International Women's Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) Asia Pacific facilitates the participation of women in the CEDAW review process through the programme “From Global to Local”. They assist women’s organisations in preparing shadow/alternative reports and facilitate the presence and effective intervention by NGOs at the CEDAW sessions. Here is how you can take part in the process.

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Dear friends and colleagues,

Warm greetings from IWRAW Asia Pacific.

We are writing to alert you that the following countries have been tentatively scheduled to report to the CEDAW Committee at the 45th CEDAW session, which will be held in January 2010.

Countries reporting the 45th CEDAW session, in 2010:

Egypt

Panama

Uzbekistan

United Arab Emirates

Netherlands

Malawi

Botswana

Ukraine

Request: If you know of women’s groups in these countries who are interested in engaging with the CEDAW review process and submitting an alternative report, please let us know as soon as possible. Write us on global2local@list.iwraw-ap.org ; cedaw4change@list.iwraw-ap.org

The “From Global to Local” programme:

IWRAW Asia Pacific facilitates the participation of women in the CEDAW review process through the programme “From Global to Local”. This is done by :

(1) Assisting women’s organisations in preparing shadow / alternative reports that touches on all of the Articles of the CEDAW Convention and in using the CEDAW reporting process to frame their advocacy efforts; and

(2) Facilitating the presence and effective intervention by NGOs at the CEDAW session, by monitoring the review of their government and impacting on the outcome of the review (the Concluding Comments) through raising pertinent issues and information with the CEDAW Committee.

Alert regarding the Pre-Session:

You should note in particular, that NGOs have the opportunity to submit information for the upcoming Pre-Session, which is being held from 9 – 13 February 2009. NGOs can submit their alternative report or a list of critical issues and questions they want to CEDAW Committee to raise with their government – submissions must be made by 26 January 2009 to the CEDAW secretariat (the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights) at cedaw@ohchr.orr (with a cc to iwraw-ap@iwraw-ap.org).

Please do share this with your networks, and let us know if you know of any groups interested in participating in the CEDAW review process.

We hope that you will be able to assist us with this request. Many thanks in advance for your time and assistance.

Best regards,

Lee Wei San

Programme Officer International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific

80-B, Jalan Bangsar

59200 Kuala Lumpur

MALAYSIA

Telephone: (603) 2282 2255

Fax: (603) 2283 2552

Email: iwraw-ap@iwraw-ap.org, iwraw_ap@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.iwraw-ap.org

International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific) is an international organisation based in the South that plays a critical role in filling the gap between the promise of women's human rights embodied in human rights treaties, and their actual realisation at the national level. This involves mobilising women's groups at all levels to draw accountability from governments on the domestic application of human rights standards. This is done primarily through the lens of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and other international human rights treaties. Established in 1993, IWRAW Asia Pacific currently works throughout South and Southeast Asia and over 100 countries globally. For further information see our website, http://www.iwraw-ap.org.