UN Commission on the Status of Women
The Commission
on the Status of Women (CSW) was established as a commission of the Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC) to prepare recommendations and reports on “promoting
women's rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational fields”
and to implement the principles of equal rights between men and women. The
Commission on the Status of Women also makes recommendations on urgent issues
of women’s human rights. Since 2000, the Commission’s mandate
has also included review of the progress made in the implementation of the Beijing
Platform for Action. The Commission
currently consists of 45 members, elected by the Economic and Social Council
The Division
for the Advancement of Women serves both the Commission on the Status of
Women and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW) and coordinates issues of gender mainstreaming
in the United Nations.
Since the 1980’s,
the Commission on the Status of Women has had the authority to receive complaints
on a limited basis. The communication procedure of the Commission on the
Status of Women is different from that under the Optional Protocol
to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,
and leads to a different outcome for the victim or victims. The Commission on the Status
of Women will not make a decision on the merits of a complaint, and thus the
communication procedure does not provide an avenue for the redress of individual
grievances. According to the Commission on the Status of Women, “the purpose
of this communications procedure is to provide information about violations
against women that can assist the Commission in its task of policy formulation
and development of further strategies for the advancement of women.”
The complaint
procedure under the Commission on the Status of Women is also distinct from
the 1503 Procedure which is also created
by the Economic and Social Council. While the 1503 Procedure focuses on gross
human rights violations in specific countries, the complaint procedure under
the CSW “is designed to identify global trends and patterns concerning women’s
rights.” Like the 1503 Procedure, however, the complaint mechanism, functions
more like reporting in that its purpose is to provide information on patterns
of human rights violations and not to redress individual wrongs.
The complaint
mechanism available under the Commission on the Status of Women is summarized
below.
Complaint Mechanism- Commission on the
Status of Women
Type of Mechanism |
Complaint-information procedure |
Scope of the Procedure |
The complaint, or communication, must
either (1) allege a pattern of violations in a particular country or
(2) identify a problem or problems facing women in several countries.
|
Who can Submit a Complaint? |
Individual victims of human rights violations
and individuals who can identify a particular victim(s). |
Role of Advocates |
NGOs may submit complaints but have a
very limited role in the proceedings |
Available Remedies |
No individual remedies. The CSW may
make recommendations to a national government, but has no means of enforcement. |
How to Submit
a Complaint |
There is no formal procedure for submitting
a complaint to the CSW however, the communication must meet a number
of admissibility criteria to be considered:
The complaint must be in writing.
The complaint must allege that a particular State has committed
violations against women.
The complaint must show the existence of a pattern of violations
in a particular country; or identify a problem or problems facing women
in several countries. |
Where to Send Communications |
Commission on the Status of Women
c/o Division for the Advancement of Women,
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
United Nations Secretariat
2 United Nations Plaza, DC-2/12th Floor
New York, NY 10017
USA
Fax: + 41 22 917 9022 |
How the Complaint Procedure Works |
All stages of the communication procedure
are confidential.
Communications should be sent to the Division for the Advancement
of Women, which, in turn, sends acknowledgement to the author that the
communication was received and that it was also sent to the national
government. The national government, however, is not informed of the
identity of the victim, unless the victim wishes it to be known.
The Division for the Advancement of Women, summarizes
all confidential communications as well as government replies in a report
to the CSW. First, a Working Group reviews the report to bring to the
attention of the CSW any communications that “ reveal a
consistent pattern of reliably attested injustice and discriminatory
practices against women.” The Working Group meets in a closed session.
The CSW reviews the Working Group report, also in a closed session,
and may make recommendations to the Economic and Social Council to take
action related to patterns of abuses that are reveled in the communications. |
Advantages/ Disadvantages |
The complaint procedure to the CSW is
a means to provide information to the UN, which may influence policy
formulation on advancing women’s rights.
The CSW cannot provide relief for individuals whose rights have
been violated. |
Adapted in part from Women’s Human Rights Step
by Step, Women Law & Development International and Human Rights Watch
Women’s Rights Project (1997).
Additional Resources
The Division for the
Advancement of Women website includes general information about the Commission
on the Status of Women, the functions of the Commission and links to specific
sessions.
The communications
procedure for the Commission on the Status of Women is also described
in more detail on the website for the Division for the Advancement of Women.
Further explanations of the United Nations Complaint Procedures may
also be found on UN
Fact Sheet 7. Most UN
Fact Sheets can be accessed on the web.