On the occasion of its 58th session, to be held in Geneva from 30 June to 18 July 2014, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women will hold a half-day general discussion on girls’/women’s right to education (article 10 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women). The general discussion will be organized by OHCHR with support from UNICEF.
The aim of the half-day general discussion is to commence the Committee’s process of elaborating a "General Recommendation on girls’/women’s right to education". The purpose of the general recommendation is to provide appropriate and authoritative guidance to States parties to the Convention on the measures to be adopted with a view to ensuring full compliance with their obligations under article 10 of the Convention to respect, protect and fulfil the right of women and girls to education.
Date and Venue
The general discussion will take place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Conference Room XVI, on Monday, 7 July 2014, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Participation
The Committee invites States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, United Nations entities and specialized agencies, United Nations and regional human rights mechanisms, non-governmental organizations and other interested organizations and individuals to participate in the general discussion and provide written contributions.
Written contributions
Written contributions on the theme of the general discussion should be sent electronically in Word format to Mr. Lukas Machon (email: [email protected]) indicating "General discussion on the right to education" in the subject. Submissions should not exceed 10 pages and should be received by 20 June 2014 at the latest. Written contributions will not be translated and should therefore be submitted in English, French or Spanish, the working languages of the Secretariat.
Oral interventions
During the half-day general discussion, time will be allocated for oral statements. Representatives of States parties to the CEDAW Convention, United Nations entities and specialized agencies, non-governmental organizations and other interested organizations wishing to make a statement on the right to education in the context of article 10 of the Convention should indicate their intention to do so and send their statement electronically in Word format to Mr. Lukas Machon (email: [email protected]) by 20 June 2014 at the latest. Statements must not exceed 3 minutes. Speakers are requested to provide 15 hard copies of their statements for interpretation purposes to Ms. Irene del Pilar Sandoval (Room A-541 – to be confirmed) on the day of the general discussion prior to 9:30 am. Although the Committee will try to accommodate all requests to make an oral intervention, it cannot guarantee that all speakers will be able to do so, given the time constraints and the pending number of such requests. The Committee also reserves the right to organize the list of speakers.
How to register
In order to register, all individuals must fill-out and submit the “Conference Registration Form” (http://goo.gl/261iF). This form must include the full title of the institution, school or other relevant affiliation (under “Delegation/Participant of Country/Organization or Agency”); the name of the applicant and date of birth; the country of issuance of the passport or national identity document, including the passport or document number and the date of validity; address, telephone number, and e-mail, as well as the address in Geneva and official occupation of the applicant. The form, which must also be dated, should be submitted by e-mail to [email protected], with a copy to [email protected], no later than 20 June 2014 so that arrangements can be made for the issuance of ground passes to enter the United Nations premises. Representatives who submit forms after the deadline or that are illegible or incomplete may not be registered. In the new form, persons with disabilities attending the event can identify their needs, as explained in the guidance note (http://goo.gl/g6f6Gh).
To receive the ground pass, all applicants, in addition to sending the form by e-mail to [email protected], with a copy to [email protected], are required to bring the signed original of the Conference Registration Form, a valid passport or government issued ID bearing a photograph, and appear in person at the United Nations Pass and Identification Unit, located at the Prégny Gate, United Nations Office at Geneva, Avenue de la Paix 8-14, Geneva, Switzerland. The office hours are 8.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday through Friday.
Please note that confirmation of registration will be provided by e-mail just prior to 7 July 2014.
Further information
For further information on the general discussion, kindly contact the Secretariat of the Committee by e-mail at: [email protected].
Documentation