Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women
Twenty-fourth session
15 January-2 February 2001
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 twenty-third and twenty-fourth sessions of the Committee.
6. Consideration of the 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. Provisional agenda for the twenty-fifth session.
10. Adoption of the report of the Committee on its twenty-fourth session.
Annotations
Item 1. Opening of the session
The twenty-fourth session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women will be opened by the representative of the Secretary-General.
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 article 19 of the Convention. The term of the officers elected by the Committee at its twenty-fourth session, on 15 January 2001, will expire 31 December 2002. 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 provides that the agenda shall be adopted by the Committee at the beginning of its meetings. Rule 5 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 items the inclusion of which was decided at a previous session of the Committee.
At its twenty-third session the Committee approved the provisional agenda for its twenty-fourth session.
The Committee has, since its sixth session, set up two standing working groups, namely 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 of the United Nations that could make substantive contributions to questions under consideration could be invited by the working group to contribute to its deliberations. The proposed organization of work for the session is shown in the annex to the present document.
Documentation
Provisional agenda and annotations (CEDAW/C/2001/I/1)
Item 5. Report of the Chairperson on activities undertaken between the twenty-third and twenty-fourth sessions of the Committee
Under this item the Chairperson will brief the Committee on activities and events occurring since the previous session that had a bearing on the Committee’s work.
Item 6. Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discriminations 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 other progress made in this respect. Reports are to be submitted within one year after the entry into force of the Convention for the State concerned and thereafter at least every four years and further whenever the Committee requests.
At its twenty-third session, the Committee, taking into account the criteria of preference to be given to those States parties whose reports had been pending for the longest time, the need to give priority to initial reports and the desirability of balance of reports in terms of geographic and other factors, decided to invite eight States parties to present their reports. Eight States parties agreed to this request.
At its twenty-fourth session, the Committee will have before it the following reports: the initial report of Burundi (CEDAW/C/BDI/1), the initial report of Kazakhstan (CEDAW/C/KAZ/1), the initial report of Maldives (CEDAW/C/MDV/1), the initial report of Uzbekistan (CEDAW/C/UZB/1), the third and combined fourth and fifth periodic reports of Egypt (CEDAW/C/EGY/3 and CEDAW/C/EGY/4-5), the third and fourth periodic reports of Finland (CEDAW/C/FIN/3 and CEDAW/C/FIN/4), the combined third and fourth periodic reports of Mongolia (CEDAW/C/MNG/3-4) and the combined second, third and fourth periodic reports of Jamaica (CEDAW/C/JAM/2-4).
Rule 49 of the rules of procedure provides that representatives of a State party shall be present at meetings of the Committee when the report of the State is being examined and shall participate in discussions and answer questions concerning the reports. 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 twenty-fourth session.
Rule 47 of the rules of procedure provides that at each session the Secretary-General shall notify the Committee of 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 twenty-fourth session will have before it the report of the Secretary-General on the status of the submission of the reports by States parties under article 18 of the Convention (CEDAW/C/2001/I/2).
The Committee decided at its ninth session that a pre-session working group should be convened before each session to prepare a list of issues and questions relating to periodic reports for transmission to the representatives of States parties before the meetings at which their reports were to be considered. At its nineteenth session, the Committee decided that the pre-session working group would meet at the end of the session prior to which second and subsequent reports would be considered. The pre-session working group for the twenty-fourth session met in New York from 3-7 July 2000. The report of the pre-session working group and the responses of States parties to the list of issues and questions drawn up by the pre-session working group will be before the Committee.
Documentation
Initial report of Burundi (CEDAW/C/BDI/1)
Initial report of Kazakhstan (CEDAW/C/KAZ/1)
Initial report of Maldives (CEDAW/C/MDV/1)
Initial report of Uzbekistan (CEDAW/C/UZB/1)
Third and combined fourth and fifth periodic reports of Egypt (CEDAW/C/EGY/3 and CEDAW/C/EGY/4-5)
Third and fourth periodic reports of Finland (CEDAW/C/FIN/3 and CEDAW/C/FIN/4)
Combined third and fourth periodic reports of Mongolia (CEDAW/C/MNG/3-4)
Combined second, third and fourth periodic reports of Jamaica (CEDAW/C/
JAM/2-4)Report of the pre-session working group (CEDAW/PSWG/2001/I/CRP.1 and Add.1 (Jamaica), Add.2 (Mongolia), Add.3 (Finland), and Add.4 (Egypt))
Responses to list of issues (CEDAW/PSWG/2001/I/CRP.2 (Finland) and Add.1 (Jamaica), Add.2 (Mongolia) and Add.3 (Egypt))
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 the reports and information received from States parties. It also provides that such suggestions and general recommendations shall be included in the report of the Committee 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.
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 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.
Article 22 of the Convention provides that the specialized agencies shall be entitled to be represented during the consideration of the implementation of such provisions of the Convention 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 twenty-fourth session will have before it a note by the Secretary-General on reports of specialized agencies on that subject (CEDAW/C/2001/I/3 and addenda).
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/2001/I/3)
Report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (CEDAW/C/2001/I/3/Add.1)
Report of the World Health Organization (CEDAW/C/2001/I/3/Add.2)
Report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (CEDAW/C/2001/I/3/Add.3)
Report of the International Labour Organization (CEDAW/C/2001/I/3/Add.4)
Item 8. Ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee
At its twelfth session, the Committee 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. In view of the fact that the Committee has been authorized to hold two sessions annually, the Secretariat has decided to provide the Committee with a report on ways and means at each session (CEDAW/C/2001/I/4)
At its twenty-third session, the Committee decided to adopt the revised rules of procedure contained in document CEDAW/C/2000/II/WG.1/WP.I as to substance but, subject to editing, the rules of procedure would be adopted in final form at the twenty-fourth session.
The Committee has also met in an expert meeting to consider its proposed draft rules of procedure with regard to the Optional Protocol to the Convention which entered into force on 22 December 2000. The proposed draft rules of procedure will be annexed to the report on ways and means (CEDAW/C/2001/I/4).
Documentation
Report of the Secretariat on ways and means of improving the work of the Committee (CEDAW/C/2001/I/4)
Item 9. Provisional agenda for the twenty-fifth 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.
Documentation
Draft provisional agenda for the twenty-fifth session of the Committee.
Item 10. Adoption of the report of the Committee on its twenty-fourth session
Annex
Proposed organization of work
Date/time Agenda item Documentation/programme Monday, 15 January 2001 486th meeting 10.00 a.m. Item 1 Opening of the session Item 2 Solemn declaration by the new members of the Committee Item 3 Election of officers Item 4 Adoption of the agenda and organization of work Item 5 Report of the Chairperson on activities undertaken between the twenty-third and twenty-fourth sessions of the Committee Item 7 Implementation of article 21 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: introductory statement Item 8 Ways and means of expediting the work of the Committee: introductory statement 3.00 p.m. (closed) Items 7 and 8 (continued) Working Group of the Whole: composition of Working Groups I and II and issues for discussion Tuesday, 16 January 2001 10.00-11.30 a.m. (closed) Informational meeting with United Nations bodies and specialized agencies 11.30-1.00 p.m. (closed) Items 7 and 8 (continued) Working Group of the Whole 3.00-4.30 p.m. Informal meeting with non-governmental organizations 4.30-6.00 p.m. (closed) Item 7 (continued) Open discussion on general recommendation 25 Wednesday, 17 January 2001 487th meeting 10.00-10.30 a.m. (closed) 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 Burundi, initial report (CEDAW/C/BDI/1) 10.30-11.30 a.m. Introduction by State party’s representative 11.30 a.m.-1.00 p.m. Questions by experts and dialogue with the Committee 488th meeting 3.00 p.m. Item 6 (continued) Burundi (continued) (closed) Items 7 and 8 (continued) Working Group of the Whole Thursday, 18 January 2001 489th meeting 10.00-10.30 a.m. (closed) Item 6 (continued) Kazakhstan, initial report (CEDAW/C/KAZ/1) 10.30-11.30 a.m. Introduction by State party’s representative 11.30 a.m.-1.00 p.m. Questions by experts and dialogue with the Committee 490th meeting 3.00 p.m. Item 6 (continued) Kazakhstan (continued) (closed) Items 7 and 8 (continued) Working Group of the Whole Friday, 19 January 2001 491st meeting 10.00-10.30 a.m. (closed) Item 6 (continued) Egypt, third and combined fourth and fifth periodic reports (CEDAW/C/EGY/3 and CEDAW/C/EGY/4-5) 10.30-11.15 a.m. Introduction by State party’s representative 11.15 a.m.-1.00 p.m. Questions by experts and dialogue with the Committee 492nd meeting 3.00 p.m. Item 6 (continued) Egypt (continued) (closed) Items 7 and 8 (continued) Working Group of the Whole Monday, 22 January 2001 493rd meeting 10.00-10.30 a.m. (closed) Item 6 (continued) Finland, third and fourth periodic reports (CEDAW/C/FIN/3 and CEDAW/C/FIN/4) 10.30-11.30 a.m. Introduction by State party’s representative 11.30 a.m.-1.00 p.m. Questions by experts and dialogue with the Committee 494th meeting 3.00 p.m. Item 6 (continued) Finland (continued) (closed) Items 7 and 8 (continued) Working Group of the Whole Tuesday, 23 January 2001 495th meeting 10.00 a.m. Item 6 (continued) Replies (Burundi) 496th meeting 3.00 p.m. Item 6 (continued) Replies (Kazakhstan) Wednesday, 24 January 2001 497th meeting 10.00-10.30 a.m. (closed) Item 6 (continued) Maldives, initial report (CEDAW/C/MDV/1) 10.30-11.30 a.m. Introduction by State party’s representative 11.30 a.m.-1.00 p.m. Questions by experts and dialogue with the Committee 498th meeting 3.00 p.m. Item 6 (continued) Maldives (continued) (closed) Items 7 and 8 (continued) Working Group of the Whole Thursday, 25 January 2001 499th meeting 10.00-10.30 a.m. (closed) Item 6 (continued) Uzbekistan, initial report (CEDAW/C/UZB/1) 10.30-11.30 a.m. Introduction by State party’s representative 11.30 a.m.-1.00 p.m. Questions by experts and dialogue with the Committee 500th meeting 3.00 p.m. Item 6 (continued) Uzbekistan (continued) (closed) Items 7 and 8 (continued) Working Group of the Whole Friday, 26 January 2001 501st meeting 10.00-10.30 a.m. (closed) Item 6 (continued) Jamaica, combined second, third and fourth periodic reports (CEDAW/C/JAM/2-4) 10.30-11.30 a.m. Introduction by State party’s representative 11.30 a.m.-1.00 p.m. Questions by experts and dialogue with the Committee 502nd meeting 3.00 p.m. Item 6 (continued) Jamaica (continued) (closed) Items 7 and 8 (continued) Working Group of the Whole Monday, 29 January 2001 503rd meeting 10.00-10.30 a.m. (closed) Item 6 (continued) Mongolia, combined third and fourth periodic reports (CEDAW/C/MNG/3-4) 10.30-11.30 a.m. Introduction by State party’s representative 11.30 a.m.-1.00 p.m. Questions by experts and dialogue with the Committee 504th meeting 3.00 p.m. Item 6 (continued) Mongolia (continued) Tuesday, 30 January 2001 505th meeting 10.00 a.m. Item 6 (continued) Replies (Maldives) 506th meeting 3.00 p.m. Item 6 (continued) Replies (Uzbekistan) Wednesday, 31 January 2001 10.00 a.m. (closed) Item 6 (continued) Working Group of the Whole 3.00 p.m. (closed) Item 6 (continued) Working Group of the Whole Thursday, 1 February 2001 10.00 a.m. (closed) Item 6 (continued) Working Group of the Whole 3.00 p.m. (closed) Item 6 (continued) Working Group of the Whole Friday, 2 February 2001 10.00 a.m. (closed) Item 6 (continued) Working Group of the Whole 507th meeting 3.00 p.m. Items 7 and 8 (continued) Adoption of the reports of Working Groups I and II Item 9 Provisional agenda for the twenty-fifth session Item 10 Adoption of the report of the Committee on its twenty-fourth session