Stage 5: Views, recommendations and follow-up

Step 7: The CEDAW Committee arrives at views and recommendations on the communication

Once the CEDAW Committee has had a chance to deliberate on the communication, it will arrive at its final views about this. If it finds that the State party had engaged in the violations alleged in the communication, the committee will make recommendations to the relevant State party regarding its obligations to remedy this situation. The kinds of recommendations that the CEDAW Committee may make, include:

• Restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, or any other remedies for the victim(s);
• Steps to end ongoing violations against the victim(s);
• Law reform and changes in policies, programmes and policies that are in violation of the CEDAW Convention; and/or
• Steps to prevent the repetition of the violation.

Article 7(3) [Rule 72]* mandates the CEDAW Committee to transmit its views and recommendations to the concerned parties to the communication.

Step 8: The State party responds to views and recommendations of the CEDAW Committee

Once the views and recommendations of the CEDAW Committee have been transmitted to the State party, Article 7(4) [Rule 73]* mandates that the relevant State party must take “due consideration” of this. In addition, within six months the State party must submit to the CEDAW Committee a written response to these views and recommendations including any relevant action that has been taken.

Step 9 (Discretionary): The CEDAW Committee requests the State party for a follow-up response to its views and recommendations

In addition to the State party’s written response to its views and recommendations regarding the communication, Article 7(5) [Rule 73]* allows the CEDAW Committee, at its discretion, to request the State party to submit further information about the measures that it Party has taken in response to the committee’s views and recommendations.

• Reporting obligation under Article 18:
  Under Article 18’s reporting obligation, the Committee may ask the State to give updates on measures taken in light of the Committee’s earlier expressed views and recommendations.

 

Note: * These refer to the Rules of Procedure.