Gender Equality Commission (DECS-GEC)

 

Set up by the Committee of Ministers under Article 17 of the Statute of the Council of Europe and in accordance with Resolution CM/Res(2011)24 on intergovernmental committees and subordinate bodies, their terms of reference and working methods.

 

Type of committee: Subordinate body

 

Terms of reference valid from: 1 January 2016 until 31 December 2017

 

Main tasks

 

Under the supervision of the European Committee for Social Cohesion, Human Dignity and Equality (CDDECS), the DECS-GEC will conduct the intergovernmental work in the field of gender equality assigned to it by the Committee of Ministers. The DECS-GEC will:

 

  1. ensure that a gender perspective is maintained in the activities of  all committees and bodies of the Organisation;
  2. conduct needs’ assessments and provide advice on the development of standards, co-operation and monitoring activities within its field of competence;
  3. provide expertise to member States on the development of legislation, policies, practice, training schemes and awareness material to support implementation of internationally agreed standards at national level; and facilitate exchange of experience and good practice;
  4. support the implementation of the Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy (2014-2017);
  5. support governments, parliaments, local authorities, civil society and private sector for the purposes of achieving real change on gender equality in member States;
  6. identify a topic of particular relevance in the field of gender equality and organise a thematic conference to exchange experience, good practices and facilitate progress on this topic;
  7. advise, through the CDDECS, the Committee of Ministers and the Secretary General on appropriate action to be taken and likewise provide advice as requested on such questions as may arise;
  8. engage in co-ordination and joint planning at international level with the European Union, UN Women and other intergovernmental organisations and civil society;
  9. in accordance with decisions CM/Del/Dec(2013)1168/10.2 of the Committee of Ministers, carry out, at regular intervals, within the limits of the available resources and bearing in mind its priorities, an examination of some or all of the conventions for which it has been given responsibility, in co-operation, where appropriate, with the relevant convention-based bodies, and report back to the Committee of Ministers.

 

Pillar/Sector/Programme

 

Pillar: Human Rights

Sector: Promoting Human Rights and Dignity

Programme: Equality and Diversity

 

Expected results

 

  1. gender equality remains a visible priority for the Organisation (internal and external);
  2. the 2009 Madrid Declaration and the 2010 Baku Action Plan are being implemented; Council of Europe continues to contribute towards the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action;
  3. the Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy (2014-2017) is being implemented;
  4. the implementation of gender equality standards at national level is enhanced;
  5. Council of Europe gender equality standards and activities are promoted at national and international level;
  6. coherence, synergies and cooperation with other regional and international organisations on gender equality are promoted;
  7. combating all forms of violence against women and domestic violence is included on the political agendas of the Council of Europe member States and beyond; public awareness is raised in general, victims are supported and perpetrators are prosecuted;
  8. the implementation of relevant Committee of Ministers’ recommendations is reviewed;
  9. the visibility of the Council of Europe’s standards is enhanced at United Nations level;
  10. cooperation with relevant UN agencies, namely UN Women and relevant UN Special Rapporteurs and participation in relevant meetings (UN Commission on the Status of Women, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Human Rights Council, events and conferences organised by UN Women), the World Bank, the OAS, the OSCE, the OECD as well as at the European Union level, by co-operation with the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), with the aim of strengthening equality and enhancing women’s rights as an integral part of universal human rights.

 

Composition

 

Members:

 

Governments of member States are invited to designate one or more representatives of the government of the highest possible rank in the field of gender equality.

The Council of Europe will bear the travel and subsistence expenses of one representative from each member State. Member States may send other representatives without defrayal of expenses.

Each member of the Commission shall have one vote. Where a government designates more than one member, only one of them is entitled to take part in the voting.

 

Participants:
 

The following may send representatives, without the right to vote and at the charge of their corresponding administrative budgets:

 

  • Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe;
  • Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe;
  • European Court of Human Rights;
  • Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights;
  • Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe;
  • Committees or other bodies of the Council of Europe engaged in related work, as appropriate.

 

The following may send representatives, without the right to vote and without defrayal of expenses:

 

  • European Union (one or more representatives, including, as appropriate, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE));
  • Observer States to the Council of Europe: Canada, Holy See, Japan, Mexico, United States of America;
  • Representatives of other international organisations: Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) (including ODIHR), United Nations (including UN-Women and other relevant UN agencies), and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

 

Observers:

 

The following may send representatives, without the right to vote and without defrayal of expenses:

 

  • Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, European Women’s Lobby and WAVE (Women against Violence in Europe).

 

Representatives of Morocco, Jordan and Tunisia may participate as observers in the parts of the meetings when discussing issues of relevance to the implementation of the Neighbourhood Partnership.

 


Working methods

 

Meetings:

 

47 members, 2 meetings in 2016, 2.5 days

 

47 members, 2 meetings in 2017, 2.5 days

The Gender Equality Commission is an integral part of the Council of Europe Transversal Programme on Gender Equality. With a view to fulfilling its main tasks, the GEC will maintain close links with other elements of the Transversal Programme.

 

The Gender Equality Commission will engage in a regular exchange of views with Gender Equality Rapporteurs appointed by the respective steering committees and/or monitoring bodies of the Council of Europe.

 

The rules of procedure of the Committee are governed by Resolution CM/Res(2011)24 on intergovernmental committees and subordinate bodies, their terms of reference and working methods.

 

The Chair or Vice–Chair of DECS-GEC may be invited to attend the meetings of the CDDECS and its Bureau in order to inform them on progress with its work.

 

 

Budgetary information

 

2016

 

Meetings

per year

Number

of days

Members

 

Plenary

Bureau

Subordinate structures/
Working groups

Secretariat
(A, B)

2

2.5

47

 

 

 

 

 

2017

 

Meetings

per year

Number

of days

Members

 

Plenary

Bureau

Subordinate structures/
Working groups

Secretariat
(A, B)

2

2.5

47

 

 

 

 

 


Appendix 1 - Relevant decision of the Committee of Ministers and list of Conventions

 

CM/Del/Dec(2013)1168/10.2 (Review of Council of Europe conventions – Report by the Secretary General)

 

9.[The Deputies] instructed the steering and ad hoc committees to carry out, at regular intervals, within the limits of the available resources and bearing in mind the priorities of each committee, an examination of some or all of the conventions for which they have been given responsibility, in co-operation, where appropriate, with the relevant convention-based bodies, in order to:

 

-propose ways of improving the visibility, impact and efficiency of some or all of the conventions for which they have been given responsibility;

 

-draw the attention of member States to the relevant conventions;

 

-where necessary, identify any operational problems or obstacles to ratification of the relevant conventions, and draw the attention of member States to reservations which impact substantively on the effectiveness of their implementation;

 

-encourage States to regularly examine the possibility and/or desirability of becoming a Party to new Council of Europe conventions;

 

-assess the necessity or advisability of drafting amendments or additional protocols to the conventions for which they have been given responsibility or drafting supplementary conventions;

 

-and to report back to the Committee of Ministers;

 

DECS-GEC

197

Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings

210

Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence