INFORMATION SEMINAR "IMPLEMENTING THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN" The Role of Parliaments and their Members Geneva, 2 October 2004
	Organised jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women.

	The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is the most comprehensive international legal instrument addressing women's rights. It brings together in one single binding document provisions requiring the elimination of discrimination on the basis of sex, and in so doing is key to the promotion of gender equality. Acknowledging the important role parliaments can play in promoting and ensuring respect for women's rights, in 2003, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (UNDAW) produced a Handbook for Parliamentarians on the CEDAW and its Optional Protocol. The Handbook (available here) has been widely distributed among parliaments. It aims to strengthen the role of parliaments in the ratification and implementation of the Convention, as well as in the preparation and submission of reports to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Using this handbook as a reference tool, the IPU and UNDAW jointly organised a seminar on the theme "Implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: The role of parliaments and their members" for members of parliaments from those States parties to the Convention whose reports were considered by the CEDAW Committee at its 29th, 30th and 31st sessions (2003 and 2004). Members of parliaments from those States parties to the Convention whose reports will be considered by the CEDAW Committee at its 2005 sessions where also invited to attend. The seminar was held at the IPU Headquarters on Saturday, 2 October 2004, following the 111th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The aim of the seminar was to identify opportunities for strengthening parliament's role both in the reporting process, including preparation and presentation of reports, and in follow-up to the Committee’s concluding observations in regard to the reporting State. Various experts, including a member of the CEDAW Committee, a member of the Committee’s Secretariat, and a member of parliament with experience in this field, facilitated this information seminar.

 

SESSION DOCUMENTS
	Registration form [PDF]
	Draft programme [HTML] [PDF]
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	The Convention
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Initially posted on 20 Septembre 2004
PROGRAMME
9 - 9.30 a.m.	Welcome
9.30 - 10.30 a.m.	Introducing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and its Optional Protocol Why a Convention on discrimination against women? What does it add? Why an Optional Protocol to the Convention? Presentation followed by discussion
10.30 - 10.45 a.m.	Coffee break
10.45 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.	Implementing the Convention: the Role of Parliament Developing an adequate legislative and oversight framework Working with civil society and the media Other parliamentary mechanisms Presentation followed by discussion
12.30 - 2.30 p.m.	Lunch
2.30 - 3.45 p.m.	Keeping track of progress: the reporting process and follow-up The reporting mechanism of the Convention Follow up to the Committee's concluding comments Presentation followed by discussion
3.45 - 5 p.m.	Parliamentary involvement in the CEDAW reporting mechanism Ensuring timely reporting Input into the Government's report Follow-up to the report: implementing the Committee's concluding comments Presentation followed by discussion
5 - 5.30 p.m.	Conclusions and recommendations