United Nations · New York, 2018

Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Sixty-seventh session

(3–21 July 2017)

Sixty-eighth session

(23 October–17 November 2017)

Sixty-ninth session

(19 February–9 March 2018)

ISSN 0255-0970

Note

Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document.

[29 March 2018]

Contents

Chapter			Page
Letter of transmittal	6
Part One Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on its sixty- seventh session	7
Decisions adopted by the Committee	8
Organizational and other matters	10
States parties to the Convention and to the Optional Protocol	10
Opening of the session	10
Adoption of the agenda	10
Report of the pre-sessional working group	10
Organization of work	10
Membership of the Committee	11
Report of the Chair on intersessional activities	12
Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention	13
Activities carried out under the Optional Protocol	14
Action taken by the Committee in respect of issues arising under article 2 of the Optional Protocol	14
Follow-up to views of the Committee on individual communications	14
Action taken by the Committee in respect of issues arising under article 8 of the Optional Protocol	14
Ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee	16
Implementation of article 21 of the Convention	18
Provisional agenda for the sixty-eighth session	20
Adoption of the report	21
Annex
Documents before the Committee at its sixty-seventh session	22
Part Two Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on its sixty- eighth session	23
Decisions adopted by the Committee	24
Organizational and other matters	26
States parties to the Convention and to the Optional Protocol	26
Opening of the session	26
Adoption of the agenda	26
Report of the pre-sessional working group	26
Organization of work	26
Membership of the Committee	27
Report of the Chair on intersessional activities	28
Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention	29
Activities carried out under the Optional Protocol	30
Action taken by the Committee in respect of issues arising under article 2 of the Optional Protocol	30
Follow-up to views of the Committee on individual communications	30
Action taken by the Committee in respect of issues arising under article 8 of the Optional Protocol	30
Ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee	32
Implementation of article 21 of the Convention	33
Provisional agenda for the sixty-ninth session	35
Adoption of the report	36
Annex
Documents before the Committee at its sixty-eighth session	37
Part Three Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on its sixty- ninth session	38
I.Decisions adopted by the Committee	39
II.Organizational and other matters	41
States parties to the Convention and to the Optional Protocol	41
Opening of the session	41
Adoption of the agenda	41
Report of the pre-sessional working group	41
Organization of work	41
Membership of the Committee	42
III.Report of the Chair on intersessional activities	43
IV.Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention	44
V.Activities carried out under the Optional Protocol	45
Action taken by the Committee in respect of issues arising under article 2 of the Optional Protocol	45
Follow-up to views of the Committee on individual communications	45
Action taken by the Committee in respect of issues arising under article 8 of the Optional Protocol	45
VI.Ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee	46
VII.Implementation of article 21 of the Convention	47
VIII.Provisional agenda for the seventieth session	49
IX.Adoption of the report	50
Annexes
I.Documents before the Committee at its sixty-ninth session	51
II.Membership of the Committee as at 9 March 2018	52

Letter of transmittal

[29 March 2018]

I have the honour to refer to article 21 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, according to which the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, established pursuant to the Convention, is to, through the Economic and Social Council, report annually to the General Assembly on its activities.

The Committee held its sixty-seventh session from 3 to 21 July 2017, its sixty-eighth session from 23 October to 17 November 2017 and its sixty-ninth session from 19 February to 9 March 2018, at the United Nations Office at Geneva. It adopted its reports on the sessions at its 1529th meeting, on 21 July 2017, its 1569th meeting, on 17 November 2017, and its 1599th meeting, on 9 March 2018. The reports are herewith submitted to you for transmission to the General Assembly at its seventy-third session.

(Signed) Dalia Leinarte

Chair

Part One

Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on its sixty-seventh session

3–21 July 2017

Chapter I

Decisions adopted by the Committee

Decision 67/I

On 18 July 2017, the Committee adopted general recommendation No. 35 (2017) on gender-based violence against women, updating general recommendation No. 19 (CEDAW/C/GC/35), by consensus. The Committee decided to hold a high-level public event at its sixty-eighth session to raise awareness on its recently adopted general recommendation No. 35, to be organized by the Human Rights Treaties Branch of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), with the support of the Women’s Human Rights and Gender Section.

Decision 67/II

On 13 July 2017, the Committee endorsed the recommendations for addressing women’s human rights in the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration (goo.gl/tA152h) adopted at an expert meeting hosted by OHCHR and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) on 21 and 22 November 2016 in Geneva.

Decision 67/III

The Committee appointed Theodora Oby Nwankwo to replace Pramila Patten as a member of the Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol. It also endorsed the election of Patricia Schulz as the Chair of the Working Group and of Gladys Acosta Vargas as Vice-Chair.

Decision 67/IV

The Committee appointed Dalia Leinarte to replace Theodora Oby Nwankwo as a member of the Working Group on Inquiries under the Optional Protocol.

Decision 67/V

The Committee decided to amend its current practice of including in its concluding observations only those issues that were raised during the constructive dialogue with the State party concerned (see decision 60/VII), with a view to enabling experts to reduce the number of questions they ask during the dialogue. It also decided that issues included in its list of issues and questions and its list of issues prior to reporting may also be included in the concluding observations. The Committee requested the secretariat to inform States parties of the new practice, in the notes verbales transmitting the lists of issues and questions and the lists of issues prior to reporting.

Decision 67/VI

The Committee recalled its decision 55/IX, in which it decided that each expert would sign up for a minimum of four country task forces per session, and it further decided that, in addition, country rapporteurs should sign up for a minimum of two country task forces, for sessions at which the reports of eight States parties are considered. It also decided that, in the event of a four-week session, at which the reports of 12 States parties are considered, each expert should sign up for a minimum of six country task forces, with the exception of country rapporteurs who should sign up for a minimum of three country task forces, to the extent possible. The Committee further decided that the list of country task forces should be finalized at the session preceding the session at which the report of the State party concerned is scheduled for consideration, to the extent possible.

Decision 67/VII

The Committee decided that each member should volunteer as country rapporteur for one country per year, to the extent possible, with a view to ensuring equal sharing of work, and that members should indicate their preferences to the Bureau member of the regional group of the State party concerned. It also decided that country rapporteurs should be designated during the year preceding the year when the reports of the States parties concerned are scheduled for consideration.

Decision 67/VIII

The Committee decided to revise its decision 65/II and to further amend the standard paragraph in its concluding observations on the date for the submission of the next periodic report of the State party concerned, as follows: “The Committee requests the State party to submit its [xxx] periodic report, which is due in [month] [year]. The report should be submitted on time and cover the entire period up to the time of its submission.”

Decision 67/IX

In accordance with rule 24 of its rules of procedure, as amended by decision 59/V, the Committee decided that, on the basis of its composition, Arabic would remain its fourth official language until 31 December 2018, to be used on an exceptional basis to facilitate communication among the members, in accordance with paragraph 30 of General Assembly resolution 68/268.

Decision 67/X

The Committee confirmed the members of the pre-sessional working group for the sixty-ninth session, namely, Marion Bethel, Hilary Gbedemah (replacing Theodora Oby Nwankwo), Nahla Haidar, Lilian Hofmeister and Lia Nadaraia.

Chapter II

Organizational and other matters

A.States parties to the Convention and to the Optional Protocol

1.As at 21 July 2017, the closing date of the sixty-seventh session of the Committee, there were 189 States parties to the Convention. In addition, 71 States parties had accepted the amendment to article 20 (1) of the Convention concerning the meeting time of the Committee. A total of 126 States parties to the Convention are currently required to accept the amendment in order to bring it into force.

2.As at the same date, there were 109 States parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention.

B.Opening of the session

3.The sixty-seventh session of the Committee was held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 3 to 21 July 2017. The Committee held 20 plenary meetings and 10 meetings to discuss agenda items 5 to 8. A list of the documents before the Committee is contained in the annex to part one of the present report.

4.At the 1500th meeting, on 3 July, the session was opened by the Chair.

C.Adoption of the agenda

5.The Committee adopted the provisional agenda (CEDAW/C/67/1) at its 1500th meeting, on 3 July.

D.Report of the pre-sessional working group

6.The report of the pre-sessional working group (CEDAW/C/PSWG/67/1), which had met from 21 to 25 November 2016, was introduced by Patricia Schulz at the 1500th meeting, on 3 July 2017.

E.Organization of work

7.On 3 and 10 July 2017, the Committee held closed meetings, including videoconferences, with representatives of the specialized agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations, at which those bodies provided country-specific information and information on their efforts to support the implementation of the Convention.

8.In addition, the Committee held informal public meetings with representatives of non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions, who provided information on the implementation of the Convention in the States parties whose reports the Committee considered at its session.

9.On 7 July, the Committee held an informal meeting, at which Renée Chartres, Land and Gender Legal Specialist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), provided a briefing on Sustainable Development Goal indicator 5.a.2, on ensuring that national legal frameworks (including customary law) guarantee women’s equal rights to land ownership and/or control.

10.On 21 July, the Committee held an informal meeting, at which Ann Blomberg, Human Rights Specialist, UN-Women, provided a briefing on the outcome of the expert meeting to discuss strategies for integrating women’s rights into the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, hosted by OHCHR and UN-Women in Geneva on 21 and 22 November 2016.

11.On 12 July 2017, the Committee met informally with the members of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Human Rights Council. The meeting was hosted by the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

12.On 14 July, the Committee held a videoconference with Akiko Sakaue, Programme Analyst for Human Rights and Gender, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Emilie Filmer-Wilson, Technical Adviser (Human Rights), UNFPA, who provided a briefing on women’s rights issues relating to surrogacy.

13.On 19 July, the Committee met informally with Sarah Iqbal, Programme Manager, Women, Business and the Law project, World Bank, and Keiko Nowacka, Gender Coordinator, Development Centre, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), who provided a briefing on data collection on Sustainable Development Goal indicator 5.1.1, on legal frameworks to promote, enforce and monitor equality and non-discrimination on the basis of sex. From UN-Women, Begoña Lasagabaster, Chief, Human Rights Section; Ginette Azcona, Policy Specialist; and Caitlin Boyce, Human Rights Legal Policy Specialist; participated in the meeting via videoconference.

F.Membership of the Committee

Filling of casual vacancies

14.Pramila Patten resigned from the Committee on 16 May. On 17 May, the Secretary-General requested the Government of Mauritius to appoint, within a period of two months, another expert from among its nationals to serve for the remainder of Ms. Patten’s term. On 21 June, the Government of Mauritius informed the Committee of its decision to appoint Aruna Devi Narain to serve as a member of the Committee for the remainder of the term of Ms. Patten, until 31 December 2018. On 21 July 2017, the Committee decided to approve the appointment of Ms. Narain, in accordance with article 17 (7) of the Convention.

Attendance at the sixty-seventh session

15.All members attended the sixty-seventh session, with the exception of Theodora Oby Nwankwo. The following members did not attend the session on the indicated dates: Ayse Feride Acar, on 10 and 14 July; Louiza Chalal, on 6 July; Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, on 21 July; and Dalia Leinarte, on 21 July. A list of the members of the Committee, indicating the duration of their terms of office, is contained in annex II to part three of the present report.

Chapter III

Report of the Chair on intersessional activities

16.At the 1500th meeting, on 3 July 2017, the Chair presented a report on her activities since the sixty-sixth session.

Chapter IV

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention

17.The Committee considered the reports of eight States parties submitted under article 18 of the Convention and prepared the following concluding observations thereon:

Barbados	(CEDAW/C/BRB/CO/5-8)
Costa Rica	(CEDAW/C/CRI/CO/7)
Italy	(CEDAW/C/ITA/CO/7)
Montenegro	(CEDAW/C/MNE/CO/2)
Niger	(CEDAW/C/NER/CO/3-4)
Nigeria	(CEDAW/C/NGA/CO/7-8)
Romania	(CEDAW/C/ROU/CO/7-8)
Thailand	(CEDAW/C/THA/CO/6-7)

Follow-up procedures relating to concluding observations

18.The Committee considered the follow-up reports received from the following States parties:

Belgium	(CEDAW/C/BEL/CO/7/Add.1)
China	(CEDAW/C/CHN/CO/7-8/Add.1)
Denmark	(CEDAW/C/DEN/CO/8/Add.1)
Ecuador	(CEDAW/C/ECU/CO/8-9/Add.1)
Egypt	(CEDAW/C/EGY/CO/7/Add.1)
Kazakhstan	(CEDAW/C/KAZ/CO/3-4/Add.1)
Oman	(CEDAW/C/OMN/CO/1/Add.1)
Solomon Islands	(CEDAW/C/SLB/CO/1-3/Add.1)
Swaziland	(CEDAW/C/SWZ/CO/1-2/Add.1)

19.The Committee sent first reminders to Azerbaijan, Eritrea, Gabon, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives and Tuvalu and second reminders to Brunei Darussalam, Ghana, Guinea, India, Mauritania and Sierra Leone, whose follow-up reports were overdue.

20.The Rapporteur on follow-up met with representatives of Benin, Cabo Verde and Sierra Leone, given that their follow-up reports were overdue.

Chapter V

Activities carried out under the Optional Protocol

21.Article 12 of the Optional Protocol provides that the Committee is to include in its annual report a summary of its activities under the Optional Protocol.

A.Action taken by the Committee in respect of issues arising under article 2 of the Optional Protocol

22.The Committee discussed activities under article 2 of the Optional Protocol on 10 July 2017.

23.The Committee endorsed the report of the Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol on its thirty-eighth session (see https://bit.ly/2IAeZvl).

24.The Committee adopted final decisions with regard to four individual communications submitted under article 2 of the Optional Protocol. It adopted views finding a violation in Trujillo Reyes and Arguello Morales v. Mexico (CEDAW/C/67/D/75/2014) and views finding no violation in F.F.M. v. Denmark (CEDAW/C/67/D/70/2014), A.M. v. Denmark (CEDAW/C/67/D/77/2014) and N.M. v. Denmark (CEDAW/C/67/D/78/2014). All decisions were adopted by consensus.

B.Follow-up to views of the Committee on individual communications

25.The Committee was informed that, due to the reduced capacity of the secretariat, the Working Group had not been provided with a written report on the follow-up situation in cases where the follow-up dialogue was ongoing and that it intended to meet with representatives of Brazil and Peru, with a view to closing the follow-up dialogue with regard to communications No. 17/2008 (da Silva Pimentel v. Brazil) and No. 22/2009 (T.P.F. v. Peru), in the near future.

C.Action taken by the Committee in respect of issues arising under article 8 of the Optional Protocol

26.The Committee discussed its activities under article 8 of the Optional Protocol on 19 July 2017. It endorsed the report of the Working Group on Inquiries under the Optional Protocol on its seventh session (see https://bit.ly/2qcL6KP).

27.The Committee adopted the following recommendations of the Working Group:

(a)In relation to submission No. 2017/1, to discontinue its examination of the information received under article 8 of the Optional Protocol;

(b)In relation to submission No. 2016/1, to invite the State party concerned to submit its observations with regard to the information received by the Committee under article 8 of the Optional Protocol;

(c)In relation to inquiry No. 2014/3, to designate Gunnar Bergby, Nahla Haidar and Bandana Rana to conduct an inquiry and to request the consent of the State party concerned to a visit to its territory;

(d)In relation to submission No. 2012/1, to designate Gladys Acosta Vargas and Marion Bethel to conduct an inquiry and to request the consent of the State party concerned to a visit to its territory;

(e)In relation to submission No. 2011/4, to designate Nicole Ameline, Marion Bethel, Náela Mohamed Gabr and Patricia Schulz to conduct an inquiry and to request the consent of the State party concerned to a visit to its territory.

28.The Committee ratified the following decisions made by the Working Group:

(a)In relation to inquiry No. 2013/1, to designate Lilian Hofmeister to replace Pramila Patten as one of the members designated to conduct the inquiry;

(b)In relation to inquiry No. 2014/2, to designate Marion Bethel to replace Nahla Haidar, and Aicha Vall Verges to replace Pramila Patten as members designated to conduct the inquiry;

(c)In relation to inquiry No. 2012/1, to postpone the visit to the territory of the State party concerned until after the consideration of the periodic report of the State party.

29.In relation to inquiry No. 2014/1, Lia Nadaraia introduced the report on the inquiry.

Chapter VI

Ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee

30.The secretariat informed the Committee about the status of submission of overdue reports by States parties under article 18 of the Convention.

Action taken by the Committee under agenda item 7

Dates of future sessions

31.In accordance with the calendar of conferences, the following dates were confirmed for the Committee’s sixty-eighth and sixty-ninth sessions and related meetings:

Sixty-eighth session (Geneva)

(a)Thirty-ninth session of the Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol: 18–20 October 2017;

(b)Eighth session of the Working Group on Inquiries under the Optional Protocol: 19 and 20 October 2017;

(c)Sixty-eighth session: 23 October–17 November 2017;

(d)Pre-sessional working group for the seventieth session: 20–24 November 2017;

Sixty-ninth session (Geneva)

(e)Fortieth session of the Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol: 13–16 February 2018;

(f)Ninth session of the Working Group on Inquiries under the Optional Protocol: 15 and 16 February 2018;

(g)Sixty-ninth session: 19 February–9 March 2018;

(h)Pre-sessional working group for the seventy-first session: 12–16 March 2018.

Reports to be considered at future sessions

32.The Committee confirmed that it would consider the reports of the following States parties at its sixty-eighth and sixty-ninth sessions:

Sixty-eighth session:

Burkina Faso

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Guatemala

Israel (under the simplified reporting procedure)

Kenya

Kuwait

Monaco

Nauru

Norway

Oman

Paraguay

Singapore

Sixty-ninth session:

Chile

Fiji

Luxembourg (under the simplified reporting procedure)

Malaysia

Marshall Islands

Republic of Korea

Suriname

Saudi Arabia

Chapter VII

Implementation of article 21 of the Convention

Working group on gender-related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change

33.The working group met during the session and reviewed the revised text of the draft general recommendation, which had been modified to integrate the comments made by stakeholders intersessionally.

Working group on the right to education

34.The working group met during the session and discussed the draft general recommendation. It held an informal consultation with former Committee member Barbara Bailey, an international expert on education.

35.On 21 July 2017, the Committee completed its first reading of the draft general recommendation.

Working group on working methods

36.The working group met during the session and considered and submitted to the Committee draft decisions concerning the coverage of issues in concluding observations, the membership of country task forces, the designation of country rapporteurs and the period to be covered in overdue periodic reports (see decisions 67/V to 67/VIII).

Working group on the Inter-Parliamentary Union

37.The working group met with a representative of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), who provided a briefing to the working group on the global activities of IPU, its work on combating violence against women, and its activities to promote the Convention and the recommendations of the Committee at the national and regional levels. The working group continued its discussion on the priorities for its cooperation with IPU, in particular with regard to holding a joint meeting at the next session of the IPU Assembly in Geneva in March 2018 and further improving the standard paragraph on parliaments in the concluding observations of the Committee.

Working group on the Convention, UN-Women and the Sustainable Development Goals

38.The working group met with representatives of the World Bank, OECD, UN‑Women and FAO during the session to discuss the Committee’s participation in the refinement of the methodology of implementation of and collection of data on Sustainable Development Goal indicators 5.1.1 and 5.a.2.

39.The Committee agreed to establish a steering committee with the World Bank, OECD and UN-Women to reinforce the exchange of information on progress made in refining the methodology of implementation of and the collection of data on Sustainable Development Goal indicator 5.1.1. It requested the representatives from both the World Bank and OECD to submit country-specific information in the context of the consideration by the Committee of the reports of States parties, in particular prior to the adoption of the list of issues and questions by the pre-sessional working group.

40.The working group, in coordination with the working group on working methods, also provided input for the terms of reference of a consultant to be recruited to revise the reporting guidelines of the Committee, with a view to increasing their relevance in the light of data collection efforts to measure the achievement of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Working group on gender-based violence against women

41.The working group met during the session.

42.On 18 July 2017, the Committee adopted general recommendation No. 35 (2017) on gender-based violence against women, updating general recommendation No. 19 (CEDAW/C/GC/35), by consensus, in accordance with rule 31 of its rules of procedure. The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences was present at the meeting.

Task force on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations

43.The task force met during the session.

Chapter VIII

Provisional agenda for the sixty-eighth session

44.At its 1529th meeting, on 21 July 2017, the Committee considered and approved the draft provisional agenda for its sixty-eighth session.

Chapter IX

Adoption of the report

45.At its 1529th meeting, on 21 July 2017, the Committee considered and adopted, as orally amended, the draft report on its sixty-seventh session.

Annex

Documents before the Committee at its sixty-seventh session

Document number	Title or description
CEDAW/C/67/1	Annotated provisional agenda
CEDAW/C/67/2	Report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
CEDAW/C/67/3	Report of the International LabourOrganization
Reports of States parties
CEDAW/C/BRB/5-8	Combined fifth to eighth periodic reports of Barbados
CEDAW/C/CRI/7	Seventh periodic report of Costa Rica
CEDAW/C/ITA/7	Seventh periodic report of Italy
CEDAW/C/MNE/2	Second periodic report of Montenegro
CEDAW/C/NER/3-4	Combined third and fourth periodic reports of the Niger
CEDAW/C/NGA/7-8	Combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of Nigeria
CEDAW/C/ROU/7-8	Combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of Romania
CEDAW/C/THA/6-7	Combined sixth and seventh periodic reports of Thailand

Part Two

Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on its sixty-eighth session

23 October–17 November 2017

Chapter I

Decisions adopted by the Committee

Decision 68/I

On 16 November 2017, the Committee adopted general recommendation No. 36 (2017) on the right of girls and women to education (CEDAW/C/GC/36), by consensus.

Decision 68/II

In accordance with article 18 (1) (b) of the Convention and its decision 21/I, the Committee decided to request the Government of Myanmar to submit an exceptional report, within six months, on the ongoing situation of Rohingya women and girls in northern Rakhine state.

Decision 68/III

The Committee recalled its decision to postpone, at the request of the State party, its consideration of the combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of Yemen (CEDAW/C/YEM/7-8), received in June 2013, and decided to determine the modalities for the urgent consideration of the situation of women and girls in Yemen at its sixty-ninth session.

Decision 68/IV

The Committee decided to amend the second introductory paragraph of its concluding observations by inserting a reference to the submission, if any, by the State party of written information on the steps taken to implement the recommendations identified for immediate action in the previous concluding observations of the Committee. Should the State party fail to submit such a follow-up report, the Committee decided that it would express regret about that failure in the standard paragraph on follow up in its concluding observations.

Decision 68/V

The Committee amended the briefing note template for country rapporteurs annexed to its decision 52/II (see A/68/38, part one, annex II, appendix) to include, in section I, reference to the submission or non-submission by the State party concerned of written information on the steps it had taken to implement the recommendations identified for immediate action in the previous concluding observations of the Committee. The Committee also decided that, in case such a follow-up report has been submitted, a reference to the assessment of the follow-up report by the Rapporteur on follow-up to concluding observations should be included in the briefing note prepared by the country rapporteur.

Decision 68/VI

The Committee amended its methodology of the follow-up procedure to concluding observations (see A/68/38, part three, annex III), as previously amended in its decision 54/IX, by introducing the following two additional categories into those contained in paragraph 3 of the methodology and into section III of the information note on the procedure for States parties and other stakeholders on the submission of reports under the follow-up procedure (ibid., appendix):

•“Substantially implemented” indicates that the State party has provided evidence of substantial action taken towards the implementation of the recommendation made by the Committee, but that it fails to respond fully to the recommendation; in this case, the Rapporteur on follow-up requests no additional information from the State party.

•“Information or measures taken are contrary to or reflect rejection of the recommendation” indicates that the State party has taken no steps, reinforcing the Committee’s concerns, or shows that the State party rejects the recommendations made by the Committee; in this case, the Rapporteur on follow-up requests information on the measures taken to implement the recommendation within a specific time frame or in the next periodic report.

Decision 68/VII

The Committee confirmed the members of the pre-sessional working group for the seventieth session, namely, Gladys Acosta Vargas, Nicole Ameline, Lia Nadaraia, Bandana Rana and Aicha Vall Verges (replacing Theodora Oby Nwankwo).

Chapter II

Organizational and other matters

A.States parties to the Convention and to the Optional Protocol

1.As at 17 November 2017, the closing date of the sixty-eighth session of the Committee, the ratification status of the Convention (189 States parties) was as it was on 21 July, the closing date of the sixty-seventh session. One additional State party had accepted the amendment to article 20 (1) of the Convention concerning the meeting time of the Committee, bringing the total number of States parties having accepted the amendment to 72.

2.The ratification status of the Optional Protocol to the Convention (109 States parties) was as it was on 21 July, the closing date of the sixty-seventh session.

B.Opening of the session

3.The sixty-eighth session of the Committee was held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 23 October to 17 November 2017. The Committee held 29 plenary meetings and 11 meetings to discuss agenda items 5 to 8. A list of the documents before the Committee is contained in the annex to part two of the present report.

4.At the 1530th meeting, on 23 October, the session was opened by the Chair.

C.Adoption of the agenda

5.The Committee adopted the provisional agenda (CEDAW/C/68/1) at its 1530th meeting, on 23 October.

D.Report of the pre-sessional working group

6.The report of the pre-sessional working group (CEDAW/C/PSWG/68/1), which had met from 6 to 10 March, was introduced by Náela Mohamed Gabr at the 1530th meeting, on 23 October.

E.Organization of work

7.On 23 and 30 October and 6 November, the Committee held closed meetings, including videoconferences, with representatives of the specialized agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations, at which those bodies provided country-specific information and information on their efforts to support the implementation of the Convention.

8.In addition, the Committee held informal public meetings with representatives of non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions, who provided information on the implementation of the Convention in the States parties whose reports the Committee considered at its session.

9.On 3 November, the Committee met with Alda Facio, Chair of the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice, to discuss strengthened cooperation between the Committee and the Working Group.

10.On 8 November, the Committee held an informal meeting with representatives of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and WHO, at which a briefing was provided on women, HIV and AIDS in the context of the Convention.

11.On 14 November, the Committee convened an expert panel discussion, organized by OHCHR, to raise awareness on its recently adopted general recommendation No. 35.

F.Membership of the Committee

Filling of casual vacancies

12.On 23 October, Aruna Devi Narain, who had been appointed to serve as a member of the Committee for the remainder of the term of Pramila Patten (until 31 December 2018), assumed her duties and took the solemn declaration, as provided for in rule 15 of the rules of procedure of the Committee.

Attendance at the sixty-eighth session

13.All members attended the sixty-eighth session, with the exception of Theodora Oby Nwankwo. The following members did not attend on the indicated dates: Ayse Feride Acar, from 30 October to 3 November and from 6 to 8 and on 17 November; Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, from 23 to 27 and on 3 and 17 November; Yoko Hayashi, from 15 to 17 November; Ismat Jahan, from 23 to 27 November; and Aicha Vall Verges, on 2 November. A list of the members of the Committee, indicating the duration of their terms of office, is contained in annex II to part three of the present report.

Chapter III

Report of the Chair on intersessional activities

14.At the 1569th meeting, on 23 October 2017, the Chair presented a report on her activities since the sixty-seventh session.

Chapter IV

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention

15.The Committee considered the reports of 12 States parties submitted under article 18 of the Convention and adopted the following concluding observations thereon:

Burkina Faso	(CEDAW/C/BFA/CO/7)
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea	(CEDAW/C/ARM/PRK/2-4)
Guatemala	(CEDAW/C/GTM/CO/8-9)
Israel	(CEDAW/C/ISR/CO/6)
Kenya	(CEDAW/C/KEN/CO/8)
Kuwait	(CEDAW/C/KWT/CO/5)
Monaco	(CEDAW/C/MCO/CO/1-3)
Nauru	(CEDAW/C/NRU/CO/1-2)
Norway	(CEDAW/C/NOR/CO/9)
Oman	(CEDAW/C/OMN/CO/2-3)
Paraguay	(CEDAW/C/PRY/CO/7)
Singapore	(CEDAW/C/SGP/CO/5)

Follow-up procedures relating to concluding observations

16.The Committee considered the follow-up reports received from the following States parties:

Benin	(CEDAW/C/BEN/CO/4/Add.1)
Brunei Darussalam	(CEDAW/C/BRN/CO/1-2/Add.1)
Slovenia	(CEDAW/C/SVN/CO/5-6/Add.1)
Spain	(CEDAW/C/ESP/CO/7-8/Add.1)

17.The Committee sent first reminders to Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Croatia, the Gambia, Namibia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal and Viet Nam and second reminders to Azerbaijan, Eritrea, Gabon, Kyrgyzstan and Tuvalu, whose follow-up reports were overdue.

18.The Rapporteur on follow-up met with representatives of Uganda and the Central African Republic, whose follow-up reports were overdue.

Chapter V

Activities carried out under the Optional Protocol

19.Article 12 of the Optional Protocol provides that the Committee is to include in its annual report a summary of its activities under the Optional Protocol.

A.Action taken by the Committee in respect of issues arising under article 2 of the Optional Protocol

20.The Committee discussed activities under article 2 of the Optional Protocol on 6 November 2017.

21.The Committee endorsed the report of the Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol on its thirty-ninth session (see https://bit.ly/2HbdIhn).

22.The Committee adopted final decisions with regard to three individual communications submitted under article 2 of the Optional Protocol. It adopted views finding a violation in O.G. v. Russian Federation (CEDAW/C/68/D/91/2015). It also adopted decisions of inadmissibility in S.J.A. v. Denmark (CEDAW/C/68/D/79/2014) and N.P. v. Ukraine (CEDAW/C/68/D/95/2015). The Committee further discontinued the consideration of communication No. 93/2015 (K.I.A. v. Denmark). All decisions were adopted by consensus.

B.Follow-up to views of the Committee on individual communications

23.The Committee was informed that the Working Group, at its thirty-ninth session, had discussed the follow-up situation in each case where the follow-up dialogue was continuing and agreed on the action to be taken. Of the 15 cases currently under follow-up examination, two relate to the Russian Federation and one relates to each of Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, the Philippines, Republic of Moldova, Slovakia, Spain and the United Republic of Tanzania. The Committee appointed rapporteurs for each of the cases.

C.Action taken by the Committee in respect of issues arising under article 8 of the Optional Protocol

24.The Committee discussed its activities under article 8 of the Optional Protocol on 15 November. It endorsed the report of the Working Group on Inquiries under the Optional Protocol on its eighth session (see https://bit.ly/2qiv1TK).

25.The Committee adopted the recommendation of the Working Group, in relation to submission No. 2017/2, to discontinue its examination of the information received under article 8 of the Optional Protocol.

26.The Committee completed the first reading of its draft findings, comments and recommendations in relation to inquiry No. 2014/1.

27.The Committee ratified the following decisions made by the Working Group:

(a)In relation to inquiry No. 2011/4, to accept the withdrawal of Náela Mohamed Gabr as one of the members designated to conduct the inquiry;

(b)In the light of the lack of cooperation by certain States parties, to mandate the Working Group on Inquiries to consider the elaboration of guidelines for conducting inquiries without a visit to the territory of the State party concerned;

(c)To defer consideration of the amendments to the standard operating procedures proposed by the Working Group on Inquiries to the sixty-ninth session of the Committee.

Chapter VI

Ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee

28.The secretariat informed the Committee about the status of submission of overdue reports by States parties under article 18 of the Convention.

Action taken by the Committee under agenda item 7

Dates of future sessions

29.In accordance with the calendar of conferences, the following dates were confirmed for the Committee’s sixty-ninth and seventieth sessions and related meetings:

Sixty-ninth session (Geneva)

(a)As indicated in paragraph 31 of part one of the present report;

Seventieth session (Geneva)

(b)Forty-first session of the Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol: 27–29 June 2018;

(c)Tenth session of the Working Group on Inquiries under the Optional Protocol: 28 and 29 June 2018;

(d)Seventieth session: 2–20 July 2018;

(e)Pre-sessional working group for the seventy-second session: 23–27 July 2018.

Reports to be considered at future sessions

30.The Committee confirmed that, at its sixty-ninth session, it would consider the reports of the States parties listed in paragraph 32 of part one of the present report and that, at its seventieth session, it would consider those of Australia, the Cook Islands, Cyprus, Liechtenstein (under the simplified reporting procedure), Mexico, New Zealand, the State of Palestine and Turkmenistan.

Chapter VII

Implementation of article 21 of the Convention

Working group on gender-related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change

31.The working group met during the session and discussed the draft general recommendation.

32.On 17 November 2017, the Committee completed its first reading of the draft general recommendation.

Working group on the right to education

33.The working group met during the session to discuss the draft general recommendation. It held two informal consultations with former Committee member Barbara Bailey, an international expert on education.

34.On 16 November, the Committee adopted general recommendation No. 36 (2017) on the right of girls and women to education (CEDAW/C/GC/36), by consensus, in accordance with rule 31 of its rules of procedure. Barbara Bailey, former chair of the working group on the right to education, was present at the meeting.

Working group on working methods

35.The working group met during the session and discussed a draft decision concerning time management during the constructive dialogue. It also discussed and submitted to the Committee a draft decision on the adoption of joint statements intersessionally. The Committee deferred the adoption of a decision to its sixty-ninth session and requested the working group to develop criteria for determining the urgent situations in relation to which the Committee should adopt statements, both during its sessions and intersessionally.

Working group on the Inter-Parliamentary Union

36.The working group met with a representative of IPU, who provided a briefing on the activities of IPU, at the national and regional levels, focusing on the Convention and gender equality, including at the session of the IPU Assembly held in St. Petersburg in October 2017, and at the Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament in the Plurinational State of Bolivia in December 2017. The working group discussed the possibility of holding a meeting with parliamentarians during the next session of the IPU Assembly, to be held in Geneva from 13 to 17 October 2018, including a high-level meeting with the President of IPU, Gabriela Cuevas Barrón (Mexico). The working group invited the IPU representative to suggest questions for inclusion in the briefing notes prepared by country rapporteurs concerning measures taken by the State party concerned to increase the representation of women in political processes. The working group also invited IPU to consider ways of integrating the gender-related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals into its work.

Working group on the Convention, UN-Women and the Sustainable Development Goals

37.The working group held a teleconference with representatives of UN-Women, OECD and the World Bank, who provided a briefing on developments relating to Sustainable Development Goal indicator 5.1.1. The working group identified the following priority issues: (a) determining ways to increase the public visibility of the Committee as a full partner in the implementation and monitoring of indicator 5.1.1; and (b) the need to develop a strategy to raise awareness about the interconnectedness between the commitment of States parties to achieving the targets relating to women’s empowerment, and their obligations under the Convention.

38.The working group invited Luis Mora, Chief, Gender, Human Rights and Culture Branch, Technical Division, UNFPA, to provide a briefing to the Committee on the development of Sustainable Development Goal indicator 5.6.1, on ensuring access for women 15–49 years of age to make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care, and indicator 5.6.2, on ensuring national laws and regulations that guarantee women and men 15 years of age or older access to sexual and reproductive health care, information and education, for which UNFPA was the lead custodial agency. The working group underlined the value of including relevant recommendations of the Committee in the work of UNFPA on indicator development and data collection. UNFPA and the Committee agreed on a future course of strengthened institutional collaboration.

39.The chair of the working group, Nicole Ameline, proposed the organization of a side event at the sixty-second session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2018, with a view to raising awareness of the work of the Committee in reinforcing the implementation and promotion of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its inextricable linkage to the Convention.

40.The working group noted that the recruitment process of a consultant to review the reporting guidelines of the Committee was in its final stages.

Working group on gender-based violence against women

41.The working group met during the session.

42.On 14 November 2017, the Committee convened an expert panel discussion to raise awareness on its recently adopted general recommendation No. 35. The panellists included Hina Jilani, human rights lawyer, the Elders; Shilan Shah-Davis, Senior Lecturer, University of the West of England; Anthony Keedi, Technical Adviser (Masculinities), Abaad Resource Centre for Gender Equality; Carmen Barroso, Co-chair, Independent Accountability Panel, Every Woman Every Child; Dubravka Šimonović, Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences; and Jane Connors, Assistant Secretary-General, Victims’ Rights Advocate. Kate Gilmore, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, moderated the discussion.

43.A number of States parties to the Convention attended the event, as well as representatives of the specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations. Representatives welcomed the adoption of general recommendation No. 35 and expressed their continued commitment to combating gender-based violence against women.

Task force on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations

44.The task force met during the session to discuss a framework for cooperation with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten.

Chapter VIII

Provisional agenda for the sixty-ninth session

45.At its 1569th meeting, on 17 November 2017, the Committee considered and approved the draft provisional agenda for its sixty-ninth session.

Chapter IX

Adoption of the report

46.At its 1569th meeting, on 17 November 2017, the Committee considered and adopted, as orally amended, the draft report on its sixty-eighth session.

Annex

Documents before the Committee at its sixty-eighth session

Document number	Title or description
CEDAW/C/68/1	Annotated provisional agenda
CEDAW/C/68/2	Report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
CEDAW/C/68/3	Report of the International Labour Organization
Reports of States parties
CEDAW/C/BFA/7	Seventh periodic report of Burkina Faso
CEDAW/C/PRK/2-4	Combined second to fourth periodic reports of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
CEDAW/C/GTM/8-9	Combined eighth and ninth periodic reports of Guatemala
CEDAW/C/ISR/6	Sixth periodic report of Israel
CEDAW/C/KEN/8	Eighth periodic report of Kenya
CEDAW/C/KWT/5	Fifth periodic report of Kuwait
CEDAW/C/MCO/1-3	Combined initial to third periodic reports of Monaco
CEDAW/C/NRU/1-2	Combined initial and second periodic reports of Nauru
CEDAW/C/NOR/9	Ninth periodic report of Norway
CEDAW/C/OMN/2-3	Combined second and third periodic reports of Oman
CEDAW/C/PRY/7	Seventh periodic report of Paraguay
CEDAW/C/SGP/5	Fifth periodic report of Singapore

Part Three

Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on its sixty-ninth session

19 February–9 March 2018

Chapter I

Decisions adopted by the Committee

Decision 69/I

On 7 March 2018, the Committee adopted general recommendation No. 37 (2018) on the gender-related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change (CEDAW/C/GC/37), by consensus.

Decision 69/II

The Committee adopted a statement on the gender-related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change, on the occasion of the International Women’s Day (https://goo.gl/5AEcJT).

Decision 69/III

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Committee adopted a statement, entitled “Confronting sexual violence, demanding equality”, jointly with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences and the Human Rights Council Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice (https://goo.gl/5AEcJT).

Decision 69/IV

The Committee decided to embark on the elaboration of a draft general recommendation on trafficking in women and girls in the context of global migration and entrusted Dalia Leinarte with the task of preparing a concept note. It also decided to elaborate draft general recommendations on gender stereotypes and on indigenous women at such time when the secretariat would have the capacity to support those processes.

Decision 69/V

Having reviewed its decision 65/V, in which it suspended the simplified reporting procedure, the Committee decided to reinstate that procedure. It also decided to amend its decisions 58/II and 59/IV by making the simplified reporting procedure available to all States parties, upon their request, irrespective of whether or not their respective periodic report was overdue, provided that the State party concerned: (1) had previously submitted an initial report that was considered under the regular procedure; and (2) has submitted an updated common core document, in accordance with the harmonized guidelines on reporting under the international human rights treaties, including guidelines on a common core document and treaty-specific documents (HRI/GEN/2/Rev.6, chap. I) within the preceding five years, a time frame subject to further review by the Committee. It decided to keep under review the practical modalities of the implementation of the simplified reporting procedure to ensure its effectiveness for all stakeholders. The Committee also decided that the present decision would be communicated to all States parties.

Decision 69/VI

The Committee decided to limit to a maximum of two the number of invitations to follow-up meetings for a State party whose follow-up report is overdue despite two reminders. It also decided that failure of the State party concerned to submit a follow‑up report after two invitations, irrespective of whether or not any meeting takes place, would constitute non-collaboration under the follow-up procedure.

Decision 69/VII

The Committee decided to amend its decision 54/IX by introducing the following categories, for use in assessing the quality of the follow-up information received from States parties, into the methodology of the follow-up procedure to concluding observations (see A/68/38, part three, annex III) and into a new section, entitled “Terminology for determining the quality of the information received from States parties”, of the information note for States parties and other stakeholders on the submission of reports under the follow-up procedure (ibid., appendix):

•“Satisfactory” indicates that the information received from the State party is thorough and extensive and relates directly to the recommendations;

•“Partially satisfactory” indicates that the information received from the State party is thorough and extensive but fails to respond fully to the recommendations;

•“Unsatisfactory” indicates that the information received from the State party is vague and incomplete and/or fails to address the recommendations;

•“No response” indicates that the State party has not addressed the concern or recommendations in the response.

In addition, the title of section III of the information note was modified to read “Terminology for determining the degree of implementation of the recommendations”, the above-mentioned new section was inserted as section IV and the subsequent sections were renumbered.

Decision 69/VIII

The Committee elected Louiza Chalal to replace the late Theodora Oby Nwankwo as Vice-Chair of the Committee, in accordance with rule 20 of its rules of procedure.

Decision 69/IX

The Committee elected Aruna Devi Narain to replace the late Theodora Oby Nwankwo as a member of the Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol.

Decision 69/X

The Committee decided to transform the focal points on gender, HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive rights into an open-ended working group on sexual and reproductive health and rights, to be chaired by Louiza Chalal.

Decision 69/XI

The Committee decided to establish a working group on cooperation with national human rights institutions, with a view to enhancing its interaction with national human rights institutions in a more structured manner, to be chaired by Nahla Haidar.

Decision 69/XII

The Committee confirmed the members of the pre-sessional working group for the seventy-first session, namely, Marion Bethel, Hilary Gbedemah, Rosario G. Manalo, Lia Nadaraia and Patricia Schulz.

Chapter II

Organizational and other matters

A.States parties to the Convention and to the Optional Protocol

1.As at 9 March 2018, the closing date of the sixty-ninth session of the Committee, the ratification status of the Convention (189 States parties) and the number of States parties (72) having accepted the amendment to article 20 (1) of the Convention concerning the meeting time of the Committee were as they were on 17 November 2017, the closing date of the sixty-eighth session.

2.The ratification status of the Optional Protocol to the Convention (109 States parties) also remained unchanged.

B.Opening of the session

3.The sixty-ninth session of the Committee was held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 19 February to 9 March 2018. The Committee held 20 plenary meetings and 10 meetings to discuss agenda items 5 to 8. A list of the documents before the Committee is contained in annex I to part three of the present report.

4.At the 1570th meeting, on 19 February, the session was opened by the Chair.

C.Adoption of the agenda

5.The Committee adopted the provisional agenda (CEDAW/C/69/1) at its 1570th meeting, on 19 February.

D.Report of the pre-sessional working group

6.The report of the pre-sessional working group (CEDAW/C/PSWG/69/1), which had met from 24 to 28 July 2017, was introduced by Nahla Haidar at the 1570th meeting, on 19 February.

E.Organization of work

7.On 19 and 26 February, the Committee held closed meetings, including videoconferences, with representatives of the specialized agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations, at which those bodies provided country-specific information and information on their efforts to support the implementation of the Convention.

8.In addition, the Committee held informal public meetings with representatives of non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions, who provided information about the implementation of the Convention in the States parties considered by the Committee at its sixty-ninth session.

9.On 21 February, Christine Löw, Head of the UN-Women Liaison Office in Geneva, provided a briefing to the Committee on the work of UN-Women in promoting the implementation of the Convention and of the concluding observations of the Committee.

10.On 5 March, the Committee held an informal meeting with Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Disabilities and Accessibility, who provided a briefing on the evolving practice of the human rights treaty bodies in addressing the rights of persons with disabilities, including women with disabilities, and the role of the Sustainable Development Goals in the promotion of accessibility and inclusiveness.

F.Membership of the Committee

Filling of casual vacancies

11.On 11 December 2017, the Committee learned of the passing, on 9 December, of Theodora Oby Nwankwo, who had been re-elected as a member of the Committee on 21 June 2016, for a term that was to expire on 31 December 2020. On 11 December 2017, the Chair extended the Committee’s condolences to the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva. On 13 December, the Secretary-General requested the Government of Nigeria to appoint, within a period of two months, another expert from among its nationals to fill the vacancy resulting from the death of Ms. Nwankwo. On 26 January 2018, the Government of Nigeria informed the Committee of its decision to appoint Esther Eghobamien-Mshelia to serve as a member of the Committee for the remainder of the term of the late Ms. Nwankwo. On 1 March, the Committee decided to approve the appointment of Ms. Eghobamien-Mshelia, in accordance with article 17 (7) of the Convention.

Attendance at the sixty-ninth session

12.All members attended the sixty-ninth session. The following members did not attend on the indicated dates: Ayse Feride Acar, from 19 to 23 February and on 8 and 9 March; Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, from 28 February to 2 March and from 7 to 9 March; Yoko Hayashi, from 5 to 9 March; and Aruna Devi Narain, on 8 and 9 March. A list of the members of the Committee, indicating the duration of their terms of office, is contained in annex II to part three of the present report.

Chapter III

Report of the Chair on intersessional activities

13.At the 1570th meeting, on 19 February 2018, the Chair presented a report on her activities since the sixty-eighth session.

Chapter IV

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention

14.The Committee considered the reports of eight States parties submitted under article 18 of the Convention and adopted the following concluding observations thereon:

Chile	(CEDAW/C/CHL/CO/7)
Fiji	(CEDAW/C/FJI/CO/5)
Luxembourg	(CEDAW/C/LUX/CO/6-7)
Malaysia	(CEDAW/C/MAL/CO/3-5)
Marshall Islands	(CEDAW/C/MHL/CO/1-3)
Republic of Korea	(CEDAW/C/KOR/CO/8)
Saudi Arabia	(CEDAW/C/SAU/CO/3-4)
Suriname	(CEDAW/C/SUR/CO/4-6)

Follow-up procedures relating to concluding observations

15.The Committee considered the follow-up reports received from the following States parties:

Plurinational State of Bolivia	(CEDAW/C/BOL/CO/5-6/Add.1)
Croatia	(CEDAW/C/HRV/CO/4-5/Add.1)
Mauritania	(CEDAW/C/MRT/CO/2-3/Add.1)
Maldives	(CEDAW/C/MDV/CO/4-5/Add.1)
Namibia	(CEDAW/C/NAM/CO/4-5/Add.1)
Poland	(CEDAW/C/POL/CO/7-8/Add.1)
Portugal	(CEDAW/C/PRT/CO/8-9/Add.1)
Uzbekistan	(CEDAW/C/UZB/CO/5/Add.1)

16.The Committee sent first reminders to Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, the Russian Federation, Timor-Leste and the United Arab Emirates and second reminders to the Gambia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Senegal, whose follow-up reports were overdue.

17.The Rapporteur on follow-up met with representatives of Azerbaijan, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana and Uganda, whose follow-up reports were overdue.

Chapter V

Activities carried out under the Optional Protocol

18.Article 12 of the Optional Protocol provides that the Committee is to include in its annual report a summary of its activities under the Optional Protocol.

A.Action taken by the Committee in respect of issues arising under article 2 of the Optional Protocol

19.The Committee discussed activities under article 2 of the Optional Protocol on 26 February and 5 March 2018.

20.The Committee endorsed the report of the Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol on its fortieth session (see https://bit.ly/2IAy00M).

21.The Committee adopted final decisions with regard to four individual communications submitted under article 2 of the Optional Protocol. It adopted views finding a violation in X. v. Timor-Leste (CEDAW/C/69/D/88/2015) and J. S. I. v. Finland (CEDAW/C/69/D/103/2016). It also adopted decisions of inadmissibility in A.S. v. Denmark (CEDAW/C/69/D/80/2015) and S.F.A. v. Denmark (CEDAW/C/69/D/85/2015). All decisions were adopted by consensus.

B.Follow-up to views of the Committee on individual communications

22.The Committee was informed that the Working Group, at its fortieth session, had discussed the follow-up situation in each case where the follow-up dialogue was continuing and agreed on the action to be taken. Of the 15 cases currently under follow-up examination, two relate to the Russian Federation and one relates to each of Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, the Philippines, Republic of Moldova, Slovakia, Spain and the United Republic of Tanzania.

C.Action taken by the Committee in respect of issues arising under article 8 of the Optional Protocol

23.The Committee discussed its activities under article 8 of the Optional Protocol on 1 March 2018. It endorsed the report of the Working Group on Inquiries under the Optional Protocol on its ninth session (see https://bit.ly/2HlrwDp).

24.The Committee adopted the recommendation of the Working Group, in relation to submission No. 2017/3, to request the State party concerned to submit observations with regard to the information received by the Committee under article 8 of the Optional Protocol.

25.The Committee adopted its findings, comments and recommendations in relation to inquiry No. 2014/1 and decided to transmit them to the State party concerned.

26.The Committee also adopted the following decisions:

(a)In relation to inquiry No. 2013/1, to send a final reminder to the State party concerned regarding the request of the Committee to undertake a visit to its territory;

(b)To approve the amendments to the standard operating procedures proposed by the Working Group on Inquiries.

Chapter VI

Ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee

27.The secretariat informed the Committee about the status of submission of overdue reports by States parties under article 18 of the Convention.

Action taken by the Committee under agenda item 7

Dates of future sessions

28.In accordance with the calendar of conferences, the following dates were confirmed for the Committee’s seventieth and seventy-first sessions and related meetings:

Seventieth session (Geneva)

(a)As indicated in paragraph 29 of part two of the present report;

Seventy-first session (Geneva)

(b)Forty-second session of the Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol: 17–19 October 2018;

(c)Eleventh session of the Working Group on Inquiries under the Optional Protocol: 18 and 19 October 2018;

(d)Seventy-first session: 22 October–9 November 2018;

(e)Pre-sessional working group for the seventy-third session: 12–16 November 2018.

Reports to be considered at future sessions

29.The Committee confirmed that, at its seventieth session, it would consider the reports of the States parties listed in paragraph 30 of part two of the present report and that, at its seventy-first session, it would consider those of the Bahamas, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mauritius (under the simplified reporting procedure), Nepal, the Congo, Samoa and Tajikistan.

Chapter VII

Implementation of article 21 of the Convention

Working group on gender-related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change

30.The working group met during the session to discuss the draft of the general recommendation.

31.On 7 March 2018, the Committee adopted general recommendation No. 37 (2018) on the gender-related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change (CEDAW/C/GC/37), by consensus, in accordance with rule 31 of its rules of procedure.

Working group on working methods

32.The working group met during the session and discussed and submitted to the Committee a draft decision concerning the reinstitution of the simplified reporting procedure (see decision 69/V).

Working group on the Inter-Parliamentary Union

33.The working group met with a representative of IPU, who provided a briefing to the working group on activities of IPU, at the national and regional levels, focusing on the Convention and gender equality. The working group highlighted the strategic importance of increasing the representation of women in political processes to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. It invited IPU to share statistical data on the participation of women in elections. The working group underlined the Committee’s commitment to promoting the implementation of specific quotas for women in parliaments and stressed the importance of establishing mechanisms for that purpose.

Working group on the Convention, UN-Women and the Sustainable Development Goals

34.The working group invited Hoda Jaberian, Project Officer, Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship Section, Division for Inclusion, Peace and Sustainable Development Education, UNESCO, to provide a briefing to the Committee on the development of Sustainable Development Goal indicator 4.7.1, on mainstreaming global citizenship education and education for sustainable development, including gender equality and human rights, into national education policies, curricula, teacher education and student assessments, for which UNESCO was the custodial agency. The working group underlined the value of including relevant recommendations of the Committee in the work of UNESCO on indicator development and data collection. The Committee and UNESCO agreed to strengthen their institutional collaboration.

35.The working group invited former Committee member Biancamaria Pomeranzi, in her capacity as a consultant, to provide a briefing on the progress she had made in reviewing the treaty-specific reporting guidelines of the Committee (HRI/GEN/2/Rev.6) in the light of the Sustainable Development Goals. The working group endorsed a draft proposal prepared by Ms. Pomeranzi and decided to work on further refining the guidelines in collaboration with her and to review the final draft at the seventieth session.

36.The chair of the working group, Nicole Ameline, proposed that the Committee hold a meeting with the custodial agencies of the Sustainable Development Goals at its seventieth session, with a view to reinforcing the integration of the Convention into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, in particular with regard to the targets relating to women’s empowerment.

Task force on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations

37.The task force met during the session and discussed the possibility of holding a panel discussion on women and peace and security during the seventy-first session of the Committee.

Chapter VIII

Provisional agenda for the seventieth session

38.At its 1599th meeting, on 9 March 2018, the Committee considered and approved the draft provisional agenda for its seventieth session.

Chapter IX

Adoption of the report

39.At its 1599th meeting, on 9 March 2018, the Committee considered and adopted, as orally amended, the draft report on its sixty-ninth session.

Annex I

Documents before the Committee at its sixty-ninth session

Document number	Title or description
CEDAW/C/69/1	Annotated provisional agenda
CEDAW/C/69/2	Report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
CEDAW/C/69/3	Report of the International Labour Organization
Reports of States parties
CEDAW/C/CHL/7	Seventh periodic report of Chile
CEDAW/C/FJI/5	Fifth periodic report of Fiji
CEDAW/C/LUX/6-7	Combined sixth and seventh periodic reports of Luxembourg
CEDAW/C/MAL/3/5	Combined third to fifth periodic reports of Malaysia
CEDAW/C/MHL/1-3	Combined initial to third periodic reports of the Marshall Islands
CEDAW/C/KOR/8	Eighth periodic report of the Republic of Korea
CEDAW/C/SAU/3-4	Combined third and fourth periodic reports of Saudi Arabia
CEDAW/C/SUR/4-6	Combined fourth to sixth periodic reports of Suriname

Annex II

Membership of the Committee as at 9 March 2018

Name of member	Country of nationality	Term of office expires on 31 December
Ayse Feride Acar	Turkey	2018
Gladys Acosta Vargas	Peru	2018
Nicole Ameline	France	2020
Magalys Arocha Dominguez (Vice-Chair)	Cuba	2018
Gunnar Bergby	Norway	2020
Marion Bethel	Bahamas	2020
Louiza Chalala (Vice-Chair)	Algeria	2018
Esther Eghobamien-Mshelia b	Nigeria	2020
Naéla Mohamed Gabr	Egypt	2018
Hilary Gbedemah	Ghana	2020
Nahla Haidar	Lebanon	2020
Ruth Halperin-Kaddari (Vice-Chair)	Israel	2018
Yoko Hayashi	Japan	2018
Lilian Hofmeister	Austria	2018
Ismat Jahan	Bangladesh	2018
Dalia Leinarte (Chair)	Lithuania	2020
Rosario G. Manalo (Rapporteur)	Philippines	2020
Lia Nadaraia	Georgia	2018
Aruna Devi Narain c	Mauritius	2018
Bandana Rana	Nepal	2020
Patricia Schulz	Switzerland	2018
Wenyan Song	China	2020
Aicha Vall Verges	Mauritania	2020

aSee A/70/38, part two, para. 13.

bSee para. 11 of part three of the present report.

cSee para. 14 of part one of the present report.

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