against Women

Pre-sessional working group

Sixty-third session

27-30 July 2015

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

Report of the pre-sessional working group

1.It is the practice of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to convene a pre-sessional working group for five days to prepare lists of issues and questions relating to the initial and periodic reports that will be considered by the Committee at one of its future sessions.

2.The Committee decided that the pre-sessional working group for the sixty-third session of the Committee would meet from 27 to 30 July 2015 (31 July 2015 being an official holiday at the United Nations Office at Geneva), immediately after the sixty-first session, in order to ensure that sufficient time would be available to States parties to submit their written replies to the lists of issues and questions, as well as to ensure their timely translation.

3.The following experts were designated as members of the pre-sessional working group and attended the session:

Nicole Ameline

Magalys Arocha Domínguez

Hilary Gbedemah

Ismat Jahan

Dalia Leinarte

Note : The present document is being issued in English, French and Spanish only.

4.The pre-sessional working group elected Ms. Jahan as its Chair.

5.The pre-sessional working group prepared lists of issues and questions with regard to the reports of the Czech Republic, Haiti, Iceland, Japan, Mongolia, Sweden, the United Republic of Tanzania and Vanuatu. In that regard, it was guided by Committee decision 49/IX, according to which the Committee decided to limit such lists to 20 questions. In practice and exceptionally, some lists contain a maximum of 23 questions. In accordance with its decisions 58/II, 59/IV and 60/IX, the Committee, for the first time, and on a pilot basis, adopted a list of issues and questions prior to reporting under its optional simplified reporting procedure, namely a list of issues and questions prior to the submission of the eighth periodic report of Belarus. In that regard, it was guided by its decision 59/IV, according to which the Committee decided to limit such lists to 25 questions.

6.To assist in the preparation of the lists of issues and questions, the pre‑sessional working group had before it the reports of the States parties listed above, with the exception of Belarus, in addition to the core documents of those States parties; the general recommendations adopted by the Committee; background information and draft lists of issues and questions prepared by the secretariat; and other pertinent information, including concluding observations of the Committee and other treaty bodies, if relevant. In preparing the lists, the pre-sessional working group paid particular attention to the States parties’ follow-up to the concluding observations of the Committee on their previous reports.

7.The pre-sessional working group benefited from written and oral information submitted by entities and specialized agencies of the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations.

8.The lists of issues and questions adopted by the pre-sessional working group were transmitted to the States parties concerned and are contained in the following documents:

(a)List of issues and questions in relation to the sixth periodic report of the Czech Republic (CEDAW/C/CZE/Q/6);

(b)List of issues and questions in relation to the combined eighth and ninth periodic reports of Haiti (CEDAW/C/HTI/Q/8-9);

(c)List of issues and questions in relation to the combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of Iceland (CEDAW/C/ISL/Q/7-8);

(d)List of issues and questions in relation to the combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of Japan (CEDAW/C/JPN/Q/7-8);

(e)List of issues and questions in relation to the combined eighth and ninth periodic reports of Mongolia (CEDAW/C/MNG/Q/8-9);

(f)List of issues and questions in relation to the combined eighth and ninth periodic reports of Sweden (CEDAW/C/SWE/Q/8-9);

(g)List of issues and questions in relation to the combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of the United Republic of Tanzania (CEDAW/C/TZA/Q/7-8);

(h)List of issues and questions in relation to the combined fourth and fifth periodic reports of Vanuatu (CEDAW/C/VUT/Q/4-5).

9.The list of issues and questions prior to the submission of the eighth periodic report of Belarus (CEDAW/C/BLR/QPR/8) will be submitted to the Committee for approval at its sixty-second session (26 October-20 November 2015) before being transmitted to the State party.

10.In accordance with Committee decisions 22/IV, 25/II and 31/III, the lists of issues and questions focused on themes addressed by the Convention. Those themes include the constitutional and legislative framework; national machinery for the advancement of women; stereotypes and harmful practices; violence against women, including domestic violence; trafficking in women and exploitation of prostitution; participation of women in decision-making; nationality; education and training; employment; health; social and economic benefits; rural women; the situation of disadvantaged groups of women, such as older women, women with disabilities, women belonging to ethnic minorities and refugee and migrant women; equality before the law; and marriage and family relations.