Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Forty-fifth session
Summary record of the 924th meeting
Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on Friday, 5 February 2010, at noon
Chairperson:Ms. Gabr
Contents
Adoption of the report of the Committee on its forty-fifth session
Provisional agenda for the forty-sixth session
Statement by the Chairperson
Closure of the session
The meeting was called to order at 12 . 20 p.m.
Adoption of the report of the Committee on its forty-fifth session (CEDAW /C/2010/I/L.1; CEDAW/C/BOT/CO/3, CEDAW/C/EGY/CO/7 , CEDAW/C/MWI/CO/6 , CEDAW/C/NLD/CO/5 , CEDAW/C/PAN/CO/7 , CED AW/C/UKR/CO/7, CEDAW/C/ARE/CO/1 and CEDAW/C/UZB/CO/4 ; CEDAW/C/2010/I/CRP.1 )
Ms. Neubauer (Rapporteur) introduced document CEDAW/C/2010/I/L.1, containing chapters II and III of the Committee’s draft report, and the Committee’s draft concluding observations, as amended, on the reports by States parties that it had considered during the forty-fifth session (CEDAW/C/BOT/CO/3, CEDAW/C/EGY/CO/7, CEDAW/C/MWI/CO/6, CEDAW/C/NLD/CO/5, CEDAW/C/PAN/CO/7, CEDAW/C/UKR/CO/7, CEDAW/C/ARE/CO/1 and CEDAW/C/UZB/CO/4).
The Chairperson said she took it that the Committee wished to adopt the sections of the draft report contained in document CEDAW/C/2010/I/L.1 and the draft concluding observations on the reports by States parties considered at the session.
It was so decided.
Ms. Neubauer (Rapporteur) introduced the draft report of the Working Group of the Whole (CEDAW/C/2010/I/CRP.1), which described the actions taken by the Committee under items 5 and 6 of the provisional agenda (CEDAW/C/2010/45/1).
The Chairperson said she took it that the Committee wished to adopt the draft report of the Working Group of the Whole, as amended, for inclusion in the Committee’s draft report as its report on agenda items 5 and 6.
It was so decided.
The draft report of the Committee on its forty-fifth session was adopted as a whole, as amended, subject to finalization by the Rapporteur.
Provisional agenda for the forty-sixth session
Ms. Neubauer (Rapporteur) drew attention to the provisional agenda for the forty-sixth session, which was to be found in the report of the Working Group of the Whole.
The provisional agenda for the forty-sixth session was adopted.
Statement by the Chairperson
The Chairperson noted that the Committee had considered eight reports from States parties and had made concluding observations on them identifying the gaps and challenges to implementation of the Convention and strategies for solutions. She urged States parties to ensure that the provisions of the Convention were incorporated into domestic law and that the Convention was used as the main legally binding instrument for the development of policies for the advancement of women.
On behalf of the Committee, she expressed appreciation for the contributions made by representatives of United Nations entities and by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and encouraged them to strengthen their advocacy for the promotion and protection of women’s human rights and the implementation of the Convention. The Committee had also met with officials from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): the High Commissioner, the Chief of the Human Rights Treaties Branch and representatives of the Women’s Human Rights and Gender Unit and the Research and Right to Development Division.
At the forty-fifth session the Committee had continued its work on the draft general recommendation on older women. It had also adopted new methods of work, including a methodology to assess States party reports received under the Committee’s follow-up procedure. In addition, it had adopted statements on: the situation in Haiti; the inclusion of Afghan women in the process of peacebuilding, security and reconstruction in Afghanistan; the 15-year review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; and the relationship of the Committee with parliaments and NGOs. Lastly, the Committee had concluded its follow-up procedure in relation to communications No. 5/2005 and No. 6/2005.
It was important to associate the implementation of the Convention with that of other human rights treaties and policy documents, such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Millennium Development Goals and Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009). She urged States parties to ensure that the Committee’s concluding observations on their periodic reports were discussed in Parliament and that their next periodic report as well as reports submitted in the context of the Committee’s follow-up procedure were made available to Parliament and to all government ministries.
Closure of the session
Following an exchange of courtesies, the Chairperson declared the forty-fifth session closed.
The meeting rose at 12.35 p.m.