Decisions of the Sixteenth Session : . 31/01/97.
A/52/38/Rev.1,pg.1. (Decision)

Convention Abbreviation: CEDAW
Decisions of the Sixteenth Session

Decision 16/I. Concluding comments

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women decided that its concluding comments would continue to follow the standard pattern that it had introduced at its fifteenth session. Concluding comments would contain an introduction; a section on factors and difficulties affecting the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, as appropriate; a section on positive aspects organized in the order of the articles of the Convention; and a section identifying principal areas of concern, described in order of the importance of each particular issue in the State party under consideration. The final part of the comments, the suggestions and recommendations, would provide concrete suggestions from the Committee with regard to the problems identified in the comments.

Decision 16/II. Non-governmental organizations

The Committee decided to invite the United Nations Secretariat to facilitate an informal meeting with non-governmental organizations outside the regular meeting time of the Committee. During that meeting, non-governmental organizations would be invited to offer country-specific information on the States parties to be reviewed by the Committee. The Committee recommended that States parties consult national non-governmental organizations in the preparation of their reports required by article 18 of the Convention. It recommended that international non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies, funds and programmes be encouraged to facilitate attendance at Committee sessions by representatives of national non-governmental organizations. It also recommended that specialized agencies and other United Nations entities with field representation work with non-governmental organizations to disseminate information on the Convention and on the work of the Committee and to call upon past and present experts of the Committee to participate in those efforts.

Decision 16/III. Reports of States parties

In order to address the backlog of reports awaiting consideration and to encourage States parties to report in a timely fashion, the Committee decided, on an exceptional basis and as a temporary measure, to invite States parties to combine a maximum of two of the reports required under article 18 of the Convention.