E/2002/27 E/CN.6/2002/13 Chapter IV Communications concerning the status of women 1. The Commission considered agenda item 4 at its 7th, 10th (closed), 11th (closed), 13th (closed), 14th, 15th (closed) and 16th meetings on 7, 13, 14, 15 and 25 March 2002. It had before it the report of the Secretary-General assessing the implications of the reforms of mechanisms in the human rights area (1503 procedure) for communications concerning the status of women (E/CN.6/2002/12) and a note by the Secretary-General transmitting the confidential list of communications concerning the status of women (E/CN.6/2002/S.W. Communications List No. 36). 2. The Commission established a working group to consider, under agenda item 4, communications concerning the status of women, pursuant to Economic and Social Council resolution 1983/27. The following five members, nominated by their regional groups, were appointed to the working group: Mostafa Alaei (Islamic Republic of Iran) Paul J. A. M. Peters (Netherlands) Audra Plepytė (Lithuania) Connie Taracena Secaira (Guatemala) Séraphine Toé (Burkina Faso) 3. At its 7th meeting, on 7 March, the Commission held a discussion on the report of the Secretary-General contained in document E/CN.6/2002/12 and heard an introductory statement by the Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women. 4. At the same meeting, statements were made by the representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran, China, Cuba, Malaysia, Egypt, Argentina, the United States of America, Indonesia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Turkey, Tunisia, Pakistan and the Russian Federation and the observers for the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Canada, India, the Syrian Arab Republic, Spain (on behalf of the European Union), Australia, Nigeria, Iraq and Algeria. 5. The Chief of the Human Resources Unit of the Division for the Advancement of Women responded to questions raised during the discussion. Action taken by the Commission Communications concerning the status of women: communications procedure 6. At the 14th meeting, on 15 March, the Vice-Chairperson of the Commission, Birgit Stevens (Belgium) introduced a draft decision, which was circulated in an informal paper and submitted by her on the basis of informal consultations held on agenda item 4. 7. At the same meeting, the Commission recommended the adoption of the draft decision (for the text, see chap. I, sect. B, draft decision II). 8. After the adoption of the draft decision, the observer for India made a statement. 47