I. MATTERS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF STATES PARTIES A. Decisions Decision 15/I 1. The Committee expresses its appreciation to the States parties to the Convention for the decision adopted at the eighth meeting of States parties and for General Assembly resolution 49/164 and decision 49/448, both of 23 December 1994, and resolution 50/202 of 22 December 1995, concerning the amendment to article 20, paragraph 1, of the Convention. 2. The Committee looks forward to the ratification of the amendment by States parties as quickly as possible. 3. For the interim period, the Committee urges the appropriate intergovernmental bodies to authorize adequate meeting time to enable the Committee to continue to reduce the increasing backlog in States parties' reports awaiting review. 4. The Committee considers that at least two 3-week sessions annually, each preceded by a pre-session working group, are needed to alleviate the heavy workload of the Committee. 5. The Committee requests the Secretariat to inform the Committee at its sixteenth session on action taken at the ninth meeting of States parties concerning article 20, paragraph 1, of the Convention, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 50/202. Decision 15/II The Committee decides to request the Secretariat to prepare for its sixteenth session an analysis of the practice of other human rights treaty bodies in receiving information from non-governmental organizations and participation of the latter in the meetings of those bodies. Decision 15/III The Committee decides to dispense in its report with the published detailed summary of the discussion on reports submitted by States parties in conformity with article 18 of the Convention. Summary records will, however, be retained and the concluding comments and recommendations of the Committee will be preceded by a brief summary of the presentation of the States parties. The Committee reiterates its decision that the concluding comments be transmitted to the States parties concerned immediately after the close of the session. Decision 15/IV The Committee wishes to draw the attention of the Commission on the Status of Women to the Committee's suggestion 7 on elements for an optional protocol to the Convention, which had been agreed upon at the fourteenth session of the Committee and was contained in the report on that session. The Committee urges the Commission to prepare the optional protocol at its fortieth session, in March 1996, and recalls that at the Fourth World Conference on Women consensus was reached to "support the process initiated by the Commission on the Status of Women with a view to elaborating a draft optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women that could enter into force as soon as possible...". B. Suggestions Suggestion 15/1. Optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women on the right to petition Noting that agenda item 5 of the Commission on the Status of Women includes discussion on an optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Committee suggests: (a) That the Commission on the Status of Women consider inviting two experts of the Committee to participate as resource persons in the deliberations of the open-ended working group of the Commission on the Status of Women concerning the elaboration of an optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; (b) That during the deliberations of the Commission on the Status of Women or its open-ended working group, if questions concerning the working methods, and decisions of the Committee arise, and no expert of the Committee is in attendance, those questions be transmitted formally to the Chairperson, who will respond immediately. Suggestion 15/2. Closer cooperation and coordination between the Committee and the United Nations Children's Fund Having noted with approval the emphasis placed on the girl child at the Fourth World Conference on Women, held at Beijing, and bearing in mind the role of the United Nations Children's Fund in protecting and safeguarding the lives of children and the Committee's mandate in promoting the advancement of women, the Committee considers it important and desirable to strengthen its collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund in order to give effect to the implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Consequently, the Committee invites the United Nations Children's Fund to give due consideration to strengthening collaboration with the Committee in order to achieve the objectives of the above-mentioned Conventions. Suggestion 15/3. An appeal to all States parties that have ratified the Convention but not yet submitted their periodic reports The Committee commends all States parties that have ratified the Convention, but having regard to the increasing number of outstanding initial reports (48), second periodic reports (41), third periodic reports (55) and fourth periodic reports (38), the Committee suggests that States parties comply with article 18 of the Convention by submitting their reports promptly in order to ensure that the Committee carries out effectively its mandate under the Convention. II. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS A. States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1. On 2 February 1996, the closing date of the fifteenth session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, there were 151 States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which was adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 34/180 of 18 December 1979 and opened for signature, ratification and accession in New York in March 1980. In accordance with article 27, the Convention entered into force on 3 September 1981. 2. A list of States parties to the Convention is contained in annex I to the present report. B. Opening of the session 3. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women held its fifteenth session at United Nations Headquarters from 15 January to 2 February 1996. The Committee held 24 plenary meetings (285th to 309th) and its two working groups each held 6 meetings. 4. The session was opened by the Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Ivanka Corti (Italy), who had been elected at the fourteenth session of the Committee, in January 1995. 5. In his opening statement, made on behalf of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Under-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, Mr. Nitin Desai, stressed that the views of the members of the Committee as members of the United Nations treaty body most directly concerned with the status of women would be extremely valuable in follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women. 6. He recalled that the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the Conference reaffirmed the fundamental principle set forth in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights, that the human rights of women and the girl child are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights. As an agenda for action, the Platform for Action sought to promote and protect the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms of women throughout their life cycles. 7. He drew attention to four recommendations of the Platform for Action which were made on the work of the Committee. The Conference urged the eradication of all forms of discrimination against women and set a goal of universal ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women by the year 2000. It also urged all Governments to limit the extent of reservations that are contrary to the object and purpose of the Convention or which are otherwise incompatible with international treaty law. It recommended that gender aspects be included in reporting on all human rights conventions and instruments, including Conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO), to ensure analysis and review of the human rights of women. The Conference also stressed that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, in implementing its responsibilities under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, should, within its mandate, take into account the Platform for Action when considering the reports submitted by States parties. 8. The Under-Secretary-General suggested that the guidelines for presentation of reports under article 18 of the Convention could be a useful tool for encouraging States parties to identify elements of their implementation of the Convention that they also saw as serving as follow-up to the Platform for Action. 9. He informed the Committee that the Secretary-General had appointed Ms. Rosario Green to act as his Special Adviser on gender issues and help ensure system-wide implementation of the Platform for Action, in close cooperation with the Division for the Advancement of Women, in keeping with a recommendation of the Fourth World Conference on Women. She also assists the Secretary-General in assuring that a gender perspective is integrated into policies and programmes in all areas of the system and is fully taken into account in furthering the Organization's linkages with civil society. Ms. Green will draw upon the expertise and assistance of all existing entities working in this area, including the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, the focal point on women in the Department of Administration and Management and all other entities in the United Nations system. 10. The Under-Secretary-General noted that the increase in ratification or acceptance of the Convention, with the accession of Liechtenstein in December 1995, signalled more work for the Committee. 11. In this connection, he referred to General Assembly resolution 49/164 of 23 December 1994, in which the Assembly requested States parties to meet to consider the question of amending article 20, paragraph 1, of the Convention to provide for adequate meeting time for the Committee. He informed the Committee that subsequent to the States parties meeting held on 22 May 1995, the General Assembly had adopted resolution 50/202 of 22 December 1995, in which the Assembly urged States parties to take appropriate measures so that acceptance by a two-thirds majority of States parties could be achieved as soon as possible in order for the amendment to enter into force. 12. The Under-Secretary-General drew to the Committee's attention the Secretariat's report on ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee (CEDAW/C/1996/6), in which it was proposed to adopt the practice of other human rights treaty bodies of preparing a concise report emphasizing concluding comments on States parties reports while retaining summary records to reflect the constructive dialogue. 13. The Under-Secretary-General informed the Committee that, based on the Committee's suggestion No. 7, the Economic and Social Council adopted resolution 1995/29 of 24 July 1995, entitled "Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women", in which the Council requested the Secretary-General to invite Governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations to submit their views on an optional protocol to the Convention, including those related to feasibility, taking into account the elements suggested by the Committee at its fourteenth session. In response to that request, a note verbale was sent by the Secretary-General to all Governments informing them of the decision of the General Assembly. Replies are being received, and the Commission on the Status of Women, which will meet from 11 to 22 March, will begin work on the protocol. 14. Also addressing the Committee, the Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General said she was honoured to be coordinating the United Nations system-wide follow-up to the World Conference on Women, and hoped that, in fulfilling her tasks, she could count on the experts in the Committee for their assistance. C. Attendance 15. All members of the Committee attended the fifteenth session. However, Ms. Tendai Ruth Bare attended from 17 January to 2 February, Ms. Carlota Bustelo Garci'a del Real from 15 January to 1 February, Ms. Aurora Javate de Dios from 23 January to 2 February, Ms. Salma Khan from 16 January to 2 February, Ms. Elsa V. Mun~oz-Go'mez from 16 January to 2 February, Ms. Ginko Sato from 22 January to 2 February, Ms. Lin Shangzhen from 22 January to 2 February, and Ms. Mervat Tallway from 22 January to 2 February 1996 (for the membership of the Committee, see annex II). D. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work 16. The Committee considered the provisional agenda and organization of work (CEDAW/C/1996/1) at its 285th meeting, on 15 January 1996. The agenda as adopted was as follows: 1. Opening of the session. 2. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work. 3. Report of the Chairperson on the activities undertaken between the fourteenth and the fifteenth sessions of the Committee and consideration of the report of the sixth meeting of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies and action taken by the General Assembly concerning treaty bodies. 4. Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. 5. Implementation of article 21 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. 6. Ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. 7. Results of the Fourth World Conference on Women. 8. Provisional agenda for the sixteenth session. 9. Adoption of the report of the Committee on its fifteenth session. E. Report of the pre-session working group 17. The Committee had decided at its ninth session 1/ to convene a pre- session working group for five days before each session to prepare lists of questions relating to the second and subsequent periodic reports that would be considered by the Committee at the session. The Committee decided that members of the Committee should continue to submit to the Secretariat draft questions on specific countries and articles of the Convention prior to the meeting of the working group. In accordance with the decision of the Committee at its thirteenth session, the pre-session working group met at United Nations Headquarters. Owing to the weather conditions, the pre-session working group met from 8 to 12 January 1996. 18. In accordance with the provisional agenda of the Committee (CEDAW/C/1996/1), the working group prepared a list of questions for four countries: Belgium, Cuba, Hungary and Ukraine. 19. The Committee had originally proposed that five members should be part of the pre-session working group. As there was no member on the Committee from eastern Europe, and owing to illness of two of the designated members, the working group consisted initially of only two designated members, who were later joined by the Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Ivanka Corti. The members of the pre-session working group were Ivanka Corti, Carmel Shalev (Chairperson) and Kongit Sinegiorgis. 20. At the 291st meeting, on 18 January 1996, the Chairperson of the pre-session working group introduced the report of the working group (CEDAW/C/1996/CRP.1). Members adopted the report containing the list of questions, which was sent to the State parties concerned. F. Composition and organization of work of the working groups 21. At its 286th meeting, on 15 January 1996, the Committee agreed on the composition of its two standing working groups: Working Group I to consider 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. 22. Working Group I was composed of the following members of the Committee: Desiree Patricia Bernard, Tendai Ruth Bare, Carlota Bustelo Garci'a del Real, Ivanka Corti, Liliana Gurdulich de Correa, Salma Khan, Lin Shangzhen, Elsa Victoria Mun~oz-Go'mez, Hanna Beate Scho"pp-Schilling, Kongit Sinegiorgis, Mervat Tallawy, Charlotte Abaka, Gu"l Aykor, Miriam Yolanda Estrada Castillo. 23. Working Group II was composed of the following members of the Committee: Charlotte Abaka, Emna Aouij, Silvia Rose Cartwright, Aurora Javate de Dios, Miriam Yolanda Estrada Castillo, Evangelina Garci'a-Prince, Sunaryati Hartono, Salma Khan, Pirkko Anneli Ma"kinen, Ahoua Ouedgraogo, Ginko Sato, Carmel Shalev, Lin Shangzhen, Kongit Sinegiorgis, Mervat Tallawy. III. REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSON ON THE ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BETWEEN THE FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH SESSIONS OF THE COMMITTEE 24. At the 285th meeting, the Chairperson of the Committee, in her introductory statement, said that 1995 had been a particularly important year in the history of the Committee. The number of ratifications of the Convention had increased from 136 to 150. In April 1995, the Committee had held a one-week meeting at Madrid, hosted by the Government of Spain. That was the first time that the Committee had held an extraordinary meeting supported financially by a Government. The members of the Committee also attended the Fourth World Conference on Women at Beijing. 25. The Chairperson outlined the meetings attended by the Chairperson and other members of the Committee. She informed the Committee about the sixth meeting of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies. She noted that paragraph 20 of the report of that meeting (A/50/505) highlighted the importance of the human rights treaty bodies for the implementation of the Plan of Action for the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education and also recommended that each treaty body, in its examination of reports of States parties, investigate their compliance with obligations relating to education and public information on human rights. 26. The Chairperson indicated that the sixth meeting of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies had reiterated the importance of collaboration with non-governmental organizations. In 1995 she had suggested ways and means of strengthening links between the Committee and non-governmental organizations so that they could assist in lobbying for ratification and implementation of the Convention and provide "shadow" reports on a regular basis. The Committee should consider organizing exchanges of views with non-governmental organizations. 27. With reference to paragraph 22 of the above-mentioned report, the Chairperson said that she had raised the issue of the role of treaty bodies in preparation for world conferences in the hope of avoiding in future the sense of frustration felt by the Committee at not having had an opportunity to take part in the formulation of the Platform for Action. She also noted that the chairpersons had discussed the question of cooperation with special rapporteurs. The Committee should explore ways and means of establishing closer cooperation at least with the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women. Another topic covered was the need for concrete proposals for increased participation by United Nations specialized agencies in the work of the human rights treaty bodies. The Chairperson of the Committee proposed that the Committee should consider proposals to that end during its current session. 28. The Chairperson explained that, although the Committee had not yet established relations with all the specialized agencies, it had achieved concrete results with those with which it had undertaken cooperation, such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). 29. The Chairperson also noted recommendation 25 that treaty bodies should fully integrate a gender perspective into their professional and sessional working methods, including identification of issues and preparation of questions for country reviews and general comments and recommendations. This was a big step forward in the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. 30. The chairpersons of treaty bodies considered the Secretariat support to treaty bodies and underlined the persistent problems of understaffing of the treaty body secretariats, including that servicing the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. They supported the integration of that Committee into the mainstream of United Nations system-wide activity through its relocation to the Centre for Human Rights. 31. Referring to General Assembly resolution 49/164 of 23 December 1994 concerning the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the decision taken by the eighth meeting of States parties to the Convention in May 1995, she indicated that two thirds of States parties would have to ratify the amendment proposed by the Committee on meeting time for the Committee. 32. The Chairperson pointed out that the Committee had presented to the Fourth World Conference on Women a comprehensive report containing a serious analysis of its work, the obstacles to the implementation of the Convention and the challenges that would have to be faced in the future (A/CONF.177/77). In 1995, there were 12 new ratifications of the Convention. The Committee's role and importance had been reflected fully in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Paragraph 8 of the Declaration placed the Convention on the same level as the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as far as the equal rights and inherent human dignity of women were concerned. In paragraphs 322 and 323 of the Platform for Action, the Committee was described as an essential mechanism for monitoring the implementation of the Platform for Action. The Chairperson indicated that the Platform also underlined the need for women's participation in decision-making bodies by stressing the need for universal ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, by calling for restraint in the entering of reservations to the Convention and by examining the need for an optional protocol to strengthen the implementation of the Convention. 33. The Chairperson concluded that the Platform had recognized the central role of the Convention as a document that was legally binding on Governments, thereby strengthening the role of the Committee itself.