, kirungi@un.org.  For the session’s provisional agenda and reports on each country, please visit www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/cedaws49.htm.  The full list of Committee members is available at www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/membership.htm.

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For information media • not an official record