Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Eighty-fourth session

Summary record of the 1968th meeting*

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on Friday, 24 February 2023, at 5 p.m.

Chair:Ms. Peláez Narváez

Contents

Adoption of the report of the Committee on its eighty-fourth session

Provisional agenda for the eighty-fifth session of the Committee

Statement by the Chair

Closure of the session

The meeting was called to order at 4.35 p.m.

Adoption of the report of the Committee on its eighty-fourth session

Provisional agenda for the eighty-fifth session of the Committee

Ms. Bethel (Rapporteur) said that she had the honour of introducing the Committee’s draft report on its eighty-fourth session, which was contained in document CEDAW/C/2023/I/L.1. She wished to draw attention to chapters II and III.

The Chair said she took it that the Committee wished to adopt those chapters.

It was so decided.

Ms. Bethel (Rapporteur) said that she also wished to draw attention to chapters I and IV to VII of the Committee’s draft report and to chapter VIII, which contained the provisional agenda for the eighty-fifth session. Chapters VI and VII contained the draft report of the Working Group of the Whole, which described the action taken by the Committee for the implementation of article 21 of the Convention and ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee.

The Chair said she took it that the Committee wished to adopt the report of the eighty-fourth session in its entirety, including the provisional agenda for the eighty-fifth session.

It was so decided.

The draft report of the Committee on its eighty-fourth session, as a whole, was adopted.

Statement by the Chair

The Chair said that she was grateful to the Committee’s Rapporteur and the three Vice-Chairs for having supported her during her first session as Chair. She also wished to thank the seven new members of the Committee, who had already made important contributions to its work.

During the session, the Committee had considered eight State party reports, adopted concluding observations on those reports, held informal meetings with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and national human rights institutions (NHRIs), and attended several lunchtime briefings organized by NGOs. The Committee had been pleased by the high level of engagement of local NGOs and NHRIs. Its interactions with NGOs had been coordinated by International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific, which had once again made a significant contribution to the Committee’s work. She was grateful to Fundación CERMI Mujeres for having provided the Committee with sign-language interpretation and subtitling services during the Committee’s public meetings with NGOs and NHRIs.

The Committee wished to thank the United Nations entities, United Nations country teams and other intergovernmental bodies that had provided it with detailed information. Gratitude was due to the Working Group on Working Methods for the progress it had made in defining the scope of hybrid sessions and the Committee’s working languages for the period 2023–2024.

Thanks to the diligent efforts of Ms. Ameline and Ms. Stott Despoja, the Committee had held a half-day of general discussion on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems. The discussion had been attended by a large number of representatives of States parties, NGOs and universities and had marked the start of the drafting of the Committee’s fortieth general recommendation. Gratitude was due to the Working Group on Communications, whose efforts had enabled the Committee to adopt five final decisions on individual communications.

The Committee had conducted an assessment of follow-up procedures relating to its concluding observations to States parties. It had also had important exchanges with a number of stakeholders, including the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; the Chief of the Universal Periodic Review Branch of the Human Rights Council and Treaty Mechanisms Division; the Human Rights and Disability Adviser of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); and the Women’s Human Rights and Gender Section of OHCHR. She was particularly pleased to note that the Committee had had the opportunity to meet with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who had expressed his full support for the Committee.

The Committee wished to express its sincere condolences to the many people affected by the earthquake that had devastated parts of the Syrian Arab Republic and Türkiye on 6 February 2023. She was also sad to note the recent passing of Mr. Ivo Petrov of OHCHR, who had served as the secretary of the Committee’s Working Group on Communications for many years. The Committee wished to thank Ms. Fatiha Sallahi, who, in her role as conference officer, had supported many of the Committee’s sessions and would be retiring within a few days.

Closure of the session

Following the customary exchange of courtesies, the Chair declared the eighty-fourth session closed.

The meeting rose at 4.55 p.m.