IV. GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED BY
THE COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN
Fourteenth session (1995)*
General recommendation No. 22: Amending article 20 of the Convention
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women,
Noting that the States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women, at the request of the General Assembly, will meet during 1995 to
consider amending article 20 of the Convention,
Recalling its previous decision, taken at its tenth session, to ensure effectiveness in its
work and prevent the building up of an undesirable backlog in the consideration of reports of
States parties,
Recalling that the Convention is one of the international human rights instruments that has
been ratified by the largest number of States parties,
Considering that the articles of the Convention address the fundamental human rights of
women in all aspects of their daily lives and in all areas of society and the State,
Concerned about the workload of the Committee as a result of the growing number of
ratifications, in addition to the backlog of reports pending consideration, as reflected in annex I,
Concerned also about the long lapse of time between the submission of reports of States
parties and their consideration, resulting in the need for States to provide additional information
for updating their reports,
Bearing in mind that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
is the only human rights treaty body whose meeting time is limited by its Convention, and that it
has the shortest duration of meeting time of all the human rights treaty bodies, as reflected in
annex II,
Noting that the limitation on the duration of sessions, as contained in the Convention has
become a serious obstacle to the effective performance by the Committee of its functions under
the Convention,
1.
Recommends that the States parties favourably consider amending article 20 of the
Convention in respect of the meeting time of the Committee, so as to allow it to meet annually
for such duration as is necessary for the effective performance of its functions under the
Convention, with no specific restriction except for that which the General Assembly shall
decide;
*
Contained in document A/50/38.