Since its early sessions, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has invited non-governmental organizations to follow its work.
In order to ensure that it is as well informed as possible, the Committee and the pre-session working group invite representatives of national and international non-governmental organizations to provide country-specific information on States parties whose reports are before it.
The Committee and the pre-session working group also provide an opportunity for representatives of non-governmental organizations to provide oral information.
The Committee encourages international non-governmental organizations and United Nations organizations, funds and programmes to facilitate attendance at Committee sessions by representatives of national non-governmental organizations.
NGO reports/information for the Committee at its sessions
The Committee welcomes country-specific information from non-governmental organizations, in the form of alternative or shadow reports.
NGOs can submit their reports to the Committee prior to or at the session concerned. NGO representatives attending the session should bring at least 40 copies to the session itself, so that they can be distributed during the meeting of the Committee with NGOs.
NGOs not attending the session should send 40 copies to the Division for the Advancement of Women, preferably so they arrive at least one week prior to the beginning of the session.
NGOs can also email their reports to IWRAW Asia Pacific, a non-governmental organization that has made arrangements with the Committee to distribute NGO shadow/alternative reports electronically and/or in hard copy directly to experts in advance of the session. NGOs wishing to have their reports sent electronically to experts must email them to IWRAW Asia Pacific at least 3 weeks before the session. Those wishing to have hard copies of their shadow/alternative reports distributed to experts in advance of a session must email their reports to IWRAW Asia Pacific at least 7 weeks before the opening day of the session concerned so that IWRAW Asia Pacific can print and mail them to Committee experts. Please contact IWRAW Asia Pacific for more details. IWRAW Asia Pacific’s contact details are as follows:
Wisma Dicklin, 80-B, Jalan Bangsar, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: (603) 2282 2255, Fax: (603) 2283 2552.
Website: http://www.iwraw-ap.org
Email: iwraw-ap@iwraw-ap.org; iwraw_ap@yahoo.com
NGO reports/information for the pre-session working group
NGOs are encouraged to submit their alternative/shadow reports or other country-specific information already to the pre-session working group that prepares the list of issues and questions for each reporting State scheduled to be considered at a session. NGO representatives attending the pre-session working group should bring at least 15 copies for distribution at the meeting of the pre-session working group with the NGOs. NGOs not attending the pre-session working group should send at least 15 copies of their information to the Division for the Advancement of Women, preferably at least one week prior to the beginning of the session of the pre-session working group.
NGOs can also avail themselves of the support of IWRAW Asia Pacific for advance dissemination, either electronically or as hard copies, of their alternative/shadow reports to the members of the pre-session working group. For details and deadlines, please contact IWRAW Asia Pacific.
NGO attendance at the Committee’s session or pre-session working group
The Committee sets aside time at each of its sessions, usually at the beginning of the first and second week of the session, to enable representatives of non-governmental organizations to provide oral information.
In the light of time constraints, oral interventions by NGOs must be very short: on average, not more than 10 minutes overall are allocated for all NGOs wishing to intervene on one particular State party.
The pre-session working group also provides an opportunity for NGOs to address it, usually on the first day of the pre-session working group. NGO representatives interested in addressing the Committee or pre-session working group are requested to submit the full title of their NGO, the names of their representatives, and the proposed dates of attendance to the Division for the Advancement of Women (changt@un.org) no later than a week prior to the beginning of the session or working group so that arrangements can be made for the issuance of United Nations ground passes to enter United Nations premises. To receive the grounds pass, all applicants are required to bring a valid national passport or government issued photo ID such as driver’s license or state non-driver’s ID bearing a photograph, and appear in person at the United Nations Pass and Identification Unit, located at 801 United Nations Plaza at the corner of 1st Avenue and East 45th Street. The office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
There is no need to send the oral statement in advance. Division for the Advancement of Women The Division for the Advancement of Women draws attention to its website for detailed information on past and upcoming sessions of the Committee, in particular States that are scheduled to report, as well as for session-specific information addressed to NGOs and others interested in following the Committee’s work (see “Participants Information Note” on the session page).
The Division does not send letters of invitation to NGOs or individuals to attend Committee sessions or pre-session working groups.
The Division makes available reports/information received from NGOs to Committee experts at the beginning of the session/pre-session working group.
The Division does not copy reports/information received from NGOs or distribute such information in advance of Committee sessions or those of the pre-session working group.
NGOs not attending a session/pre-session working group are urged to ensure that the requisite number of hard copies of their reports/information reach the Division in time for the respective session, i.e. at least one week in advance.
NGOs are welcome to email their reports to the Division. However, reports received electronically are made available to experts in a reference file only.
Internet location: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw
