Fifty-ninth session

20 October-7 November 2014

Item 2 of the provisional agenda

Adoption of the agenda and organization of work

Provisional agenda and annotations

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-eighth and fifty-ninth 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 sixtieth session of the Committee.

10.Adoption of the report of the Committee on its fifty-ninth session.

Annotations

1.Opening of the session

The fifty-ninth 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-eighth session, the Committee approved the provisional agenda for its fifty-ninth session.

3.Report of the Chair on activities undertaken between the fifty-eighth and fifty-ninth sessions of the Committee

The Chair will provide a briefing to the Committee on activities and events having occurred since the previous session that had a bearing on the work of the Committee.

Documentation

Provisional agenda and annotations (CEDAW/C/59/1)

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 on the 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 so requests.

The reports of the following States parties are scheduled to be considered at the fifty-ninth session of the Committee: Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, China, Ghana, Guinea, Poland, Solomon Islands and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of).

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 that State party 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-ninth 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-sessional working group of the Committee is convened before each session to prepare lists of issues and questions relating to reports for transmission to States parties before the meetings at which their reports are to be considered. The pre‑sessional working group for the fifty-ninth session met in Geneva from 3 to 7 March 2014. The report of the pre-sessional working group (CEDAW/C/PSWG/59/1) and the responses of States parties to the lists of issues and questions will be before the Committee.

Documentation

Reports

Seventh periodic report of Belgium (CEDAW/C/BEL/7)

Combined initial and second periodic reports of Brunei Darussalam (CEDAW/C/BRN/1-2)

Combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of China (CEDAW/C/CHN/7-8, CEDAW/C/CHN-HKG/7-8 and CEDAW/C/CHN-MAC/7-8)

Combined sixth and seventh periodic reports of Ghana (CEDAW/C/GHA/6-7)

Combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of Guinea (CEDAW/C/GIN/7-8)

Combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of Poland (CEDAW/C/POL/7-8)

Combined initial to third periodic reports of Solomon Islands (CEDAW/C/SLB/1-3)

Combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (CEDAW/C/VEN/7-8)

Lists of issues and questions

Belgium (CEDAW/C/BEL/Q/7)

Brunei Darussalam (CEDAW/C/BRN/Q/1-2)

China (CEDAW/C/CHN/Q/7-8)

Ghana (CEDAW/C/GHA/Q/6-7)

Guinea (CEDAW/C/GIN/Q/7-8)

Poland (CEDAW/C/POL/Q/7-8)

Solomon Islands (CEDAW/C/SLB/Q/1-3/Add.2)

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (CEDAW/C/VEN/Q/7-8)

Responses to the lists of issues and questions

Belgium (CEDAW/C/BEL/Q/7/Add.1)

Brunei Darussalam (CEDAW/C/BRN/Q/1-2/Add.1)

China (CEDAW/C/CHN/Q/7-8/Add.1)

Ghana (CEDAW/C/GHA/Q/6-7/Add.1)

Guinea (CEDAW/C/GIN/Q/7-8/Add.1)

Poland (CEDAW/C/POL/Q/7-8/Add.1)

Solomon Islands (CEDAW/C/SLB/Q/1-3/Add.3)

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (CEDAW/C/VEN/Q/7-8/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

The Committee will discuss matters relating to 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 that 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 thirtieth session of the Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol will be held from 15 to 17 October 2014 in Geneva.

At its fifty-ninth 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 sixtieth session of the Committee

Documentation

Provisional agenda for the sixtieth session (CEDAW/C/60/1)

10.Adoption of the report of the Committee on its fifty-ninth session