93rd Session of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
5 – 30 October 2026 (dates to be confirmed)
IWRAW Asia Pacific is an NGO that supports the CEDAW Committee and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in facilitating the participation of women’s rights organisations in the CEDAW review process.
Angola, Cabo Verde, Cook Islands, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Paraguay, Republic of Moldova, and Togo are scheduled for review at the 93rd CEDAW session, which is tentatively scheduled for 5-30 October 2026. Please note that there may be changes to the schedule and/or modalities, owing also to the current liquidity situation of the United Nations Secretariat. Please check the official session page for up-to-date information.
The 93rd session will also be merged with the Pre-Session Working Group for Bangladesh, Barbados, Burundi, Guinea, Haiti, Jordan, Mali, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nigeria, and the Russian Federation.
The CEDAW review process provides women’s rights organisations, feminist groups, and NGOs with a vital opportunity to highlight key issues affecting women and girls, and to advocate for stronger implementation of the Convention at the national-level.
NGO Participation in the 93rd Session
It is essential for NGOs to engage directly with the CEDAW Committee to ensure that women’s lived realities are reflected in the Committee’s constructive dialogue and concluding observations.
There are several ways NGOs can participate in the 93rd session:
Submit a Shadow Report to the CEDAW Committee
NGOs are encouraged to submit shadow reports providing independent information on their State’s progress and remaining challenges in implementing CEDAW.
Submission Guidelines:
- Reports must be submitted as a Word document through the CEDAW online submission system: https://events.ohchr.org/
- Reports should be written in one of the working languages of the Committee (English, French, or Spanish).
- The word limitis 3,300 words, or 6,600 words for coalition reports (including footnotes).
- Please refer to IWRAW Asia Pacific’s website for guidance on preparing shadow reports, including thematic and issue-specific submissions.
- Access IWRAW Asia Pacific’s shadow report guidelines here.
Deadline: The exact deadline for NGO submissions will be confirmed by OHCHR closer to the session. However, organisations are encouraged to prepare their reports for submission by 5 September 2026.
Engaging with the CEDAW Committee at the 93rd Session
IWRAW Asia Pacific will facilitate NGO participation and engagement during the session, including:
- CEDAW93NGO Coordination Meeting
- CEDAW93 NGO informal meetings (public and private briefings with the CEDAW Committee)
- From Global to Local Programme – capacity-building and orientation sessions to support advocacy during the session
Further details on NGO participation, registration, and logistics will be shared once confirmed.
Spread the Word
We invite you to share this information widely among women’s rights organisations, feminist networks, and civil society groups engaged in advancing gender equality and women’s human rights.
If your organisation, collective, or coalition is preparing a shadow report for the 92nd session, please reach out to the IWRAW Asia Pacific team for guidance and coordination support at iwraw-ap@iwraw-ap.org, with a copy to vashti@iwraw-ap.org.