Government of Georgia preparing the periodic report to CEDAW Committee
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UN Women in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Inter-Agency Commission on Gender Equality, Violence against Women and Domestic Violence facilitated the discussion with CSOs and development partners preceding the submission of Georgia’s sixth periodic report to CEDAW.
Due to the resignation of Prime Minister Kvirikashvili’s cabinet, the report will reach the CEDAW Committee a few weeks behind the set deadline of 2 July 2018. Irina Bartaia, Head of the International Law Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, underlined that the current report is the first to be submitted in full compliance with the 2016 changes made to the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Georgia (#5574). Among other directives, the new amendments oblige the Government to share with Parliament any draft report to relevant UN treaty bodies for its review and clearance prior to submission. At the 5 July meeting, therefore, it was underlined that along with the Human Rights Committee of the Parliament, the Gender Equality Council of the Parliament will play a critical role in facilitating intra-parliamentary discussion of the draft governmental report to CEDAW.
Representatives of women’s CSOs and women’s rights activists commended the Government on its openness to dialogue, at the same time noting that the report provides an overview of activities, rather than higher-level outcomes in the advancement of women’s rights. Some NGOs expected to see more elaborate reporting on the 2014 Concluding Observations concerning, for the first time, the recognition of the human rights concerns of LBTI women in Georgia.
The Inter-Agency Commission on Gender Equality, Violence against Women and Domestic Violence will consolidate the feedback from CSOs in close cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a member of the Inter-Agency Commission.
To further enhance Georgia’s sixth periodic report to CEDAW, UN Women plans to support women’s CSOs in the development of an alternative report as well as facilitate the development and submission of the UN Country Team’s confidential shadow report to CEDAW.