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The Convention obliges States parties to
submit to the Secretary-General a report on the legislative,
judicial, administrative or other measures that they have adopted to
implement the Convention within a year after its entry into force
and then at least every four years thereafter or whenever the
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
so requests. These reports, which may indicate factors and
difficulties in implementation, are forwarded to the CEDAW for its
consideration.
The Committee has adopted guidelines
to help states prepare these reports. According to these guidelines,
the initial report is intended to be a detailed and comprehensive
description of the position of women in that country at the time of
submission; it is meant to provide a benchmark against which
subsequent progress can be measured. Second and subsequent national
reports are intended to update the previous report, detailing
significant developments that have occurred over the last four
years, noting key trends, and identifying obstacles to the full
achievement of the Convention.
Initial reports are
considered by the Committee in the presence of a representative of
the reporting country, who may make a supplementary presentation.
Individual members are free to ask for clarification or elaboration
of any issue related to the report, the presentation, or to CEDAWs
goals. Typically, the country representative returns a day or so
later to respond to those questions; answers or supporting material
are often presented in writing.
Since 1990, second and
subsequent reports have been reviewed by a pre-session working group
of five Committee members. The working group draws up questions to
guide the full Committees examination of the report. These
questions are submitted to the countrys representative in advance.
The representative then meets with the Committee to respond to these
questions and any others that members may wish to ask.
Following consideration of each State Party report, the
CEDAW Committee formulates concluding comments which outline factors
and difficulties affecting the implementation of the Convention for
that State party, positive aspects, principal subjects of concern
and suggestions and recommendations to enhance implementation of the
Convention.
COMPILATION OF GUIDELINES ON THE FORM AND CONTENT OF
REPORTS TO BE SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES TO THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN
RIGHTS TREATIES is available in: English | French | Spanish | Arabic | Chinese | Russian
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