E/1999/27 E/CN.6/1999/10 reviewed by a meeting of the States Parties to the Protocol, subject to the approval of the General Assembly; “6. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the staff and facilities necessary for the effective performance of the functions of the Committee under the Protocol after its entry into force; “7. Requests the Secretary-General to include information on the status of the Protocol in her or his regular reports submitted to the General Assembly on the status of the Convention. “Annex “Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women “The States Parties to this Protocol, “Noting that the Charter of the United Nations reaffirms faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women, “Noting that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights4 proclaims that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind, including distinction based on sex, “Recalling that the International Covenants on Human Rights 5 and other international human rights instruments prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, “Also recalling the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women3 (“the Convention”), in which the States Parties thereto condemn discrimination against women in all its forms and agree to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating discrimination against women, “Reaffirming their determination to ensure the full and equal enjoyment by women of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and to take effective action to prevent violations of these rights and freedoms, “Have agreed as follows: “Article 1 “A State Party to this Protocol (“State Party”) recognizes the competence of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (“the Committee”) to receive and consider communications submitted in accordance with article 2. “Article 2 “Communications may be submitted by or on behalf of individuals or groups of individuals, under the jurisdiction of a State Party, claiming to be victims of a violation of any of the rights set forth in the Convention by that State Party. Where a communication is submitted on behalf of individuals or groups of individuals, this shall be with their consent unless the author can justify acting on their behalf without such consent. 4 5 2 General Assembly resolution 217 A (III). General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.