against Women

Pre-sessional working group

Sixty-second session

9-13 March 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-second session of the Committee would meet from 9 to 13 March 2015, immediately after the sixtieth 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:

Barbara Bailey

Nahla Haidar

Dalia Leinarte

Pramila Patten

Patricia Schulz

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

5.The pre-sessional working group prepared lists of issues and questions with regard to the reports of Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Timor-Leste, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Yemen. 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 22 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, in addition to the core documents of those States parties, with the exception of the United Arab Emirates; 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, non‑governmental organizations and national human rights institutions.

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 combined fourth and fifth periodic reports of Lebanon (CEDAW/C/LBN/Q/4-5);

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

(c)List of issues and questions in relation to the combined sixth and seventh periodic reports of Madagascar (CEDAW/C/MDG/Q/6-7);

(d)List of issues and questions in relation to the seventh periodic report of Malawi (CEDAW/C/MWI/Q/7);

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

(f)List of issues and questions in relation to the eighth periodic report of the Russian Federation (CEDAW/C/RUS/Q/8);

(g)List of issues and questions in relation to the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Slovakia (CEDAW/C/SVK/Q/5-6);

(h)List of issues and questions in relation to the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Slovenia (CEDAW/C/SVN/Q/5-6);

(i)List of issues and questions in relation to the combined second and third periodic reports of Timor-Leste (CEDAW/C/TLS/Q/2-3);

(j)List of issues and questions in relation to the combined second and third periodic reports of the United Arab Emirates (CEDAW/C/ARE/Q/2-3);

(k)List of issues and questions in relation to the fifth periodic report of Uzbekistan (CEDAW/C/UZB/Q/5);

(l)List of issues and questions in relation to the combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of Yemen (CEDAW/C/YEM/Q/7-8).

9.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.