***************************************************************** This document has been made available in electronic format by the United Nations. Reproduction and dissemination of the document - in electronic and/or printed format - is encouraged, provided acknowledgement is made of the role of the United Nations in making it available. ***************************************************************** UNITED NATIONS Distr. GENERAL CEDAW/C/1995/1 20 October 1994 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN Fourteenth session 16 January-3 February 1995 PROVISIONAL AGENDA 1. Opening of the session. 2. Solemn declaration by the new members of the Committee. 3. Election of officers. 4. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work. 5. Report of the Chairperson on activities undertaken between the thirteenth and fourteenth sessions of the Committee and consideration of the report of the fifth meeting of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies and action taken by the General Assembly concerning treaty bodies. 6. Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. 7. Implementation of article 21 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. 8. Ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee. 9. Contributions of the Committee to international conferences. 10. Provisional agenda for the fifteenth session. 11. Adoption of the report of the Committee on its fourteenth session. ANNOTATIONS Item 1. Opening of the session The fourteenth session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women will be opened by the Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women. Item 2. Solemn declaration by the new members of the Committee According to rule 10 of the rules of procedure of the Committee, new members of the Committee shall make the solemn declaration contained in that rule. Item 3. Election of officers The Committee shall elect a Chairperson, three Vice-Chairpersons and a Rapporteur for a term of two years, according to rules 13 and 14 of its rules of procedure and to article 19 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (General Assembly resolution 34/180, annex). The term of the officers elected by the Committee at its twelfth session, on 16 January 1993, expires on 15 January 1995. According to rule 14 of the rules of procedure, the officers shall be eligible for re-election, provided that the principle of rotation is upheld. Under rule 43, paragraph 1, of the rules of procedure, if there is an agreed slate, the candidates may be elected by acclamation, without the holding of a secret ballot. Item 4. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work Rule 7 of the rules of procedure stipulates that the agenda shall be adopted by the Committee at the beginning of its meetings. Rule 5 of the rules of procedure provides that the provisional agenda for each session shall be prepared by the Secretary-General in consultation with the Chairperson, in conformity with the relevant provisions of articles 17 to 22 of the Convention, giving priority to any item the inclusion of which was decided at a previous session of the Committee. At its thirteenth session the Committee approved the provisional agenda for its fourteenth session. The Committee has, since its sixth session, set up two standing working groups: working group I, to consider and suggest ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee; and working group II, to consider ways and means of implementing article 21 of the Convention. At its seventh session, the Committee decided to keep the membership of the working groups flexible. At its eleventh session, the Committee decided that the working groups should be open only to members of the Committee, in accordance with past practice. Specialized agencies and other bodies that could make substantive contributions to questions under consideration by a working group could be invited by the working group to contribute to its deliberations. The working groups will meet during the session. The proposed organization of work for the session is shown in the annex to the present document. Documentation Provisional agenda and annotations (CEDAW/C/1995/1) Item 5. Report of the Chairperson on activities undertaken between the thirteenth and fourteenth sessions of the Committee and consideration of the report of the fifth meeting of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies and action taken by the General Assembly concerning treaty bodies The Committee, at its twelfth session, decided to include an item that would enable the Chairperson to brief the Committee on activities and events that had a bearing on the Committee's work. On behalf of the Committee, the Chairperson attended the thirty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the forty-ninth session of the Commission on Human Rights, the International Conference on Population and Development, the meetings of the persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies and other meetings related to the work of the Committee. Documentation Report of the fifth meeting of persons chairing human rights treaty bodies (A/49/537) Item 6. 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 undertake to submit to the Secretary-General, for consideration by the Committee, a report on the legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures which they have adopted to give effect to the provisions of the Convention and on the progress made in this respect. Reports are to be submitted within one year after the entry into force for the State concerned and thereafter at least every four years and further whenever the Committee so requests. At its eleventh session, the Committee decided that reports would be selected for consideration on the basis of the date on which they had been received. In the event that a State party to the Convention did not wish to present a report, the Secretariat was authorized to select the report of another State party from the reserve list, also in the order of the date on which the report had been received. At its thirteenth session, the Committee decided to consider at its fourteenth session a total of 11 reports of States parties: six initial reports, three second periodic reports and two third periodic reports, taking into account the criteria of preference to be given to those States whose reports had been pending for the longest time, the need to give priority to initial reports, and the desirability of a balance of reports in terms of geographic and other factors. In addition, a report requested on an exceptional basis from Croatia that had been deferred from the thirteenth session will also be considered. At its twelfth session, the Committee had decided to set 1 September of the year preceding the session as a formal deadline by which a State party that had been selected by the Committee to present its report should give its agreement in writing, preferably by fax. Any additional written information to be given to the Committee should also be provided not later than 1 September. At its twelfth session, the Committee also decided that States parties should be offered the opportunity to provide a revised or new report in place of the report(s) already submitted, if the national situation had changed sufficiently to warrant the substitution. If a substitution were made, the Committee would review only the revised or new report and would disregard the report qualified by the State party as outdated. At its fourteenth session, the Committee will have before it the following reports submitted by 11 States parties, based on consultations by the Secretary-General with the States parties concerned: the initial reports of Bolivia (CEDAW/C/BOL/1 and Add.1) and Chile (CEDAW/C/CHI/1); the combined initial and second periodic reports of Mauritius (CEDAW/C/MAR/1-2), Tunisia (CEDAW/C/TUN/1-2) and Uganda (CEDAW/C/UGA/1-2 and Add.1); the combined initial, second and third periodic reports of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (CEDAW/C/STV/1-3 and Add.1); the second periodic reports of Argentina (CEDAW/C/ARG/2 and Add.1 and 2), Finland (CEDAW/C/FIN/2) and Peru (CEDAW/C/13/Add.29); and the third and fourth periodic reports of Norway (CEDAW/C/NOR/3 and CEDAW/C/NOR/4) and the Russian Federation (CEDAW/C/USR/3 and CEDAW/C/USR/4). A tentative timetable for the consideration of the reports of States parties by the Committee is given in the proposed organization of work (see annex). Rule 49 of the rules of procedure provides that representatives of States parties shall be present at meetings of the Committee when the State's report is being examined and shall participate in discussions and answer questions concerning the report. The Secretary-General has informed the States parties concerned of the tentative dates on which their reports are scheduled for consideration by the Committee at its fourteenth session. Rule 47 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 that have not yet been considered by the Committee. The Committee at its fourteenth session will have before it the report of the Secretary-General on the status of submission of reports by States parties under article 18 of the Convention (CEDAW/C/1995/2). The Committee had decided at its ninth session that a pre-session working group should be convened before each session to prepare questions relating to second and subsequent periodic reports for transmission to the representatives of States parties before the meetings at which their reports were to be considered. The pre-session working group for the fourteenth session is scheduled to meet in New York from 9 to 13 January 1995. In the light of its previous work on violence against women, reflected in its general recommendation 19 (eleventh session) and in accordance with article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Committee, at its twelfth session, decided to request the States of the territory of the former Yugoslavia to submit a report or reports on an exceptional basis concerning the situation of women now coming under their jurisdiction. The Committee will have before it the report of Croatia submitted on an exceptional basis on that question, which was deferred from the thirteenth session of the Committee. Documentation Report of the Secretary-General on the status of submission of reports by State parties under article 18 of the Convention (CEDAW/C/1995/2) Initial report of Bolivia (CEDAW/C/BOL/1 and Add.1) Initial report of Chile (CEDAW/C/CHI/1) Combined initial and second periodic reports of Mauritius (CEDAW/C/MAR/1-2) Combined initial and second periodic reports of Tunisia (CEDAW/C/TUN/1-2) Combined initial and second periodic reports of Uganda (CEDAW/C/UGA/1-2 and Add.1) Combined initial, second and third periodic reports of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (CEDAW/C/STV/1-3 and Add.1) Second periodic report of Argentina (CEDAW/C/ARG/2 and Add.1 and 2) Second periodic report of Finland (CEDAW/C/FIN/2) Second periodic report of Peru (CEDAW/C/13/Add.29) Third and fourth periodic reports of Norway (CEDAW/C/NOR/3 and CEDAW/C/NOR/4) Third and fourth periodic reports of the Russian Federation (CEDAW/C/USR/3 and CEDAW/C/USR/4) Special report of Croatia (CEDAW/C/CRO/SP.1) Item 7. Implementation of article 21 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 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 together with comments, if any, from States parties. Rule 48 of the rules of procedure provides that those suggestions and general recommendations shall be communicated by the Committee, through the Secretary-General, to the States parties for their comments. Article 22 of the Convention provides that the specialized agencies shall be entitled to be represented at 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. The Committee at its fourteenth session will have before it a note by the Secretary-General on reports of specialized agencies on that subject (CEDAW/C/1995/3 and Add.1-4). At its tenth session, the Committee decided to provide, under the agenda item entitled "Implementation of article 21 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women", opportunities for specialists from the specialized agencies and other United Nations bodies to present to the Committee in plenary information related to specific articles of the Convention or to issues being considered for general recommendations and suggestions. At the same session, the Committee decided to select and to review specific articles and other issues to be considered at subsequent sessions as a long-term programme, without prejudice to any changes that might be necessary as a result of new developments and priorities arising from the review of the reports of States parties. Also at its tenth session, the Committee decided that it should prepare comments on particular articles of the Convention, which would assist in the formulation of the Committee's recommendations relating to those articles. At its thirteenth session, the Committee considered the draft recommendation on articles 7 and 8 and decided to continue consideration of the draft recommendation at its fourteenth session. At its twelfth session, the Committee agreed to begin with the preparation of a general recommendation on article 4 and to analyse article 2 of the Convention at its fourteenth session, including reservations that had been made to it. For its analysis of article 2, the Committee will have before it the report of the Secretariat (CEDAW/C/1995/4). At its tenth session, the Committee requested the Secretariat to prepare for each session of the Committee, for its information, a report on the implications for its work of the priority themes prepared, or under preparation, for the consideration of the Commission on the Status of Women. The Committee at its fourteenth session will have before it a report of the Secretariat on the subject (CEDAW/C/1995/5). Documentation Note by the Secretary-General on reports of specialized agencies on the implementation of the Convention in areas falling within the scope of their activities (CEDAW/C/1995/3) Report of the World Health Organization (CEDAW/C/1995/3/Add.1) Report of the International Labour Organization (CEDAW/C/1995/3/Add.2) Report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (CEDAW/C/1995/3/Add.3) Report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (CEDAW/C/1995/3/Add.4) Report of the Secretariat on the analysis of article 2 of the Convention (CEDAW/C/1995/4) Report of the Secretariat on the implications for the work of the Committee of the priority themes of the Commission on the Status of Women (CEDAW/C/1995/5) Item 8. Ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee The Committee, at its twelfth session, decided that the Secretariat should prepare every year, as a pre-session document, a report on ways and means of improving the work of the Committee, containing information provided by the Secretariat, comments made by members of the Committee, or developments elsewhere in the human rights regime. At its thirteenth session, the Committee recommended a number of actions directed at improving the effectiveness of its work. The Committee also decided to continue at its fourteenth session its review of the rules of procedure, which had been drafted in 1981 and adopted at the Committee's first session, and requested the Secretariat to prepare draft revised rules, based on the Committee's current practice, to be considered by the Committee at its fourteenth session. At its thirteenth session, on the recommendation of Working Group III, the Committee adopted suggestion 5, on the feasibility of preparing an optional protocol to the Convention, in which it suggested certain actions by the Commission on the Status of Women (see A/49/38, chap. I.B). Following discussions held at the second meeting of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies on the possibility of consolidating the various reporting guidelines governing the initial part of each State party's report (see A/44/98), a draft text of such consolidated guidelines was submitted by the Secretariat to the Committee at its ninth session. The Committee, however, lacked time to decide on new language for amended guidelines. The Committee will have before it, at its fourteenth session, a report of the Secretariat on ways and means of improving the work of the Committee (CEDAW/C/1995/6). Documentation Report of the Secretariat on ways and means of improving the work of the Committee (CEDAW/C/1995/6) Item 9. Contributions of the Committee to international conferences With regard to the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Committee decided at its tenth session that its contribution should, inter alia, place emphasis on the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women and their links with articles of the Convention. At its twelfth session, the Committee requested the Secretariat to provide it, for its review at its thirteenth session, with an outline of the draft of the updated compendium on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; it further requested that the draft compendium should be submitted to it at its fourteenth session. At its thirteenth session, the Committee considered the structure and contents of document CEDAW/C/1994/7, prepared by the Secretariat as an outline of the compendium on the implementation of the Convention, and decided to introduce changes in the title, structure and contents of the document, the title to read "Report on progress achieved in the implementation of the Convention". The Committee also decided that the Secretariat should send the draft of the report to members of the Committee prior to October 1994. The Committee will have before it, at its fourteenth session, the requested report on progress achieved in the implementation of the Convention (CEDAW/C/1995/7). Documentation Report of the Secretariat on progress achieved in the implementation of the Convention (CEDAW/C/1995/7) Item 10. Provisional agenda for the fifteenth session At its tenth session, the Committee decided that the draft provisional agenda for the following session of the Committee would be approved at the end of each session. It also decided that at each session: (a) It would set a programme for the following two or three sessions, which could be reviewed and amended at each subsequent session; (b) It would select one or more articles or subjects for study; (c) The Secretariat would prepare a background report as a pre-session document to be considered by the Committee in its examination of the articles or subjects concerned. Documentation Draft provisional agenda for the fifteenth session of the Committee Item 11. Adoption of the report of the Committee on its fourteenth session Under article 21 of the Convention, the Committee shall, through the Economic and Social Council, report annually to the General Assembly on its activities. Annex PROPOSED ORGANIZATION OF WORK Date Agenda item Monday, 16 January 1995 260th meeting Item 1 Opening of the session 10.30 a.m. Item 2 Solemn declaration by the new members of the Committee Item 3 Election of officers (followed by a closed meeting on the orientation of new members) 261st meeting Item 4 Adoption of the agenda 3 p.m. and organization of work Composition of Working Groups I and II, mandate for Working Groups I and II Item 5 Report of the Chairperson on activities undertaken between the thirteenth and fourteenth sessions of the Committee and consideration of the report of the fifth meeting of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies Tuesday, 17 January 262nd meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 10 a.m. submitted by States parties Bolivia, initial report (CEDAW/C/BOL/1 and Add.1) Introduction by State party's representative Questions by experts 263rd meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 3 p.m. submitted by States parties (continued) Mauritius, combined initial and second periodic reports (CEDAW/C/MAR/1-2) Introduction by State party's representative Questions by experts Wednesday, 18 January 264th meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 10 a.m. submitted by States parties (continued) Chile, initial report (CEDAW/C/CHI/1) Introduction by State party's representative Questions by experts 265th meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 3 p.m. submitted by States parties (continued) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, combined initial, second and third periodic reports (CEDAW/C/STV/1-3 and Add.1) Introduction by State party's representative Questions by experts Thursday, 19 January 266th meeting Item 7 Implementation of article 21 of 10 a.m. the Convention Item 8 Ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee 267th meeting Item 9 Contributions of the 3 p.m. Committee to international conferences Friday, 20 January 268th meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 10 a.m. submitted by States parties (continued) Replies (Bolivia, Mauritius) 3 p.m. Items 7, Working Groups I and II 8 and 9 (continued) Monday, 23 January 269th meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 10 a.m. submitted by States parties (continued) Tunisia, combined initial and second periodic reports (CEDAW/C/TUN/1-2) Introduction by State party's representative and replies to questions posed by experts 270th meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 3 p.m. submitted by States parties (continued) Uganda, combined initial and second periodic reports (CEDAW/C/UGA/1-2 and Add.1) Introduction by State party's representative and replies to questions posed by exports Tuesday, 24 January 271st meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 10 a.m. submitted by States parties (continued) Replies (Chile, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) 272nd meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 3 p.m. submitted by States parties (continued) Finland, second periodic report (CEDAW/C/FIN/2) Introduction by State party's representative and replies to questions posed by experts Wednesday, 25 January Items 7, Working Groups I and 10 a.m. 8 and 9 II (continued) 3 p.m. Items 7, Working Groups I and II 8 and 9 (continued) Thursday, 26 January 273rd meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 10 a.m. submitted by States parties (continued) Replies (Tunisia, Uganda) 274th meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 3 p.m. submitted by States parties (continued) Russian Federation, third and fourth periodic reports (CEDAW/C/USR/3 and CEDAW/C/USR/4) Introduction by State party's representative and replies to questions posed by experts Friday, 27 January 275th meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 10 a.m. submitted by States parties (continued) Peru, second periodic report (CEDAW/C/13/Add.29) Introduction by State party's representative and replies to questions posed by experts 3 p.m. Item 6 Working Group of the (continued) whole on concluding comments (initial reports) Monday, 30 January 276th meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 10 a.m. submitted by States parties (continued) Norway, third and fourth periodic reports (CEDAW/C/NOR/3 and CEDAW C/NOR/4) Introduction by State party's representative and replies to questions posed by experts 277th meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 3 p.m. submitted by States parties (continued) Argentina, second periodic report (CEDAW/C/ARG/2 and Add.1 and 2) Introduction by State party's representative and replies to questions posed by experts Tuesday, 1 February 278th meeting Item 6 Consideration of reports 10 a.m. submitted by States parties (continued) Croatia, report submitted on an exceptional basis (CEDAW/C/CRO/SP.1) Introduction by State party's representative and replies to questions posed by experts 3 p.m. Items 7, Working Groups I and II 8 and 9 (continued) Wednesday, 2 February 10 a.m. Item 6 Working Group of the (concluded) whole on concluding comments (second and subsequent reports) 279th meeting Items 8 Report of Working Group I 3 p.m. and 9 (continued) Thursday, 3 February 280th meeting Items 7 Report of Working Group 10 a.m. and 9 II (concluded) Item 10 Draft provisional agenda for the fifteenth session 3 p.m. Item 11 Adoption of the report (Closed meeting of the bureau) Friday, 4 February 281st meeting Item 11 Adoption of the report 10 a.m. (continued) 282nd meeting Item 11 Adoption of the report 3 p.m. (concluded) ----- Note. The rooms in which meetings will take place will be indicated in the daily Journal. Working Groups I and II will meet whenever time is available after consideration of reports.