E/2004/27 E/CN.6/2004/14 2. The Working Group considered the list of confidential communications and replies by Governments (E/CN.6/2004/SW/COMM.LIST/38 and Add.1). There was no list of non-confidential communications concerning the status of women since no such communications had been received by the SecretaryGeneral. 3. The Working Group considered the 15 confidential communications received directly by the Division for the Advancement of Women and the 7 confidential communications received by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning the status of women. The Working Group noted that one communication that had been selected from the 1503 procedure material had also been submitted directly to the Division for the Advancement of Women. It also took note of the fact that no confidential communications concerning the status of women had been received from other United Nations bodies or the specialized agencies. 4. The Working Group noted that there were replies from Governments to 5 of the 15 communications received by the Division for the Advancement of Women directly and replies to 6 of the 7 communications transmitted by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 5. The Working Group recalled its mandate, as defined in paragraph 4 of resolution 1983/27, which states that the Working Group is to meet in closed meetings during each session of the Commission in order that it may perform the following functions: (a) Consideration of all communications, including the replies of Governments thereon, if any, with a view to bringing to the attention of the Commission those communications, including the replies of Governments, which appear to reveal a consistent pattern of reliably attested injustice and discriminatory practices against women; (b) Preparation of a report, based on its analysis of confidential and non-confidential communications, which will indicate the categories in which communications are most frequently submitted to the Commission. 6. The Working Group discerned the following categories in which communications were most frequently submitted to the Commission: (a) Discriminatory application of punishments in law based on sex, including corporal and capital punishment; (b) Sexual violence and threats of sexual violence against women, including rape, perpetrated by State agents such as members of the police and of the armed forces; (c) Violations of the rights of female human rights defenders and women participating in political life, including arbitrary imprisonment, torture, rape and violations of their rights to freedom of expression and assembly; (d) Violations of the rights of women belonging to ethnic or religious minorities, in particular widespread and systematic use of rape involving extreme brutality, sometimes resulting in death, committed with impunity, as well as discrimination against such women, for example in relation to access to health care; 53