Chapter IV COMMUNICATIONS CONCERNING THE STATUS OF WOMEN 1. The Commission considered item 4 of its agenda at the 11th meeting (a closed meeting), on 11 March 1998. 2. Pursuant to Economic and Social Council resolution 1983/27, the Commission had established a working group to consider communications concerning the status of women. The following five members, nominated by their regional groups, were appointed: Esmaeil Afshari (Islamic Republic of Iran); Fidel Coloma (Chile); Diénébou Kaba Camara (Côte d’Ivoire); Sissel Salomon (Norway); and Krystyna Zurek (Poland). The Working Group held six meetings. ACTION TAKEN BY THE COMMISSION Report of the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women 3. At the 11th meeting (a closed meeting), on 11 March, the Commission considered the report of the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women (E/CN.6/1998/CRP.6). 4. At the same meeting, the Commission took note of the report of the Working Group and agreed to include it in the report of the Commission. The report of the Working Group is as follows: "1. The Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women was guided in its deliberations by the mandate given in Economic and Social Council resolution 76 (V) of 5 August 1947, as amended by Council resolutions 304 I (XI) of 14 and 17 July 1950 and 1983/27 of 26 May 1983. "2. The Working Group considered the confidential list of communications (E/CN.6/1998/SW/COMM.LIST/32 and Add.1) and the non-confidential list of communications concerning the status of women (E/CN.6/1998/CR.34). "3. The Working Group took note of the nine confidential communications received directly by the Division for the Advancement of Women of the United Nations Secretariat and of the 27 communications that formed the confidential list received by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations Office at Geneva. It also took note of the fact that no confidential communications had been received from other United Nations bodies or specialized agencies. It considered three non-confidential communications. At the request of one Government, the Working Group agreed to postpone consideration of one confidential communication until the forty-third session of the Commission on the Status of Women. "4. Regarding the confidential communications, the Working Group expressed its deep concern in relation to the systematic and grave violation of women’s human rights, including violations of women’s and girls’ rights to security; to life and liberty; to freedom of movement, freedom of thought and freedom of expression; and to the right to assemble. "5. The Working Group was further concerned at the alleged use of massive arbitrary arrest, incommunicado detention, detention of minors, torture, -57-