* Adopted by the Committee at its sixty-sixth session (13 February-3 March 2017).

Concluding observations on the combined eighth and ninth periodic reports of El Salvador *

1.The Committee considered the combined eighth and ninth periodic reports of El Salvador (CEDAW/C/SLV/8-9) at its 1478th and 1479th meetings (see CEDAW/C/SR.1478 and 1479), held on 17 February 2017. The Committee’s list of issues and questions is contained in CEDAW/C/SLV/Q/8-9 and the responses of El Salvador are contained in CEDAW/C/SLV/Q/8-9/Add.1.

A.Introduction

2.The Committee appreciates the submission by the State party of its combined eighth and ninth periodic reports. It also appreciates the State party’s written replies to the list of issues and questions raised by the pre-sessional working group and welcomes the oral presentation by the delegation and the further clarifications provided in response to the questions posed orally by the Committee during the dialogue.

3.The Committee commends the State party on its multisectoral delegation, which was headed by the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, Carlos Castaneda Magaña, and included the First Vice-President of the Legislative Assembly, the Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, the Head of the Salvadoran Institute for the Advancement of Women, representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Salvadoran Institute of Agrarian Reform and the Permanent Mission of El Salvador to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva.

B.Positive aspects

4.The Committee welcomes the progress achieved since the consideration in 2008 of the State party’s seventh periodic report (CEDAW/C/SLV/7) in undertaking legislative reforms, in particular the adoption of the following:

(a)Act on Promotion, Protection and Support for Breastfeeding, in June 2016;

(b)Act on Equality, Equity and the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, in 2016, and the Children and Adolescent Protection Act, in March 2009, by which the Ministry of Education is mandated to provide education on gender, reproductive health and discrimination against women in the educational system;

(c)Act on the Promotion, Protection and Development of Microenterprises and Small Businesses, in 2014, which is aimed at promoting greater access by women to entrepreneurial development;

(d)Special Act against Trafficking in Persons, in 2014;

(e)Special Comprehensive Act on a Violence-Free Life for Women, in 2012.

5.The Committee welcomes the State party’s efforts to improve its institutional and policy framework aimed at accelerating the elimination of discrimination against women and promoting gender equality, including the adoption or establishment of the following:

(a)Pact for the Defence of Civil and Political Rights of Women, in 2014;

(b)National System for Substantive Equality and its National Plan, in 2013;

(c)System of Statistics and Monitoring for Equality, in 2013;

(d)National Policy on a Violence-Free Life for Women, in 2013, and its national plans covering the periods 2013-2015 and 2016-2020;

(e)Safe El Salvador Plan, in 2015, which addresses gender-based violence;

(f)National Plan for Equality and Equity for Salvadoran Women, in 2012;

(g)Policy on Sexual and Reproductive Health, in August 2012, which is focused on raising awareness of family planning methods and comprises a section specifically addressing adolescent health;

(h)Strategic National Plan to Reduce Maternal, Perinatal and Neonatal Mortality, in 2011.

6.The Committee welcomes the fact that, in the period since the consideration of the previous report, the State party has ratified or acceded to the following international instruments:

(a)Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, in February 2015;

(b)Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure, in February 2015.

C.Parliament

7. The Committee stresses the crucial role of the legislative power in ensuring the full implementation of the Convention (see the statement by the Committee on its relationship with parliamentarians, adopted at the forty-fifth session, in 2010). It invites the Legislative Assembly, in line with its mandate, to take the necessary steps regarding the implementation of the present concluding observations between now and the next reporting period under the Convention.

D.Principal areas of concern and recommendations

Optional Protocol to the Convention

8.The Committee welcomes the efforts of the Government to reiterate the request to the National Assembly to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention. It is, however, concerned at the difficulties faced in the ratification thereof.

9. The Committee recommends that the State party expedite the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention.

Institutional and legal framework

10.The Committee welcomes the efforts of the State party to adopt or revise laws, programmes and plans to combat discrimination against women and promote their rights. It is, however, concerned at the insufficient harmonization of legal instruments with the Convention and the limited coordination between institutions in charge of its implementation.

11. The Committee recommends that the State party systematically harmonize its national legislation with the Convention and ensure institutional coordination for its enforcement between the legislative, executive and judicial branches.

Access to justice

12.The Committee welcomes the establishment of the specialized jurisdiction for crimes against women and specialized institutional support units for women in the police force. The Committee is, however, concerned about patriarchal stereotypes among the judiciary and law enforcement personnel and bottlenecks in the implementation of the Act on a Violence-Free Life for Women.

13. The Committee recommends that the State party, in line with general recommendation No. 33 (2015) on women’s access to justice:

(a) Allocate adequate human, technical and financial resources to enable the effective operation of the newly created special jurisdiction for crimes against women;

(b) Reinforce the capacities of the national civil police, the Office of the Counsel General and the Institute of Forensic Medicine for the application of protocols and the monitoring of their implementation;

(c) Systematically harmonize all legislation with the Special Comprehensive Act on a Violence-Free Life for Women and the Convention;

(d) Monitor the implementation of the Act on Equality, Equity and the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and increase the awareness of judges, lawyers and law enforcement officials of the gender equality framework, including the meaning and scope of direct and indirect discrimination.

Women and peace and security and peace agreements

14.The Committee welcomes the creation of a national committee for implementing Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on women and peace and security and the decision on the unconstitutionality of the Amnesty Act of 1993 by the Supreme Court. Nevertheless, the Committee is concerned that women who suffered violations of their rights during and after the armed conflict still may not receive adequate reparation and compensation.

15. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Provide women who were victims of the armed conflict with reparation measures;

(b) Establish a clear time frame for the development of the draft national action plan to implement Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security, in cooperation with women’s organizations.

Women human rights defenders

16.The Committee welcomes the efforts to protect and support all women human rights defenders but remains concerned about the harassment of, discrimination against, violence towards and assassination of women human rights defenders and the lack of prosecution in many of those cases.

17. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Expedite the investigation and prosecution of all acts of harassment of, discrimination against, violence towards and assassination of women human rights defenders, offer remedies and reparation to victims and establish a registry of such incidents under the Attorney General’s Office;

(b) Raise awareness of the contribution of women human rights defenders to the realization of women’s rights and take the legislative and practical steps necessary to prevent attacks and threats against and provide protection for women human rights defenders;

(c) Enhance collaboration between the Salvadoran Institute for the Advancement of Women and networks of women human rights defenders.

National machinery for the advancement of women

18.The Committee commends the progress made in the allocation of human, technical and financial resources to the Salvadoran Institute for the Advancement of Women, the participation of the Institute in Cabinet meetings and the development of a bill to strengthen its leading role in the advancement of women. The Committee also welcomes the reinforcement of the Women’s City (Ciudad Mujer) Programme, which is led by the Secretariat for Social Inclusion. Nevertheless, the Committee remains concerned that the human, technical and financial resources allocated to the Institute are not commensurate with its increasing responsibilities in terms of monitoring and coordination. The Committee also notes the increased budgetary needs for the accelerated implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, the Committee is concerned that the responsibility of the Institute in the area of data collection has not been fully implemented to date, notwithstanding the proposed creation of a national system of gender statistics.

19. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Expedite the adoption of legislation reinforcing the leading role of the Salvadoran Institute for the Advancement of Women;

(b) Enforce the implementation of gender-responsive budgeting for government bodies;

(c) Continue to strengthen the Salvadoran Institute for the Advancement of Women by providing it with the human, technical and financial resources necessary to ensure the effective coordination and implementation of public policies for the advancement of women and, in particular, to fulfil its mandate in the area of data collection.

Temporary special measures

20.The Committee notes the introduction of a temporary quota on electoral lists for popularly elected positions in political parties in 2013. Nevertheless, it remains concerned at the lack of an overall strategy for the use of temporary special measures to attain substantive gender equality in all areas covered by the Convention.

21. The Committee recommends that the State party continue to take specific steps, including temporary special measures, in accordance with general recommendation No. 25 (2004) on temporary special measures, and to establish concrete goals and timetables with a view to accelerating the increase in the representation of women in all spheres of public life, in particular in local decision-making positions and in the upper echelons of the diplomatic service. Particular attention should be paid to the participation of indigenous women.

Stereotypes

22.The Committee welcomes the efforts made by the State party to eliminate patriarchal attitudes and deeply rooted stereotypes. Nevertheless, the Committee remains concerned at the pervasiveness of such attitudes with regard to the roles and responsibilities of women and men in the family and social life, which are reflected in the media.

23. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Develop a comprehensive and wide-ranging strategy across all sectors to eliminate discriminatory stereotypes, working with a broad range of stakeholders, including women’s organizations;

(b) Take all appropriate steps to raise awareness, including within the media and the advertising sector, with the aim of eliminating gender stereotypes and promoting objective images of women actively participating in social, cultural, economic and political life.

Gender-based violence against women

24.The Committee welcomes the introduction of a legislative and policy framework aimed at guaranteeing a life free of violence for all women and the creation of an institutional framework for its implementation. The Committee is, however, concerned at the:

(a)Insufficient resources allocated to the implementation of the Special Comprehensive Act on a Violence-Free Life for Women, especially in the light of the increasing rates of femicide and the high rates of domestic and sexual violence against women and adolescent girls in the State party;

(b)Lack of information on how cases of domestic violence are adjudicated;

(c)Low number of prosecutions in cases of violence against women and femicide and the even lower number of convictions;

(d)Limited application of the Protocol for Investigating Femicide, the limited enforcement of protection orders and the preference given to having victims reconcile with perpetrators;

(e)Insufficient mechanisms for the protection, support, recovery and social reintegration of women who are victims of gender-based violence;

(f)Limited efforts made for the protection and recovery of women and girls who are victims of gang violence and their families in the current national security plan, especially considering the link between gender-based violence and criminal gang activities.

25. Taking into account its general recommendation No. 19 (1992) on violence against women, the Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Allocate sufficient human, technical and financial resources to the implementation of the national policy and action plans on a violence-free life for women and monitor their implementation (see CEDAW/C/SLV/CO/7 , para. 24);

(b) Collect data on the treatment of domestic violence cases from the time of reporting until the final judgment and study the impact and effectiveness of the mechanisms for addressing such cases;

(c) Expedite the development of protocols for the implementation of the Special Comprehensive Act on a Violence-Free Life for Women, in accordance with article 56 of the Act, guaranteeing the application of a victim-oriented approach and the due diligence principle;

(d) Strengthen the capacity of judges, lawyers and law enforcement personnel for the strict application of the Special Comprehensive Act on a Violence-Free Life for Women, the Children and Adolescent Protection Act and their corresponding implementation guidelines;

(e) Reinforce the protection, support, recovery and social reintegration of women and girls who are victims of gender-based violence, especially women who are victims of domestic violence;

(f) Attend to the specific needs of internally displaced and deported girls, women and their families in terms of protection from all forms of violence, in particular gang-related violence.

Trafficking and sexual exploitation

26.The Committee welcomes the provisions for the protection of women who are victims of trafficking set out in the Special Comprehensive Act on a Violence-Free Life for Women and the conclusion of bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements on the prosecution of traffickers and the protection of victims. It also notes the establishment of a shelter for victims of trafficking. The Committee is, however, alarmed at reports of the sexual exploitation of young women and girls by criminal gangs under threats of homicide against them and their families. It remains concerned at the absence of a strategy for protecting women and girls from trafficking and sexual exploitation and for reintegrating victims. The Committee is also concerned at the insufficient efforts made to monitor and combat trafficking and sexual exploitation, the lack of investigations into cases of trafficking in women and girls and the very low number of prosecutions and convictions of perpetrators.

27. The Committee reiterates its previous concluding observation ( CEDAW/C/SLV/CO/7 , para. 26) and recommends that the State party:

(a) Develop a comprehensive strategy and plan of action to prevent and combat trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and girls, with particular attention to gang-related victimization;

(b) Include in such a strategy preventive and protective programmes and measures for the rehabilitation and social integration of victims;

(c) Provide in its next periodic report data on the trafficking, exploitation and prostitution of women and girls, the number of prosecutions and convictions in trafficking and sexual exploitation cases and the impact of the steps taken to combat such issues.

28.The Committee notes with concern that legislation on trafficking is indiscriminately applied to women working autonomously in prostitution, giving rise to discriminatory treatment by local law enforcement personnel. The Committee is also concerned at reports of discrimination by health personnel against women engaged in prostitution.

29. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Prohibit any discriminatory treatment of women by local law enforcement personnel in municipalities;

(b) Develop a protocol for health services that ensures the non ‑ discriminatory treatment of all women and adequately monitor its application.

Participation in political and public life

30.The Committee notes the adoption of the Pact for the Defence of Civil and Political Rights of Women and campaigns to raise awareness of women’s rights. It welcomes the bill on parity, currently under discussion in the National Assembly, as well as the amendment to the Political Parties Act, by which a temporary 30 per cent quota for women on electoral lists was introduced, and the consequent increase in the representation of women in the Legislative Assembly to 32.1 per cent since 2015. Nevertheless, the Committee notes that only 10.3 per cent of mayors and 23.1 per cent of ministers are women.

31. The Committee recommends that the State party continue to make efforts to reach parity in all institutions, including through the expansion of the use of special measures, as necessary, to promote the representation of women in local governments, the executive branch, the parliament and the diplomatic service. In this regard, particular attention should be paid to women facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.

Education

32.The Committee welcomes the amendment to the Act on the Teaching Profession, introducing punishment for sexual harassment and abuse. The Committee is, however, concerned at the:

(a)Low school attendance of girls and reports indicating a high rate of absenteeism owing to adolescent pregnancies;

(b)Limited training for teaching staff on comprehensive sexual education;

(c)Reports of the forcible recruitment in schools by gangs and of parents preventing girls from attending school in order to protect them from such violence;

(d)Persistent discrepancies in literacy rates between men and women and, in particular, between rural and urban areas;

(e)Low diversification of academic and vocational choices for girls, including the low availability of flexible education schemes in rural areas.

33. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Establish a mechanism for monitoring newly adopted legislation prohibiting and punishing discrimination against pregnant girls and the sexual harassment and abuse of girls in school. Information should also be disseminated to pupils and parents on the right to remain in and be reintegrated into school during and/or following pregnancy;

(b) Increase the training of teaching staff in comprehensive sexual education and continue to strengthen age-appropriate school-based education on sexual and reproductive health and rights for adolescent girls and boys through the family life education curriculum, in line with the Committee ’ s previous concluding observations ( CEDAW/C/SLV/CO/7 , para. 36);

(c) Protect girls from violence and recruitment into criminal gangs in schools in order to prevent them from dropping out of school;

(d) Strengthen efforts to eradicate illiteracy, in particular among women and girls in rural areas;

(e) Ensure the equal access of girls and young women to all levels of education and increase efforts to diversify their academic and vocational choices.

Employment

34.The Committee welcomes the creation of a mechanism for registering domestic workers in the social security system and of a mechanism for monitoring women’s labour rights in the maquila industry. The Committee is, however, concerned at the:

(a)Gender segregation of labour, the low participation of women in the labour force, the concentration of women in the informal sector and the salary gap between women and men;

(b)Limited number of domestic workers formally registered so as to access social security and the lack of ratification of the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), of the International Labour Organization;

(c)Paucity of information on the efficiency of the monitoring mechanism in terms of the detection of violations of women’s labour rights in the maquila industry;

(d)Reports of employers requesting proof of HIV and pregnancy status during recruitment.

35. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Introduce specific measures to create formal employment opportunities for women and effectively monitor the implementation of legislation guaranteeing equal pay for work of equal value, in line with general recommendation No. 13 (1989) on equal remuneration for work of equal value and the Committee ’ s previous concluding observations ( CEDAW/C/SLV/CO/7 , para. 32);

(b) Increase efforts to register women domestic workers and expedite the ratification of the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189);

(c) Reinforce and expand workplace inspections and conduct studies on working conditions and respect for women ’ s labour rights in the maquila industry;

(d) Monitor the implementation of legislation prohibiting compulsory pregnancy testing and HIV screening as a condition of employment.

Health

36.The Committee welcomes the preparation of a bill on sexual and reproductive health in December 2016, the development of a strategy aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancies, the introduction of the comprehensive and integrated health service networks and the efforts to make reproductive health services available at all times at most maternity clinics. It notes that these actions have increased the number of prenatal visits and expanded institutional coverage, leading to a significant decrease in maternal mortality. While noting the numerous efforts to enhance women’s and girls’ access to reproductive health services, including the Young Women’s City Programme, the Committee remains concerned at the limited impact of such measures, especially in view of the high fertility and early pregnancy rates among adolescent girls. The Committee is also concerned at the stigmatization of women in prostitution and women living with HIV/AIDS who seek sexual and reproductive health services.

37. In line with its general recommendation No. 24 (1999) on women and health, the Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Expedite the adoption of the bill on sexual and reproductive health and a strategy aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancies;

(b) Strengthen measures to ensure the access of girls, adolescents and women, including those living in rural areas, to adequate sexual and reproductive health services, including modern contraceptive methods and family planning, while giving special attention to the prevention of early pregnancies and unsafe abortions and to appropriate education on sexual and reproductive health rights and responsible sexual behaviour;

(c) Conduct a comprehensive analysis of access to sexual and reproductive health services and contraception, gathering information on the impact of programmes to reduce and prevent pregnancy among adolescent girls for inclusion in its next periodic report;

(d) Raise awareness within health service networks of the need to destigmatize women seeking sexual and reproductive health services, in particular women engaged in prostitution and women living with HIV/AIDS.

Abortion

38.The Committee is concerned about the absolute criminalization of abortion, pursuant to article 133 of the Criminal Code, and the fact that women often resort to unsafe methods of abortion, thus facing a serious risk to their health and life. The Committee is also concerned at the:

(a)Prosecution of women for having an abortion, the long periods spent by women in pretrial detention and the disproportionate criminal penalties applied to women seeking abortion and to women who have had a miscarriage;

(b)Incarceration of women reported to the authorities after visiting a hospital in need of care by health personnel who fear punishment.

39. The Committee recommends that the State party amend article 133 of the Criminal Code to legalize abortion, at least in cases of rape, incest, threats to the life and/or health of the pregnant woman or severe fetal impairment. The Committee reiterates its previous concluding observations ( CEDAW/C/SLV/CO/7 , para. 36) and encourages the State party:

(a) To introduce a moratorium on the enforcement of the current law and review the detention of women for abortion-related offences, with the aim of ensuring their release and upholding the presumption of innocence and due process in abortion-related proceedings;

(b) To ensure that professional secrecy for all health personnel and confidentiality for patients are guaranteed.

Women’s economic empowerment

40.The Committee welcomes the capacity-building of women’s entrepreneurial skills through the Women’s City Programme, especially in non-traditional occupations, and the economic initiatives given through the financial fund of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Women’s Bank Programme of the National Development Bank. The Committee is, however, concerned at:

(a)The limited coverage and insufficient funding for initiatives supporting women’s economic autonomy and sustainable income;

(b)The fact that women continue to spend three times more time than men on domestic work;

(c)The lack of childcare facilities.

41. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Study the allocation of funding through the financial fund of the Ministry of the Economy and the Women ’ s Bank Programme and reinforce these mechanisms in order to improve support for the sustainable economic empowerment of women;

(b) Raise awareness among women and men of their equal family responsibilities, encourage men to participate equally in child-rearing and household responsibilities and introduce flexible working hours for women and men in both the public and private sectors;

(c) Provide adequate childcare facilities throughout the State party.

Rural women

42.The Committee welcomes the development of a national plan for rural women and the efforts made to improve basic infrastructure in rural areas. The Committee is, however, concerned at disparities between urban and rural areas in access to education, health services and employment, which has a disproportionate impact on rural women. The Committee also regrets the lack of comprehensive data on the rates of illiteracy, employment and access to health and of information about rural areas. Noting the efforts made to guarantee the access of women’s agricultural associations to loans at preferential rates, the Committee is concerned by the fact that only 20 per cent of beneficiaries of the programme of the Agricultural Development Bank are women.

43. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Expedite the adoption of a comprehensive national plan for rural women addressing the structural problems that rural women continue to face;

(b) Provide extensive information and statistical data on the situation of rural women in its next periodic report;

(c) Introduce temporary special measures for the selection of women beneficiaries for loans at preferential rates in order to reinforce the contribution of such loans to the economic empowerment of rural women.

Lesbian, bisexual and transgender women and intersex persons

44.The Committee notes the amendments to the Criminal Code increasing the penalties for hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity, as set out in articles 129 and 155 of the Code, and the introduction of a helpline and a dedicated space for security and access to justice for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women and intersex persons. Nevertheless, the Committee is concerned at the increasing number of cases of harassment, threats, intimidation and violence, including by law enforcement officials. The Committee is also concerned at the high vulnerability of lesbian, bisexual and transgender women and intersex persons to gang violence and at reports of violence directed at their families, partners, employers and customers.

45. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Establish mechanisms to ensure the enforcement of legislation against discrimination by law enforcement officials, prosecute hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity and ensure, through monitoring, that such cases are duly investigated and adequately punished;

(b) Intensify efforts to combat discrimination against women based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, including efforts to raise awareness among the general public, and ensure continuous capacity-building for law enforcement officials and health service providers.

Indigenous women

46.The Committee welcomes the introduction in 2014 of an amendment to the Constitution, recognizing the existence of indigenous populations, and takes note of the development of a bill on indigenous peoples and a national plan for indigenous peoples. The Committee is, however, concerned at the lack of data on the situation of indigenous women.

47. The Committee recommends that the State party expedite the adoption of the bill on indigenous peoples, ensure a gender perspective in the national plan for indigenous peoples and introduce the category of indigenous peoples to the census planned for 2017.

Women in detention

48.The Committee welcomes the provision of health services to women in detention. The Committee is, however, concerned at the lengthy pretrial detention periods, the difficulties that women face in receiving legal advice when in detention and the problems in gaining appropriate access to accommodation, health and sanitary facilities.

49. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Reinforce efforts to guarantee due process for women in detention;

(b) Ensure that the conditions of women in detention facilities fully comply with international standards and the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules).

Child marriage

50.The Committee is concerned that, under the Family Code, early pregnancies are recognized as a reason to enter into marriage before the age of 18 years, which illustrates the insufficient harmonization of the Code with the Special Comprehensive Act on a Violence-Free Life for Women. The Committee is also concerned at reports that sexual and marital relations of children and teenagers with older men are socially accepted.

51. The Committee recommends that the State party expedite its reform of the Family Code, removing exceptions to the minimum age of 18 years for marriage, thereby bringing it in line with article 16 (2) of the Convention. The Committee also recommends that awareness be raised of the negative implications of early marriage for the health and education of girls.

Amendment to article 20 (1) of the Convention

52. The Committee encourages the State party to accept, as soon as possible, the amendment to article 20 (1) of the Convention concerning the meeting time of the Committee.

Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

53. The Committee calls upon the State party to use the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in its efforts to implement the provisions of the Convention.

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

54. The Committee calls for the realization of substantive gender equality, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention, throughout the process of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Dissemination

55. The Committee requests the State party to ensure the timely dissemination of the present concluding observations, in the official language of the State party, to the relevant State institutions at all levels (national, regional and local), in particular to the Government, the ministries, the parliament and the judiciary, to enable their full implementation.

Follow-up to concluding observations

56. The Committee requests the State party to provide, within two years, written information on the steps taken to implement the recommendations contained in paragraphs 13 (a) and (b) and 17 (a) and (c) above.

Preparation of the next report

57. The Committee invites the State party to submit its tenth periodic report in March 2021. In case of delay, the report should cover the entire period up to the time of its submission.

58. The Committee requests the State party to follow the harmonized guidelines on reporting under the international human rights treaties, including guidelines on a common core document and treaty-specific documents (see HRI/GEN/2/Rev.6 , chap. I).