A/HRC/20/28
C.
Country visits
38.
The Working Group agreed to conduct two to three country visits each year. The
members see such visits as an opportunity to deepen dialogue with Member States and to
collect first-hand information on laws and practices that discriminate against women. In
addition, such visits offer the opportunity to identify good practices in eliminating
discriminatory laws and to better understand the contexts in which they occur and flourish.
39.
The Working Group decided that country visits would be undertaken, to the extent
possible, by the Chairperson-Rapporteur together with another member of the Working
Group from the region where the country visit takes place. Members of the Working Group
seek to avoid conducting official visits in their country of origin. As per standard practice,
the final composition of the delegation will be communicated to the Government concerned
prior to the visit.
D.
Communications
40.
The Group will use communications with Governments and other actors in a spirit
of soliciting dialogue on issues falling within its mandate. Relevant information may be
submitted to the Working Group by a State, State organ, intergovernmental or nongovernmental organization (NGO), or any other organization or individual. The Working
Group will review the information with a view to taking appropriate action. It intends to
develop a form to facilitate the submission by anyone of information related to cases or
situations of discrimination against women in law and in practice.
E.
1.
Engagement with stakeholders
Member States
41.
The Working Group intends to develop and maintain a constructive dialogue with
States and will seek full engagement of States from all regions on issues relevant to its
mandate. This dialogue will take the form of consultations, letters soliciting information on
good practices in thematic areas it has identified, and the dissemination of questionnaires
on specific issues of concern.
2.
United Nations and other international organizations
42.
The Working Group aims to build constructive partnerships with United Nations and
other international organizations. At its first session, the members heard briefings from a
range of United Nations entities and other international organizations, including the ILO,
the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in
Conflict, the Economic Commission for Europe, the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) and the World Health Organization, as well as the International Organization for
Migration and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and engaged in preliminary discussions
in relation to possible areas of focus for the Working Group. The Working Group also had
the opportunity to meet informally with the Executive Director of UN-Women to discuss
potential areas of cooperation and support by UN-Women. At its second and third sessions,
the Working Group again engaged in dialogue with the ILO, IPU and UNRISD on its 2012
theme of political and public life and its 2013 theme of economic and social life. At its third
session, it held a meeting with UNHCR on the issue of gender discrimination, nationality
and statelessness.
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