This document has been posted online by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, DPCSD. 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. ****************************************************************************** A/51/38 United Nations Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (Fifteenth session) General Assembly Official Records ~ Fifty-first Session Supplement No. 38 (A/51/38) A/51/38 Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (Fifteenth session) General Assembly Official Records ~ Fifty-first Session Supplement No. 38 (A/51/38) United Nations ~ New York, 1996 NOTE Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. ISSN 0255-0970 [Original: English/French/Spanish] [9 May 1996] CONTENTS Chapter Paragraphs Page LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL ........................................... vi I. MATTERS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF STATES PARTIES .............. 1 A. Decisions ................................................... 1 Decision 15/I ............................................... 1 Decision 15/II .............................................. 1 Decision 15/III ............................................. 1 Decision 15/IV .............................................. 1 B. Suggestions ................................................. 2 Suggestion 15/1 ............................................. 2 Suggestion 15/2 ............................................. 2 Suggestion 15/3 ............................................. 2 II. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS .................... 1 - 23 3 A. States parties to the Convention ................ 1 - 2 3 B. Opening of the session .......................... 3 - 14 3 C. Attendance ...................................... 15 5 D. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work . 16 5 E. Report of the pre-session working group ......... 17 - 20 6 F. Composition and organization of work of the working groups .................................. 21 - 23 6 III. REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSON ON THE ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BETWEEN THE FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH SESSIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ........................... 24 - 33 7 IV. CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 18 OF THE CONVENTION .................. 34 - 331 9 A. Introduction .................................... 34 - 36 9 CONTENTS (continued) Chapter Paragraphs Page B. Consideration of reports ......................... 37 - 331 9 1. Initial and second periodic reports .......... 37 - 133 9 Cyprus ....................................... 37 - 66 9 Iceland ...................................... 67 - 104 12 Paraguay ..................................... 105 - 133 16 2. Initial, second and third periodic reports ... 134 - 163 19 Ethiopia ..................................... 134 - 163 19 3. Second periodic reports ...................... 164 - 196 22 Belgium ...................................... 164 - 196 22 4. Second and third periodic reports ............ 197 - 228 26 Cuba ......................................... 197 - 228 26 5. Third periodic reports ....................... 229 - 300 29 Hungary ...................................... 229 - 264 29 Ukraine ...................................... 265 - 300 32 6. Reports submitted on an exceptional basis .... 301 - 331 36 Rwanda ....................................... 301 - 331 36 V. WAYS AND MEANS OF EXPEDITING THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE 332 - 349 39 Action taken by the Committee on the report of Working Group I .............................................. 334 - 349 39 VI. IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE 21 OF THE CONVENTION ....... 350 - 366 44 A. Action taken by the Committee on the report of Working Group II ................................. 352 - 353 44 B. Statements by senior United Nations officials .... 354 - 366 44 VII. RESULTS OF THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN ...... 367 - 373 47 VIII. PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR THE SIXTEENTH SESSION ......... 374 - 375 48 IX. ADOPTION OF THE REPORT ............................... 376 49 CONTENTS (continued) Page Annexes I. States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women as at 2 February 1996 ............ 50 II. Membership of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women .................................................... 54 III. Documents before the Committee at its fifteenth session .......... 55 IV. Status of submission and consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women as at 2 February 1996 .................................................. 57 A. Initial reports .............................................. 57 B. Second periodic reports ...................................... 63 C. Third periodic reports ....................................... 68 D. Fourth periodic reports ...................................... 72 E. Reports submitted on an exceptional basis .................... 74 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 2 February 1996 Sir, 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, "shall, through the Economic and Social Council, report annually to the General Assembly of the United Nations on its activities". The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women held its fifteenth session from 15 January to 2 February 1996 at United Nations Headquarters. It adopted the report on the session at its 309th meeting, on 2 February. The report is herewith submitted to you for transmission to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session. Accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration. (Signed) Ivanka CORTI Chairperson Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women His Excellency Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali Secretary-General of the United Nations New York