WUNRN

http://www.wunrn.com

 

UN CEDAW Committee Website:

http://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/cedaw/pages/cedawindex.aspx

 

http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CEDAW/Shared%20Documents/1_Global/INT_CEDAW_INF_58_21959_E.doc

 

 

COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST

WOMEN (CEDAW)

 

Participation by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

 

58th session (30 June – 18 July 2014) and

Pre-session for the 60th session (21 – 25 July 2014)

Geneva, Palais des Nations, Room XVI (room to be confirmed)

 

I.          Consideration of Reports by States Parties

 

The Committee will examine the reports of the following States parties during its 58th session: Central African Republic, Georgia, India, Lithuania, Mauritania, Peru, Swaziland and Syria.

 

II.        Documentation

 

The reports of the States parties to be considered at the 58th session, the provisional agenda (CEDAW/C/58/1) and other documents pertaining to the session are available online at: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=814&Lang=en

 

III.       Venue

 

The 58th session of the Committee will take place in Geneva at the Palais des Nations in conference room XVI (room to be confirmed). The pre-session working group for the 60th session will take place in Geneva at the Palais des Nations in conference room XVI (room to be confirmed).

 

IV.              NGO participation

 

The Committee has emphasized the importance it attaches to its cooperation with NGOs in its statement on its relationship with non-governmental organizations adopted in 2010(http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/CEDAW/Statements/NGO.pdf), and invites representatives of national and international NGOs to provide country-specific information on issues relevant to the implementation of the Convention by the State parties scheduled for consideration at the 58th session. This can be done orally and/or in writing. The Committee encourages international NGOs and United Nations agencies, funds, programmes, and specialized agencies to facilitate attendance at Committee and pre-session working group sessions by representatives of national NGOs.

 

V.        Written submissions for the Session (30 June – 18 July 2014)

 

NGOs wishing to make written submissions to the Committee are requested to:

·        Indicate the full name of the NGO;

·        Indicate the State party scheduled for consideration to which the information relates;

·        Indicate whether or not the submission can be posted on the CEDAW website for public information purposes; and

·        Submit the written information in Word format by e-mail and thereafter submit 30 copies in hard copy format.

 

All submissions should be received two weeks prior to the beginning of the session by the Secretariat of the Committee, i.e., no later than 13 June 2014. The Word version of the submission should be sent to the following e-mail address: cedaw@ohchr.org. Hard copy submissions should be mailed to:

 

CEDAW Secretariat

OHCHR - Palais Wilson

52, rue des Pâquis

CH-1201 Geneva 10

Switzerland

 

Due to the high number of submissions received at each session, such submissions should not exceed ten pages and should highlight priority concerns and suggest possible country-specific recommendations, with a view to facilitating the work of the Committee. NGOs are also urged to ensure that the requisite number of hard copies of their submissions reach OHCHR in time for the respective session. Due to the high number of submissions received from NGOs and other stakeholders, OHCHR does not photocopy submissions from NGOs.

 

NGOs can also avail themselves of the support of IWRAW Asia Pacific to submit their written information, electronically and in hard copy, to the Secretariat. For details and deadlines, please contact IWRAW Asia Pacific:

 

10-2, Jalan Bangsar Utama 9

Bangsar Utama

59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: +60 322 822 255

Fax: +60 322 832 552

Email: iwraw-ap@iwraw-ap.org or

 iwraw_ap@yahoo.com

 

With regard to the above, it is noted that the Committee has the prerogative to take into account all information submitted to it until the consideration of a report by a State party has been concluded.

 

VI.       Written submissions for the Pre-Session Working Group (21 – 25 July 2014)

 

The pre-session working group will prepare lists of issues for the following States parties that are scheduled to be considered at the 60th session: Azerbaijan, Denmark, Ecuador, Eritrea, Gabon, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives and Tuvalu. NGOs wishing to submit written information to the pre-session working group should follow the same procedure as for the submission of written information for the session (see above). NGOs should send 15 copies of their submissions no later than 13 June 2014. (The pre-session working group prepares lists of issues and questions for States parties scheduled to be reviewed two sessions later.) The Word version of the submission should be sent to the following e-mail address: cedaw@ohchr.org. Hard copy submissions should be mailed to:

 

CEDAW Secretariat

OHCHR - Palais Wilson

52, rue des Pâquis

CH-1201 Geneva

Switzerland.

 

VII.     Meetings with NGOs

 

            The Committee has set aside time at its 58th session for NGOs to provide oral information in respect of the States parties that have been scheduled for consideration during the session. These meetings are scheduled on 30 June 2014, from 15:00 to 16:30, for countries that will be considered during the first week (Peru, India, Mauritania and Syria), and on Monday, 7 July 2014, from 16:00 to 16:30 (Important: New times!), for countries that will be considered during the second week of the 58th session (Georgia, Lithuania, Swaziland and Central African Republic). The meetings will take place in conference room XVI (room to be confirmed) at the Palais des Nations and are open to the public. For the schedule of considerations of States parties’ reports, please contact the Secretariat.

 

            Oral interventions by NGOs must be concise. On average, not more than 10 minutes are allocated for all NGOs wishing to intervene on one particular country. The available time is divided among the NGOs wishing to speak on a country and additional time is reserved for questions from Committee members. In view of the time constraints, the consolidation of presentations by subject is encouraged and appreciated. NGOs making oral interventions should ensure that they bring 35 copies of their oral statements at least 1 hour prior to the meeting for circulation to the Committee and for interpretation purposes in addition to any written submissions. Prior to the presentation, NGOs are requested to send an electronic version of their statements in Word format to: cedaw@ohchr.org.

 

The pre-session working group invites NGOs to make oral interventions to provide country-specific information on the States parties scheduled for consideration at the 60th session. This meeting will take place on Monday, 21 July 2014 from 11:30 to 12:30 in conference room XVI (room to be confirmed) at the Palais des Nations. The paragraph above relating to oral interventions by NGOs is applicable to the pre-session working group as well, except that NGOs need to bring only 15 copies of their oral statement prior to the meeting for circulation to the Committee and for interpretation purposes in addition to any written submissions. Prior to the presentation, NGOs 2are requested to send an electronic version of their statements in Word format to: cedaw@ohchr.org.

 

 

VIII.    Registration

 

NGO representatives who wish to attend any sessions of the Committee or pre-session working group must be duly registered. All NGO representatives must complete the online registration form for the 58th session by 20 June 2014 by accessing the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ (DESA) CSO Net website. Please note that the online registration will be closed on that date and that the CEDAW Secretariat will no longer accept Conference Registration Forms that are sent by e-mail. (Important: New procedure!)

 

Please note that OHCHR will not provide letters of invitation to NGOs to attend CEDAW sessions for purposes of obtaining visas. However, upon request, the Secretariat can provide, a general “to whom it may concern” letter specifying that a representative has requested and obtained accreditation to a meeting. Please also note that OHCHR is unable to assist with travel and/or accommodation costs.

 

How to pre-Register your NGO’s participation

 

Step 1. Prepare – Organizational Profile

 

·        Before you start, make sure your organization has an organizational profile in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ (DESA) CSO Net database, with a corresponding login and password.

 

·        Generally, NGOs that have participated in UN meetings in the past already have such a profile.

 

·        If your organization does not, please visit the following link to create a profile: http://goo.gl/8k9bL.

 

·        In this process, select “Special Event”/Apply for ECOSOC Status” when asked for your organization’s objective. This will speed up your application.

 

·        Approval of this profile can take up to 48 hours. You will receive an email with your login and password details.

 

·        You can only complete the steps below with your organization’s own login and password.

 

Step 2. The Session

 

Visit the CSO Net meeting page of the session at http://goo.gl/RqiAHP.

 

·        In the left-hand column, click “Conference Registration”.

 

Step 3. Login

 

·        Type in your login information. See step 1 above.

 

Step 4. Designate Representatives

 

·        Please provide details of your proposed representative(s) to the event.

 

·        You will receive a confirmation email with instructions for obtaining a ground pass.

 

 

IX.       Ground Pass

 

Upon arrival at Palais des Nations, representatives of NGOs are required to enter through the Prégny Gate, United Nations Office at Geneva, Avenue de la Paix 8-14, Geneva, Switzerland, and proceed to the registration desk. Hours of operation are from 8:00 to 17:00, Monday through Friday.

 

In order to be properly registered and to receive a ground pass to enter the UN complex, NGO representatives must present:

 

·        The confirmation e-mail from the CSO Net database;

·        The completed Conference Registration Form (available from the CSO Net database); and

·        A valid passport.

 

All participants are responsible for making their own arrangements relating to travel and accommodation as well as visas to enter Switzerland.

 

The Secretariat of CEDAW does not provide assistance in this regard and is not in a position to provide letters to the authorities of Switzerland for purposes of obtaining a visa.

 

Representatives requiring a visa to enter Switzerland are advised to apply as early as possible in case there are long delays for clearance by the Swiss authorities, and ensure that the visa is received in time for travel. Past practice shows that when applying for a Swiss visa, it is recommendable to bring copies of the e-mail confirming accreditation, as well as a letter prepared by the respective NGO, to the appointment with the relevant Swiss Consulate or Embassy.

 

Please note that NGO representatives must bring their passport (or government issued photo ID) every time they wish to enter UN premises.

 

X.        Informal briefings

 

NGOs wishing to participate in informal briefings should contact IWRAW Asia Pacific (see above) to coordinate.

 

NGOs wishing to organize a briefing must contact the Secretariat at least one month in advance of the session. The secretariat will inform you if it is possible to accommodate your request in light of all requests received as well as the availability of Committee members.

 

XI.       Additional Information

 

For further information about the treaty bodies in general, specific information on CEDAW and on the participation and role of civil society in the reporting procedure, please consult the following links: