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Via IWRAW AP - International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific

CEDAW COMMITTEE ELECTION PROCESS

http://www.iwraw-ap.org:80/committee/election.htm

The next CEDAW Committee elections will take place in June 2008.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS TERMS EXPIRING AT THE END OF 2008

The Committee members who will continue to serve until their terms expire on 31 December 2008 include:  

- Magalys Arocha Dominguez (Cuba)

- Mary Shanthi Dairiam (Malaysia)

- Françoise Gaspard (France)

- Tiziana Maiolo (Italy)

- Silvia Pimentel (Brazil)

- Hanna Beate Schöpp-Schilling (Germany)

- Heisoo Shin (Republic of Korea)

- Glenda P. Simms (Jamaica)

- Anamah Tan (Singapore)

- Maria Regina Tavares da Silva (Portugal)

- Xiaoqiao Zou (China).

TIMELINE FOR THE ELECTIONS PROCESS

· Now until March 2008: Time for women's groups to lobby their governments and suggest names of good candidates from their own country to be elected to the Committee. Lobbying to support good candidates to follow. 

· March 2008:UN Secretary General calls for nominations from States Parties (of their own nationals only)

· Between March-May 2008:States propose their candidate (who must be their national) for nomination

· May 2008: Nomination list closes

· June 2008: CEDAW States Parties Meeting: Where states parties will vote through secret ballot to either re-elect committee members whose terms expire in 2008 or elect new members.

ABOUT THE ELECTION PROCESS

Members of the CEDAW Committee are elected pursuant to article 17 of the CEDAW Convention by States parties from among nationals of that country. However, it is important to note that these members serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of that States party. Members are elected for a term of four years.

Each CEDAW Committee member has the potential of advocating for women's rights at three levels:

1) To uphold the notion that States are accountable to women;

2) To continuously further rights contained in the CEDAW Convention along feminist principles;

3) To ensure that women's NGOs are included in CEDAW-related processes.

WHAT NGOs CAN DO

It is very important for women's groups and women's rights advocates to continue advocating for the inclusion of independent feminist experts in the CEDAW Committee. As you may already know, the CEDAW Convention is the only UN human rights treaty that focuses on gender issues. In this regard, it is important that the twenty-three experts of the CEDAW Committee have an understanding of the realities of women's lives.

What to do:

• Before March 2008: At the national level, before the nomination period in March 2008, begin to propose names of women's activists and feminists for the election with your government. Obtain their support for your candidate by creating publicity and support for her candidacy.  
• Once the list of nominees have been released in mid 2008:  If you are in contact with progressive representatives of your government in your home country or in New York, please contact them and let them know that women's groups and women's rights advocates globally want independent experts from all over the world to be elected to the Committee. Please let them know that they are responsible for ensuring that the CEDAW Committee process continues to strengthen national efforts towards the realisation of women's rights. In some cases, it would be useful to send a letter stating what you know of the existing nominees and give reasons as to why you are recommending specific names to be considered (both in your region and in others).

For further information about the election process, go to: http://www.iwraw-ap.org/committee/election.htm.

For general information on the CEDAW Committee go to: http://www.iwraw-ap.org/committee.htm

IWRAW Asia Pacific

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