A/52/38/Rev.1
United Nations
Report of the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination
against Women
(Sixteenth and seventeenth sessions)
General Assembly
Official Records • Fifty-second Session
Supplement No.38 (A/52/38/Rev.1)
A/52/38/Rev.1
Report of the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination
against Women
(Sixteenth and seventeenth sessions)
General Assembly
Official Records • Fifty-second Session
Supplement No.38 (A/52/38/Rev.1)
United Nations • New York, 1997
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]
[12 August 1997]
CONTENTS
Part One: Report of the Committee on the Elimination
of Discrimination against Women on its
sixteenth session
Chapter Paragraphs Page
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL ............................................ x
I. MATTERS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF STATES PARTIES ............... 1
A. Decisions .................................................... 1
Decision 16/I ................................................ 1
Decision 16/II ............................................... 1
Decision 16/III .............................................. 1
B. Suggestions .................................................. 1
Suggestion 16/1 .............................................. 1
Suggestion 16/2 .............................................. 2
II. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS ..................... 1 - 31 3
A. States parties to the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women ............................................ 1 - 2 3
B. Opening of the session ........................... 3 - 9 3
C. Attendance ....................................... 10 - 11 4
D. Solemn declaration ............................... 12 4
E. Election of officers ............................. 13 5
F. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work .. 14 5
G. Report of the pre-session working group .......... 15 - 28 5
H. Composition and organization of work of the
working groups ................................... 29 - 31 8
III. REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSON ON THE ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN
BETWEEN THE FIFTEENTH AND SIXTEENTH SESSIONS OF THE
COMMITTEE ............................................ 32 - 41 9
CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Paragraphs Page
IV. CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES
UNDER ARTICLE 18 OF THE CONVENTION ................... 42 - 351 11
A. Introduction ..................................... 42 - 44 11
B. Consideration of reports of States parties ....... 45 - 351 11
1. Initial reports .............................. 45 - 122 11
Morocco ...................................... 45 - 80 11
Slovenia ..................................... 81 - 122 15
2. Combined initial, second and third periodic
reports ...................................... 123 - 150 21
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ............. 123 - 150 21
3. Combined second and third periodic reports ... 151 - 206 24
Turkey ....................................... 151 - 206 24
4. Third periodic reports ....................... 207 - 274 30
Venezuela .................................... 207 - 247 30
Denmark ...................................... 248 - 274 34
5. Combined third and fourth periodic reports ... 275 - 343 38
Philippines .................................. 275 - 305 38
Canada ....................................... 306 - 343 42
6. Report submitted on an exceptional basis ..... 344 - 351 45
Zaire ........................................ 344 - 351 45
V. WAYS AND MEANS OF EXPEDITING THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE352 - 383 47
Action taken by the Committee on the report of Working
Group I .............................................. 354 - 383 47
VI. IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE 21 OF THE CONVENTION ....... 384 - 394 54
A. Action taken by the Committee on the report of
Working Group II ................................. 386 - 388 54
B. Statements by senior United Nations officials .... 389 - 394 55
VII. PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR THE SEVENTEENTH SESSION ....... 395 - 396 57
VIII. ADOPTION OF THE REPORT ............................... 397 58
CONTENTS (continued)
Part Two: Report of the Committee on the Elimination
of Discrimination against Women on its
seventeenth session
Chapter Paragraphs Page
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL ............................................ 60
I. MATTERS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF STATES PARTIES ............... 61
A. General recommendation 23 (sixteenth session) ................ 61
B. Decisions .................................................... 71
Decision 17/I ................................................ 71
Decision 17/II ............................................... 71
II. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS ..................... 1 - 23 72
A. States parties to the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women ............................................ 1 - 2 72
B. Opening of the session ........................... 3 - 11 72
C. Attendance ....................................... 12 - 13 73
D. Solemn declaration ............................... 14 73
E. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work .. 15 73
F. Report of the pre-session working group .......... 16 - 19 74
G. Composition and organization of work of the
working groups ................................... 20 - 23 74
III. REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSON ON THE ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN
BETWEEN THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH SESSIONS OF THE
COMMITTEE ............................................ 24 - 31 76
IV. CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES
UNDER ARTICLE 18 OF THE CONVENTION ................... 32 - 464 78
A. Introduction ..................................... 32 - 34 78
B. Consideration of reports of States parties ....... 35 - 464 78
1. Initial reports .............................. 35 - 131 78
Armenia ...................................... 35 - 68 78
Namibia ...................................... 69 - 131 82
CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Paragraphs Page
2. Initial and second periodic reports .......... 132 - 227 87
Israel ....................................... 132 - 183 87
Luxembourg ................................... 184 - 227 92
3. Initial, second and third periodic reports .. 228 - 272 97
Antigua and Barbuda .......................... 228 - 272 97
4. Second and third periodic reports ............ 273 - 364 101
Argentina .................................... 273 - 321 101
Italy ........................................ 322 - 364 106
5. Third periodic reports ....................... 365 - 408 111
Australia .................................... 365 - 408 111
6. Third and fourth periodic reports ............ 409 - 464 117
Bangladesh ................................... 409 - 464 117
V. WAYS AND MEANS OF EXPEDITING THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE465 - 476 124
Action taken by the Committee on the report of Working
Group I .............................................. 467 - 476 124
VI. IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE 21 OF THE CONVENTION ....... 477 - 499 127
A. Action taken by the Committee on the report of
Working Group II ................................. 479 - 485 127
B. Statements by senior United Nations officials .... 486 - 499 128
VII. PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR THE EIGHTEENTH SESSION ........ 500 132
VIII. ADOPTION OF THE REPORT ............................... 501 133
Annexes
I. States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination against Women as at 25 July 1997 ............... 134
II. Membership of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women .................................................... 138
III. Documents before the Committee at its sixteenth and seventeenth
sessions ......................................................... 139
CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Paragraphs Page
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
25 July 1997 ..................................................... 142
A. Initial reports .............................................. 142
B. Second periodic reports ...................................... 149
C. Third periodic reports ....................................... 155
D. Fourth periodic reports ...................................... 159
E. Reports submitted on an exceptional basis .................... 161
Part One
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST WOMEN ON ITS SIXTEENTH SESSION
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
31 January 1997
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 sixteenth session from 13 to 31 January 1997 at United Nations Headquarters. It adopted its report on the session at its 333rd meeting, on 31 January. The report of the Committee is herewith submitted to you for transmission to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session.
Accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.
(Signed) Salma KHAN
Chairperson
Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women