CEDAW mock session

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Vanuatu’s Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women report to the United Nations is in May, so a mock session was held in March at the University of the South Pacific. The session was headed by the Minister for Justice and Social Welfare, who provided the delegation with a rehearsal before they travel to New York in May.

CEDAW representatives from Australia, Fiji and Samoa took on the role of the UN committee in the mock session. Their job was to question the Vanuatu government delegation on the progress of CEDAW in Vanuatu, in line with the actual question session happening in May. The proceedings were extremely helpful in preparing the delegation for the UN session.

The entire session was filmed in order to provide a training resource for other Pacific countries involved in CEDAW presentation preparation.

The CEDAW Vanuatu Government report is divided into 18 articles covering topics such as discrimination against women and equality in law and civil matters.