Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

 

PART V

Article 17. 1. For the purpose of considering the progress made in the
implementation of the present Convention, there shall be established a
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (hereinafter
referred to as the Committee) consisting, at the time of entry into force
of the Convention, of eighteen and, after ratification of or accession to
the Convention by the thirty-fifth State Party, of twenty-three experts of
high moral standing and competence in the field covered by the Convention.
The experts shall be elected by States Parties from among their nationals
and shall serve in their personal capacity, consideration being given to
equitable geographical distribution and to the representation of the
different forms of civilization as well as the principal legal systems.

2. The members of the Committee shall be elected by secret ballot from a
list of persons nominated by States Parties. Each State Party may nominate
one person from among its own nationals.

3. The initial election shall be held six months after the date of the
entry into force of the present Convention. At least three months before
the date of each election the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall
address a letter to the States Parties inviting them to submit their
nominations within two months. The Secretary-General shall prepare a list
in alphabetical order of all persons thus nominated, indicating the States
Parties which have nominated them, and shall submit it to the States
Parties.

4. Elections of the members of the Committee shall be held at a meeting of
States Parties convened by the Secretary-General at United Nations
Headquarters. At that meeting, for which two thirds of the States Parties
shall constitute a quorum, the persons elected to the Committee shall be
those nominees who obtain the largest number of votes and an absolute
majority of the votes of the representatives of States Parties present and
voting.

5. The members of the Committee shall be elected for a term of four years.
However, the terms of nine of the members elected at the first election
shall expire at the end of two years; immediately after the first election
the names of these nine members shall be chosen by lot by the Chairman of
the Committee.

6. The election of the five additional members of the Committee shall be
held in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of this
article, following the thirty-fifth ratification or accession. The terms of
two of the additional members elected on this occasion shall expire at the
end of two years, the names of these two members having been chosen by lot
by the Chairman of the Committee.

7. For the filling of casual vacancies, the State Party whose expert has
ceased to function as a member of the Committee shall appoint another
expert from among its nationals, subject to the approval of the Committee.

8. The members of the Committee shall, with the approval of the General
Assembly, receive emoluments from United Nations resources on such terms
and conditions as the Assembly may decide, having regard to the importance
of the Committee’s responsibilities.

9. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall provide the necessary
staff and facilities for the effective performance of the functions of the
Committee under the present Convention.

Article 18. 1. States Parties undertake to submit to the Secretary-General
of the United Nations, for consideration by the Committee, a report on the
legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures which they have
adopted to give effect to he provisions of the present Convention and on
the progress made in this respect:
(a) Within one year after the entry into force for the State concerned;
and
(b) Thereafter at least every four years and further whenever the
Committee so requests.

2. Reports may indicate factors and difficulties affecting the degree of
fulfilment of obligations under the present Convention.

Article 19. 1. The Committee shall adopt its own rules of procedure.

2. The Committee shall elect its officers for a term of two years.

Article 20. 1. The Committee shall normally meet for a period of not more
than two weeks annually in order to consider the reports submitted in
accordance with article 18 of the present Convention.

2. The meetings of the Committee shall normally be held at United Nations
Headquarters or at any other convenient place as determined by the
Committee.

Article 21. 1. The Committee shall, through the Economic and Social
Council, report annually to the General Assembly of the United Nations on
its activities and may make suggestions and general recommendations based
on the examination of reports and information received from the States
Parties. Such suggestions and general recommendations shall be included in
the report of the Committee together with comments, if any, from States
Parties.

2. The Secretary-General shall transmit the reports of the Committee to the
Commission on the Status of Women for its information.

Article 22. The specialized agencies shall be entitled to be represented at
the consideration of the implementation of such provisions of the present
Convention as fall within the scope of their activities. The Committee may
invite the specialized agencies to submit reports on the implementation of
the Convention in areas falling within the scope of their activities.

PART VI

Article 23. Nothing in this Convention shall affect any provisions that are
more conducive to the achievement of equality between men and women which
may be contained:
(a) In the legislation of a State Party; or
(b) In any other international convention, treaty or agreement in force
for that State.

Article 24. States Parties undertake to adopt all necessary measures at the
national level aimed at achieving the full realization of the rights
recognized in the present Convention.

Article 25. 1. The present Convention shall be open for signature by all
States.

2. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is designated as the
depositary of the present Convention.

3. The present Convention is subject to ratification. Instruments of
ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United
Nations.

4. The present Convention shall be open to accession by all States.
Accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of accession
with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Article 26. 1. A request for the revision of the present Convention may be
made at any time by any State Party by means of a notification in writing
addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

2. The General Assembly of the United Nations shall decide upon the steps,
if any, to be taken in respect of such a request.

Article 27. 1. The present Convention shall enter into force on the
thirtieth day after the date of deposit with the Secretary-General of the
United Nations of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession.

2. For each State ratifying the present Convention or acceding to it after
the deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession, the
Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the date of
the deposit of its own instrument of ratification or accession.

Article 28. 1. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall receive
and circulate to all States the text of reservations made by States at the
time of ratification or accession.

2. A reservation incompatible with the object and purpose of the present
Convention shall not be permitted.

3. Reservations may be withdrawn at any time by notification to this effect
addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall then
inform all States thereof. Such notification shall take effect on the date
on which it is received.

Article 29. 1. Any dispute between two or more States Parties concerning
the interpretation or application of the present Convention which is not
settled by negotiation shall, at the request of one of them, be submitted
to arbitration. If within six months from the date of the request for
arbitration the parties are unable to agree on the organization of the
arbitration, any one of those parties may refer the dispute to the
International Court of Justice by request in conformity with the Statute of
the Court.

2. Each State Party may at the time of signature or ratification of this
Convention or accession thereto declare that it does not consider itself
bound by paragraph 1 of this article. The other States Parties shall not be
bound by that paragraph with respect to any State Party which has made such
a reservation.

3. Any State Party which has made a reservation in accordance with
paragraph 2 of this article may at any time withdraw that reservation by
notification to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Article 30. The present Convention, the Arabic, Chinese, English, French,
Russian and Spanish texts of which are equally authentic, shall be
deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, duly authorized, have signed the
present Convention.

Author: international

Mentioned in these Entries

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, International Court of Justice.