The upcoming 29th session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is scheduled for 30 June to 18 July 2003 in New York, USA. The reports of the following eight States parties to the Convention will be examined:

1. Brazil (the combined initial, second, third, fourth and fifth periodic reports)
2. Costa Rica (the combined initial, second and third periodic reports; the fourth periodic report)
3. Ecuador (the combined fourth and fifth periodic reports)
4. France (the combined third and fourth periodic reports; and the fifth periodic report)
5. Japan (the fourth and fifth periodic reports)
6. Morocco (the second period report)
7. New Zealand (the fifth periodic report)
8. Slovenia (the second and third periodic reports)

Documentation

All reports of States parties are available online in the six official UN languages: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/29sess.htm

Sessions that are open to the public will be listed in the Daily Journal, available online: http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/En/lateste.pdf

Members of the CEDAW Committee

The 23 expert members of the Committee in 2003, serving in their personal capacity, are:

1. Ayse Feride Acar (Chairperson) (Turkey)
2. Sjamsiah Achmad (Indonesia)
3. Meriem Belmihoub-Zerdani (Algeria)
4. Huguette Bokpe Gnancadja (Benin)
5. Dorcas Ama Ferma Coker-Appiah (Ghana)
6. María Yolanda Ferrer Gómez (Vice-Chairperson) (Cuba)
7. Cornelis Flinterman (the Netherlands)
8. Naela Gabr (Egypt)
9. Françoise Gaspard (France)
10. Aída González Martínez (Mexico)
11. Christine Kapalata (Rapporteur) (United Republic of Tanzania)
12. Salma Khan (Bangladesh)
13. Fatima Kwaku (Nigeria)
14. Rosario Manalo (Philippines)
15. Göran Melander (Sweden)
16. Krisztina Morvai (Hungary)
17. Pramila Patten (Mauritius)
18. Victoria Popescu Sandru (Vice-Chairperson) (Romania)
19. Fumiko Saiga (Japan)
20. Hanna Beate Schöpp-Schilling (Germany)
21. Heisoo Shin (Vice-Chairperson) (Republic of Korea)
22. Dubravka Šimonovic (Croatia)
23. Maria Regina Tavares da Silva (Portugal)

CEDAW Concluding Comments

Following consideration of each State Party report, the CEDAW Committee formulates concluding comments, which are intended to assist the State party in the further implementation of the Convention. These concluding comments outline positive aspects, principal subjects of concern and the Committee's suggestions and recommendations for addressing the challenges identified during the constructive dialogue with the State party. Such concluding comments can also include guidance on the issues on which the next periodic report of the State party should be focused. Concluding comments of the CEDAW Committee as well as other country information are available online: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/reports.htm

NGO Participation

The CEDAW Committee welcomes independent information from NGOs and in the past many NGOs have submitted their alternative reports to the Committee. During the CEDAW session NGO representatives can also distribute their alternative reports to CEDAW members. NGOs that are interested in attending the CEDAW session should provide names of their representatives to the Division for the Advancement of Women (haregwein@un.org) in order to facilitate obtaining the UN ground passes. Representatives of NGOs are also given an opportunity to provide information at the CEDAW pre-sessional working group meetings.

Pre-sessional working group

The Committee's pre-sessional working group meets prior to the session of the Committee to formulate a list of issues and questions arising from the reports submitted by States parties to the Convention. The list of issues and questions is then forwarded to the State party concerned for its replies.

The pre-sessional working group meeting for the 30th session of CEDAW will take place from 21 to 25 July 2003. The working group will review the periodic reports of the following countries:

• Combined fourth through sixth periodic report of Belarus
• Combined fourth and fifth periodic report of Ethiopia
• Fifth periodic report of Germany
• Second periodic report of Kyrgyzstan
• Combined second and third periodic report of Nepal
• Combined fourth and fifth periodic report of Nigeria

The meeting of the pre-sessional working group is closed to the public except for the day on which the Committee listens to NGO representatives. The pre-sessional working group meeting for the 30th session will hear from NGO representatives on 21 July 2003 from 3.00 pm to 4.30 pm.

Media information

Please contact Ms. Amina Adam, Chief of the Coordination and Outreach Unit, Division for the Advancement of Women or Ms. Assiya Akanay for a list of representatives of delegations from reporting countries that are interested in being interviewed.

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