against Women
Fifty-fifth session
8-26 July 2013
Item 2 of the provisional agenda
Adoption of the agenda and organization of work
Provisional agenda
1.Opening of the session.
2.Adoption of the agenda and organization of work.
3.Report of the Chair on activities undertaken between the fifty-fourth and the fifty-fifth sessions of the Committee.
4.Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
5.Follow-up to the consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
6.Implementation of articles 21 and 22 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
7.Ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee.
8.Activities of the Committee under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
9.Provisional agenda for the fifty-sixth session of the Committee.
10.Adoption of the report of the Committee on its fifty-fifth session.
Annotations
1.Opening of the session
The fifty-fifth session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women will be opened by the Chair of the Committee.
2.Adoption of the agenda and organization of work
Rule 9 of the rules of procedure provides that the first substantive item on the provisional agenda for any session shall be the adoption of the agenda. Rule 7 provides that the provisional agenda for each session shall be prepared by the Secretary-General in consultation with the Chair, in conformity with the relevant provisions of articles 17 to 22 of the Convention.
At its fifty-fourth session, the Committee approved the provisional agenda for its fifty-fifth session.
3.Report of the Chair on activities undertaken between the fifty-fourth and fifty‑fifth sessions of the Committee
Under item 3, the Chair will brief the Committee on activities and events occurring since the previous session that had a bearing on the work of the Committee.
Documentation
Provisional agenda and annotations (CEDAW/C/55/1)
4.Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
Article 18 of the Convention provides that States parties to the Convention shall submit to the Secretary-General, for consideration by the Committee, a report on the legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures that they have adopted to give effect to the provisions of the Convention and other progress made in that respect. Reports are to be submitted within one year after the entry into force of the Convention for the State concerned and thereafter at least every four years and, further, whenever the Committee requests.
The reports of the following States are scheduled to be considered at the fifty‑fifth session of the Committee: Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, Serbia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Rule 51 of the rules of procedure provides that representatives of a State party shall be present at meetings of the Committee when the report of the State is being examined and shall participate in discussions and answer questions concerning the report.
Rule 49 of the rules of procedure provides that, at each session, the Secretary-General shall notify the Committee of the non-receipt of any report required from a State party under article 18 of the Convention. The Secretary-General also provides the Committee with a list of reports submitted by States parties to the Convention, as well as a list of reports submitted by States parties to the Convention that have not yet been considered by the Committee.
At its fifty-fifth session, the Committee will be informed of the status of submission of overdue reports by States parties under article 18 of the Convention.
A pre-session working group of the Committee is convened before each session to prepare lists of issues and questions relating to reports for transmission to the States parties before the meetings at which their reports are to be considered. The pre‑session working group for the fifty-fifth session met in Geneva from 22 to 25 October 2012. It is noted that the pre-session working group was held over a four-day period, as 26 October was an official United Nations holiday. The report of the pre-session working group (CEDAW/C/PSWG/55/1) and the responses of States parties to the lists of issues and questions will be before the Committee.
Documentation
Reports
Combined initial and second periodic reports of Afghanistan (CEDAW/C/AFG/1-2)
Combined fourth and fifth periodic reports of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CEDAW/C/BIH/4-5)
Combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of Cape Verde (CEDAW/C/CPV/7-8)
Combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of Cuba (CEDAW/C/CUB/7-8)
Combined sixth and seventh periodic reports of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (CEDAW/C/COD/6-7)
Combined sixth and seventh periodic reports of the Dominican Republic (CEDAW/C/DOM/6-7)
Combined second and third periodic reports of Serbia (CEDAW/C/SRB/2-3)
Seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (CEDAW/C/GBR/7 and Add.1 and 2)
Lists of issues and questions
Afghanistan (CEDAW/C/AFG/Q/1-2)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (CEDAW/C/BIH/Q/4-5)
Cape Verde (CEDAW/C/CPV/Q/7-8)
Cuba (CEDAW/C/CUB/Q/7-8)
Democratic Republic of the Congo (CEDAW/C/COD/Q/6-7)
Dominican Republic (CEDAW/C/DOM/Q/6-7)
Serbia (CEDAW/C/SRB/Q/2-3)
United Kingdom (CEDAW/C/GBR/Q/7)
Responses to the lists of issues and questions
Afghanistan (CEDAW/C/AFG/Q/1-2/Add.1)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (CEDAW/C/BIH/Q/4-5/Add.1)
Cape Verde (CEDAW/C/CPV/Q/7-8/Add.1)
Cuba (CEDAW/C/CUB/Q/7-8/Add.1)
Democratic Republic of the Congo (CEDAW/C/COD/Q/6-7/Add.1)
Dominican Republic (CEDAW/C/DOM/Q/6-7/Add.1)
Serbia (CEDAW/C/SRB/Q/2-3/Add.1)
United Kingdom (CEDAW/C/GBR/Q/7/Add.1)
5.Follow-up to the consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
At its forty-seventh session, the Committee decided to add “Follow-up to the consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women” as an item on the agenda.
The Committee will discuss matters relating to the follow-up to concluding observations.
6.Implementation of articles 21 and 22 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
Article 21 of the Convention provides that the Committee may make suggestions and general recommendations based on the examination of the reports and information received from States parties. It also provides that such suggestions and general recommendations shall be included in the report of the Committee to the General Assembly, together with comments, if any, from States parties.
Article 22 of the Convention provides that the specialized agencies shall be entitled to be represented during the consideration of the implementation of such provisions of the Convention as fall within the scope of their activities and that the Committee may invite the specialized agencies to submit reports on the implementation of the Convention in those areas.
Documentation
Reports provided by the specialized agencies of the United Nations on the implementation of the Convention in areas falling within the scope of their activities
7.Ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee
The Committee will discuss matters relating to its methods of work.
8.Activities of the Committee under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
The twenty-sixth session of the Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol will be held on 4 and 5 July 2013 in Geneva.
During its fifty-fifth session, the Committee will continue to implement its mandate under articles 2 and 8 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention.
9.Provisional agenda for the fifty-sixth session of the Committee
Documentation
Provisional agenda for the fifty-sixth session (CEDAW/C/56/1)