Concluding observations on the combined fifth to ninth periodic reports of Saint Kitts and Nevis *

* Adopted by the Committee at its eighty-third session (10–28 October 2022).

1.The Committee considered the combined fifth to ninth periodic reports of Saint Kitts and Nevis (CEDAW/C/KNA/5–9) at its 1914th and 1916th meetings (CEDAW/C/SR.1914 and CEDAW/C/SR.1916), held on 12 and 13 October 2022. The list of issues and questions raised by the pre-sessional working group is contained in CEDAW/C/KNA/Q/5–9, and the responses of Saint Kitts and Nevis are contained in CEDAW/C/KNA/RQ/5–9.

A.Introduction

2.The Committee appreciates the submission by the State party of its combined fifth to ninth periodic reports due in 2014 and the State party’s written replies to the list of issues raised by the pre-sessional working group on its combined fifth to ninth periodic reports. It also welcomes the oral presentation by the delegation.

3.The Committee commends the State party on its delegation, which was headed by the Junior Minister with responsibilities for Youth Empowerment and Social Development, Gender Affairs, Ageing and Disabilities, Isalean Phillip, and included representatives, joining virtually, of the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs, the Departments of Gender Affairs of both Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Policy Planning and Projects Unit in the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs.

B.Positive aspects

4.The Committee welcomes the progress achieved since the consideration in 2002 of the State party’s combined initial to fourth periodic reports (CEDAW/C/KNA/1–4) in undertaking legislative reforms, in particular the adoption of the following:

(a)The ruling of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (known as the High Court in the State party) on 29 August 2022 rendering unconstitutional all laws that criminalize same-sex intimacy;

(b)Equal Pay Act (2012), guaranteeing women’s equal access to formal employment;

(c)Domestic Violence Act (2014), addressing domestic violence and protecting survivors, including women and children;

(d)The amendment to the Status of Children Act (2013), granting a mother the right to give her last name to her children;

(e)Maintenance of Children Act (2012), establishing shared family responsibilities and the equal duty of each parent to care for the child;

(f)Trafficking in Persons (Prevention) Act (2008), prescribing measures to prevent and combat trafficking in persons, in particular women and children;

(g)Education Amendment Act (2007), promoting understanding of the principle of gender equality as defined in the Constitution as one of the objectives of the education system;

(h)The amendment to the Married Women’s Property Act (2002), allowing married women to acquire and hold property.

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, such as the adoption of the following:

(a)Gender Equality Policy and Action Plan, launched in June 2022;

(b)Poverty Alleviation Programme, addressing the needs of low-income households, mostly benefiting women, launched in 2018;

(c)Skills Training and Empowerment Programme, addressing poverty and reducing unemployment by training and certifying beneficiaries, launched in 2017.

C.Sustainable Development Goals

6. The Committee welcomes the international support for the Sustainable Development Goals and calls for the realization of de jure (legal) and de facto (substantive) gender equality, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention, throughout the process of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Committee recalls the importance of Goal 5 and of the mainstreaming of the principles of equality and non-discrimination throughout all 17 Goals. It urges the State party to recognize women as the driving force of the sustainable development of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and to adopt relevant policies and strategies to that effect.

D.Parliament

7. The Committee stresses the crucial role of the legislative power in ensuring the full implementation of the Convention (see A/65/38 , part two, annex VI). It invites the National Assembly, in line with its mandate, to take the necessary steps regarding the implementation of the present concluding observations between now and the submission of the next periodic report under the Convention.

E.Principal areas of concern and recommendations

Visibility of the Convention, the Optional Protocol thereto and the Committee’s general recommendations

8.The Committee is concerned that the Convention, the Optional Protocol thereto and the Committee’s general recommendations are not fully incorporated into domestic law and are still not well known within the judiciary and among legal professionals, and that women, in particular rural women, migrant women and women with disabilities, are often not aware of their rights under the Convention and the remedies available to claim them.

9. The Committee recommends that the State party take all measures necessary to widely disseminate information about the Convention, the Optional Protocol thereto and the Committee’s general recommendations and provide mandatory and continuous capacity-building for judges, lawyers and law enforcement officers to ensure that the Convention, the Committee’s general recommendations and its jurisprudence under the Optional Protocol are sufficiently known by the judiciary and legal professionals and invoked in court proceedings and to raise awareness among women of their rights under the Convention and the legal remedies available to them to claim violations of those rights, and ensure that information on the Convention, the Committee’s jurisprudence under the Optional Protocol and its general recommendations is accessible to all women.

Definition of equality and non-discrimination

10.The Committee notes that the State party’s Constitution prohibits discrimination of any kind, including on the basis of sex. It also notes that the State party is currently discussing the formation of an interministerial committee to review and adjust the constitutional definition of discrimination. It notes with appreciation the landmark ruling by the High Court declaring all laws criminalizing same-sex intimacy unconstitutional. However, the Committee notes with concern:

(a)The lack of measures or a time frame to adopt a comprehensive definition of discrimination against women that encompasses direct and indirect discrimination in the public and private spheres, including intersecting forms of discrimination, in accordance with articles 1 and 2 of the Convention;

(b)The lack of effective implementation of legislation and policies related to gender equality and the advancement of women to ensure substantive equality of women and men in all spheres covered by the Convention, as well as the absence of monitoring mechanisms.

11. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt, within a clear time frame, a comprehensive definition of discrimination that prohibits discrimination against women and covers direct and indirect discrimination in the public and private spheres, as well as intersecting forms of discrimination, in the light of articles 1 and 2 of the Convention, the Committee’s general recommendation No. 28 (2010) on the core obligations of State parties under article 2 of the Convention, and target 5.1 of the Sustainable Development Goals on ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere, and ensure that robust monitoring mechanisms are established to ensure implementation of all related legislation.

Women’s access to justice

12.The Committee notes that the State party has enacted the Domestic Violence Act and established a special victims unit, which is mandated to respond to cases of domestic and sexual violence. However, it is concerned that, since the enactment of the Domestic Violence Act, domestic violence cases are heard before the High Court, where complainants are required to pay considerable court fees and incur additional expenses for the documentation associated with the proceedings. It notes with concern that this creates a barrier to accessing justice for women without sufficient means, who must instead use the magistrate’s court, which allows for access to legal aid but which provides lower awards. It is also concerned about legal provisions that discriminate against low-income mothers with respect to facilitating access to the courts to claim child maintenance.

13. The Committee urges the State party to review its legislation to ensure that women without sufficient means and women belonging to disadvantaged groups have access to free legal aid and waivers of court fees, and to amend all legal provisions that, whether directly or indirectly, create different standards with respect to accessing justice for women of different socioeconomic status.

National machinery for the advancement of women and gender mainstreaming

14.The Committee notes the development and launch of the National Gender Equality Policy and Action Plan by the State party, in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. However, it notes with concern:

(a)The low visibility of the National Gender Equality Policy and Action Plan;

(b)The lack of human, technical and financial resources allocated to the national gender machinery in Saint Kitts and the Department of Gender Affairs of Nevis to ensure the effective implementation of the National Gender Equality Policy and Action Plan;

(c)The lack of an institutionalized coordination mechanism across all ministries and State agencies, and between the Departments of Gender Affairs of both Saint Kitts and Nevis. Cooperation between Ministries occurs on an ad hoc basis as opposed to systematically;

(d)The lack of a specific mechanism to empower and ensure the meaningful participation of civil society organizations, in particular women’s rights organizations, in the review of legislation and the implementation of the gender-equality agenda;

(e)The scarcity and poor quality of data in the State party in general and of gender-informed and -disaggregated data on the situation of women and girls and their enjoyment of rights, which has a negative impact on the elaboration of informed, targeted and coherent policies.

15. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Provide adequate human, technical and financial resources to the national gender machinery in Saint Kitts and the Department of Gender Affairs of Nevis to enable them to effectively fulfil their mandate for the promotion of gender equality and gender mainstreaming, and combat gender-based violence against women;

(b) Institutionalize coordination mechanisms to ensure systematic gender mainstreaming in all policy arenas in order to enhance the coherence and complementarity of programmes and initiatives on both islands;

(c) Create an enabling environment and ensure the systematic and meaningful participation of civil society organizations, in particular those working on women’s rights, in the formulation and implementation of legislative and policy initiatives affecting women;

(d) Ensure the systematic collection of disaggregated data in the context of the ongoing census on women’s participation in all areas covered by the Convention to inform the formulation of gender-equality legislation and policies.

National human rights institution

16.The Committee notes the absence of a national human rights institution in the State party.

17. The Committee recommends that the State party establish a national human rights institution with adequate human, technical and financial resources to discharge its mandate effectively, independently and in compliance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles) and provide it with a robust mandate to promote and protect women’s rights and gender equality, including by considering complaints from women and girls in a confidential, gender-sensitive manner. The Committee also recommends the strengthening of the Ombudsperson to address issues related to articles 1 to 16 of the Convention in order to protect women’s access to justice and to services in the State party.

Temporary special measures

18.The Committee notes with concern the absence of a comprehensive strategy for the use of temporary special measures to achieve substantive equality of women and men in the State party in all areas of the Convention in which women are underrepresented or disadvantaged, including political and public life, education, employment and health.

19. Recalling article 4 (1) of the Convention and its general recommendation No. 25 (2004) on temporary special measures, the Committee recommends that the State party implement temporary special measures, particularly in relation to women in rural areas and in agriculture, aimed at accelerating substantive equality of women and men in all areas of the Convention in which women are underrepresented or disadvantaged, including political and public life, together with a system to monitor their implementation and the progress achieved.

Stereotypes

20.The Committee notes the State party’s efforts to address deep-rooted patriarchal attitudes and discriminatory gender stereotypes, including through awareness-raising activities and training workshops. It notes with concern, however, that the State party does not have a comprehensive strategy to address discriminatory gender stereotypes, including in the media, education and in political and public discourse, and that there is no legislation making paid paternity leave mandatory.

21. The Committee recommends that the State party further strengthen its efforts, including awareness-raising campaigns targeting the general public, to dismantle discriminatory stereotypes regarding the roles and responsibilities of women and men in the family and in society. It further recommends that the State party address stereotypes and sexist portrayals of women in the media and in political and public discourse by introducing adequate penalties for the perpetrators and providing training on women’s rights and gender equality for media professionals, and legally provide mandatory paid paternity leave to ensure that men can effectively fulfil their parental obligations.

Gender-based violence against women

22.The Committee notes the State party’s efforts to address domestic and sexual violence by adopting the Domestic Violence Act and launching the Domestic and Sexual Violence Complaints and Response Protocol. It is, however, concerned at the high prevalence of domestic and other forms of gender-based violence against women in the State party. In particular, the Committee notes with concern:

(a)The absence of a provision in the Criminal Code specifically criminalizing gender-based violence against women and of comprehensive legislation to prohibit all forms of gender-based violence;

(b)The high levels of underreporting of sexual and domestic violence due to fear of stigmatization, retribution and further violence, or lack of trust in the criminal justice system, the absence of efficient procedures for confidential reporting and the absence of a State-funded toll-free hotline for reporting domestic violence incidents;

(c)The complete absence of State-run emergency shelters for victims of gender-based violence;

(d)The lack of comprehensive statistical data on gender-based violence, disaggregated by sex, age and the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator;

(e)The delay in the adoption of the draft domestic violence strategic plan.

23. Recalling its general recommendation No. 35 (2017) on gender-based violence against women, updating general recommendation No. 19, and in line with target 5.2 of the Sustainable Developments Goals, to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in the public and private spheres, the Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Amend the Criminal Code and relevant legislation to criminalize all forms of gender-based violence against women and girls, including physical, psychological, sexual, economic and domestic violence, as well as rape, including marital rape, child sexual abuse and sexual harassment;

(b) Encourage reporting of all forms of gender-based violence against women and girls, including by strengthening procedures for confidential reporting of sexual and domestic violence and establishing a State-funded toll-free 24/7 hotline for reporting domestic violence incidents;

(c) Strengthen victim support services to match demand, including by ensuring a sufficient number of adequately funded emergency shelters providing legal, medical and psychosocial assistance to victims in Saint Kitts and in Nevis;

(d) Ensure the systematic compilation of statistical data on all forms of gender-based violence, disaggregated by sex, age and the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator;

(e) Adopt and implement the domestic violence strategic plan with adequate monitoring and without further delay, and include provisions for continuous and gender-responsive training for the judiciary, law enforcement personnel, health professionals and social workers on the strict application of criminal law provisions on gender-based violence against women, gender-sensitive investigation and interrogation procedures, and victim support legislation and programmes, respectively.

Trafficking and exploitation of prostitution

24.The Committee notes the State party’s efforts to identify and combat trafficking in women and girls, including by enacting the Trafficking in Persons (Prevention) Act and ratifying the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. The Committee notes with concern, however, that despite technical assistance received from the International Organization for Migration and awareness-raising campaigns, there is a lack of information on the incidence of trafficking, including on the number of reported cases, prosecutions and convictions of perpetrators of trafficking-related offences.

25. Recalling its general recommendation No. 38 (2020) on trafficking in women and girls in the context of global migration, the Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Ensure sufficient human, technical and financial resources for the effective implementation and monitoring of anti-trafficking laws and programmes to ensure that all cases of trafficking in women and girls are investigated and prosecuted and the perpetrators are adequately punished;

(b) Ensure effective mechanisms for the early identification and referral of victims to appropriate support services, including shelters and counselling and reintegration programmes;

(c) Strengthen the protection and reintegration of women and girls who are victims of trafficking, including by ensuring that they are not criminalized and that they have access to temporary residence permits irrespective of their ability or willingness to cooperate with the prosecution authorities;

(d) Provide disaggregated statistical data on the number of reported cases of trafficking and of prosecutions and convictions, on the sentences imposed on perpetrators and on the support provided to victims of trafficking;

(e) Promote regional cooperation and information exchange to prosecute traffickers.

Equal participation in political and public life

26.The Committee notes that the representation of women in the federal Government of the State party has increased since its consideration of the combined initial to fourth periodic reports of the State party in 2002. The Committee notes with concern, however, the lack of targeted measures, including temporary special measures, to support women candidates aspiring to political and public office and the absence of a legal framework to prevent and punish political harassment.

27. Recalling article 7 of the Convention and its general recommendation No. 23 (1997) on women in political and public life, the Committee recommends that the State party adopt targeted measures, such as campaign financing and capacity-building for women politicians and candidates on campaigning, leadership and negotiation skills, and raise awareness, in collaboration with the media, among politicians, community leaders and the general public, on the importance of the full, independent and democratic participation of women on an equal basis with men in political and public life as a requirement for fully implementing the human rights of women and for achieving political stability and sustainable development in the State party. It also recommends that the State party urgently adopt legislation to prevent and combat political harassment.

Education

28.The Committee welcomes the efforts to diversify women’s and girls’ educational choices, as well as the recent increase in the numbers of women obtaining the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate and accessing education at the tertiary level. It notes with concern, however, the significant drop-out rate among young women and adolescent girls owing to early pregnancy. The Committee also notes with concern that age-appropriate sexuality education at school is limited. It also notes that State-funded programmes focus mainly on support for young mothers and not sufficiently on the prevention of early pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and the impact of social and gender relations and patriarchal attitudes regarding the sexuality of women and girls.

29. Recalling its general recommendation No. 36 (2017) on the right of girls and women to education, and target 4.1 of the Sustainable Development Goals, to ensure by 2030 that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes, the Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Strengthen efforts to promote the participation of women and girls in non-traditional fields of study and career paths, in particular in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and information and communications technology, and in environmental sciences, including climate change, marine studies and the blue economy;

(b) Strengthen efforts to raise awareness among adolescent girls to curb the high rates of early pregnancy and subsequent interruption of schooling, and increase support to young mothers to continue with their education;

(c) Amend school curricula to provide mandatory universal, age-appropriate, comprehensive gender and sexuality education, addressing issues of responsible sexual behaviour, with special attention to the prevention of early pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Employment

30.The Committee welcomes the legislative measures taken by the State party aimed at ensuring equal access to formal employment (Equal Pay Act (2012)) and notes that the State party mandated a special unit within the Department of Labour to conduct regular inspections to ensure its enforcement. It remains concerned, however, about the persistent gender pay gap and the failure of the State party to implement the observations of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations of the International Labour Organization (ILO), adopted in 2016 and 2019, in relation to the absence of provisions in the Equal Pay Act explicitly guaranteeing the equal remuneration of women and men for work of equal value. It is also concerned about the lack of legislation explicitly criminalizing sexual harassment in the workplace.

31. The Committee draws attention to target 8.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals, to achieve by 2030 full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value, and recommends that the State party:

(a) Amend the Equal Pay Act, in line with the observations of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations of ILO, to include the principle of equal remuneration of women and men for work of equal value;

(b) Intensify its efforts to address the persistent gender pay gap by regularly reviewing wages in sectors where women are concentrated and adopting measures to close the gender pay gap, including through gender-neutral analytical job classification and evaluation methods and regular pay surveys;

(c) Enact legislation explicitly criminalizing sexual harassment in the workplace, ensure that victims have access to effective remedies and that complaints about sexual harassment are effectively investigated, perpetrators prosecuted and adequately punished and victims protected from retaliation;

(d) Ratify the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), of ILO.

Health

32.The Committee notes the measures taken by the State party to ensure access to high-quality health-care services to all women. It notes with concern, however, the lack of a strategic plan on sexual and reproductive health and rights, the criminalization of abortion except in cases of rape and threats to the life or health of the pregnant women, the discrepancy between the age of consent (currently 16 years old) and the age at which contraceptives can be accessed without parental approval (currently 18 years old) and the limited accessibility of health services for women with disabilities.

33. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Adopt a comprehensive strategic plan on sexual and reproductive health, with clear goals, indicators, a monitoring system and sufficient budgetary allocation;

(b) Revise the policy setting the age at which contraceptives can be accessed without parental approval to make it consistent with the age of consent, as an additional mechanism to prevent early pregnancy;

(c) Legalize abortion in cases of incest and severe fetal impairment, in addition to rape and threats to the life or health of the pregnant woman, and decriminalize it in all other cases;

(d) Ensure the accessibility of health-care services and facilities for women and girls with disabilities, such as accessible walkways and the use of Braille and sign language, and train health professionals on their specific health needs.

Economic empowerment

34.The Committee notes that the State party has adopted a welfare assistance system aimed at reducing the socioeconomic vulnerabilities of economically disadvantaged women and their families, and the Women’s Employment, Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion Project, providing technical and financial support to unemployed women and women entrepreneurs. It notes with concern, however, the insufficient number of specific measures and targeted programmes to support and stimulate entrepreneurship among women and promote their economic empowerment. It is also concerned about structural barriers faced by women in accessing low-interest loans and bank loans without collateral as well as other forms of financial credit, microcredit, credit guarantee schemes, venture capital, markets, supply and value chains and other economic development opportunities.

35. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Take all necessary measures to overcome the structural barriers faced by women regarding their access to low-interest loans and bank loans without collateral, other forms of financial credit, microcredit, credit-guarantee schemes, venture capital, markets, supply and value chains and other economic development opportunities;

(b) Ensure that all national economic development policies are gender-informed and use disaggregated data to ensure that women’s needs are incorporated;

(c) Promote women’s entrepreneurship, particularly with regard to those belonging to disadvantaged groups, such as women with disabilities, migrant women, single mothers, young women and older women;

(d) Ratify the Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156), of ILO.

Rural women

36.The Committee notes with concern the absence of an official policy or programme to address the rights of women in rural areas or within the Department of Agriculture with a focus on women farmers or in fisheries. It is also concerned that rural women have limited access to justice, education, employment, health care and land ownership in the State party.

37. Recalling its general recommendation No. 34 (2016) on the rights of rural women, and target 5.a of the Sustainable Development Goals, to undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws, the Committee recommends that the State party adopt a specific rural women’s development programme targeted at rural women, women farmers and women in fisheries, provide training in agroprocessing, fisheries, entrepreneurship and agribusiness management, facilitate special loans and access to land, as well as ensure the availability of public transportation in rural areas. It also recommends that the State party enhance rural women’s access to justice, education, employment, health-care services and land ownership.

Disadvantaged groups of women

38.The Committee welcomes the High Court ruling on 29 August 2022 rendering unconstitutional all laws that criminalize same-sex intimacy. It also welcomes the establishment of a dedicated officer in the Department of Community Development and Social Services within the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs to work with persons with disabilities and older persons. However, the Committee notes with concern:

(a)The absence of a time frame for the revision of all relevant laws to reflect the ruling of the High Court;

(b)The lack of policy to support and empower women and girls with disabilities and provide special training programmes to increase their independence and employability;

(c)The lack of policy and programmes for the integration of Spanish- and Creole-speaking migrant communities into the State party and the provision of full access to services for migrant women and girls;

(d)That women in detention are held in overcrowded prisons with poor facilities for women, including those related to sexual and reproductive health, access to sanitary products and protection against sexual harassment.

39. The Committee recommends that the State party amend all relevant laws to reflect the ruling of the High Court without further delay, and adopt targeted measures and gender-sensitive policies to ensure access to justice, employment and health care, including sexual and reproductive health services, ensure social protection and integration within the community for disadvantaged groups of women, including women with disabilities and migrant women, taking into account their specific needs, and implement the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) to address the conditions of women in detention.

Climate change and disaster risk reduction

40.The Committee is concerned that the State party has not explicitly incorporated a gender perspective into its disaster risk reduction strategies and policies and programmes on climate change. In particular, it notes with concern the lack of provisions to ensure women’s and girls’ special needs, including that the allocation of shelters does not put women at risk of sexual or gender-based violence and that women working in the tourism sector are eligible for social protection in the event of natural disasters affecting their job security.

41. Recalling its general recommendation No. 37 (2018) on the gender-related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change, the Committee recommends that the State party include a gender perspective in national policies and actions plans on climate change and disaster response and risk reduction, targeting women not only as being disproportionally affected by the effects of climate change and disasters, but also as active participants in the formulation and implementation of such policies.

Marriage and family relations

42.The Committee notes with concern the lack of protection of the economic rights of women living in common law unions or “free unions”, which are not legally recognized in the State party, despite this being the most prevalent form of union in the State party.

43. The Committee recommends that the State party amend its legislation to legally recognize common law unions to ensure the economic protection of women living in such unions, including upon the dissolution of a union.

Data collection

44.The Committee is concerned by the general lack of updated statistical data disaggregated by sex, age, ethnicity, disability, geographical location and socioeconomic background, which are necessary for accurately assessing the situation of women, for determining whether they suffer from discrimination, for informed and targeted policymaking and for the systematic monitoring and evaluation of progress achieved towards the realization of women’s substantive equality in all areas covered by the Convention.

45. The Committee calls upon the State party to develop an indicator system, in addition to the census, on gender-related issues to improve the collection of data disaggregated by sex and other relevant factors, which are necessary to assess the impact and effectiveness of policies and programmes aimed at mainstreaming gender equality and enhancing the enjoyment by women of their human rights. In that regard, the Committee draws the State party’s attention to its general recommendation No. 9 (1989) on statistical data concerning the situation of women, and encourages the State party to seek technical assistance from the relevant United Nations agencies and to enhance its collaboration with women’s associations that could assist in the collection of accurate data.

Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

46. The Committee calls upon the State party to use the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and to further evaluate the realization of the rights enshrined in the Convention in order to achieve substantive equality between women and men.

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

47. 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

48. 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 National Assembly and the judiciary, to enable their full implementation.

Ratification of other treaties

49. The Committee notes that the adherence of the State party to the nine major international human rights instruments would enhance the enjoyment by women of their human rights and fundamental freedoms in all aspects of life. The Committee therefore encourages the State party to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, to which it is not yet a party.

Follow-up to the concluding observations

50. 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, 15 (a), 23 (a) and 37 above.

Preparation of the next report

51. The Committee will establish and communicate the due date of the tenth periodic report of the State party in line with a future predictable reporting calendar based on an eight-year review cycle and following the adoption of a list of issues prior to reporting, if applicable, for the State party. The report should be submitted on time and cover the entire period up to the time of its submission.

52. 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 ( HRI/GEN/2/Rev.6 , chap. I).