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Introduction

Committee

The Mechanism to Follow Up on the Implementation of the Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women (MESECVI) was created in 2004 as the continuous and independent evaluation process to oversee the implementation of the Belém do Pará Convention. It was developed by states parties through the work of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), which revealed states were not achieving the agreements laid out in the Convention.

MESECVI consists of multiple bodies that work to ensure states fulfil the agreed provisions of the Belém do Pará Convention. These bodies include:

  • The Conference of States Parties: a political body of states parties representatives (Competent National Authorities (CNAs) who discuss national reports and adopt hemispheric reports produced by the Committee of Experts.
  • The Committee of Experts (CEVI): a technical body of independent experts who develop a matrix of indicators to be distributed to states parties on the implementation of the Convention,review their responses and elaborate recommendations in the national and hemispheric reports
  • The Technical Secretariat: responsible for the strategic and administrative operation of MESECVI
  • Civil Society: elaborate shadow reports ton help the Committee of Experts in their evaluation on the implementation of the Convention by States Parties

Together, these bodies carry out a states reporting procedure that is accomplished through: 1. a multilateral evaluation round that individually assesses state performance in relation to the Convention’s implementation; and 2. the production of a hemispheric report on regional progress toward eliminating violence against women.

The Committee of Experts (CEVI) is responsible for the analysis and evaluation of the implementation of the Belém do Pará Convention. It is responsible for (Article 3, Rules of Procedure of the CEVI, MESECVI):

  • Adopting an annual work plan and methodology for each multilateral evaluation round, for which the Secretariat will develop a draft in conformity with the provisions contained in Article 7.a of these Rules
  • Selecting, from among the provisions of the Convention, those whose implementation by all of the states parties shall be reviewed, in particular in Articles 7 and 8
  • Determining the length of time it shall devote to this task, which shall be known as a “round”
  • Adopting a questionnaire on the provisions selected for review in each round
  • Adopting evaluation reports in regard to each of the states parties (country reports) and a hemispheric report at the end of each round and submitting them to the Conference, pursuant to Article 6.2 of the Statute
  • Promoting and facilitating cooperation among the states parties and civil society organisations and with international organisations and cooperation agencies, within the framework of the Convention
  • Adopting a yearly activity report, which shall be forwarded to the Conference
  • Reviewing periodically the operation of the MESECVI and propose such recommendations as it deems pertinent to the Conference. j. Request assistance and guidance from the Conference when it considers it necessary in order to fulfil its responsibilities
  • Approving the form to be used for follow-up of implementation of the recommendations to countries
  • Formulating recommendations, as deemed relevant, to the states party, so that they may adopt the measures necessary to support the human rights of women when specific situations warrant a special pronouncement. To this effect, the Technical Secretariat will submit the relevant information
  • Elaborating on thematic reports when agreed by the Committee of Experts
  • Requesting assistance and guidance from the Conference when it considers it necessary in order to fulfil its responsibilities
  • Determining the composition of subgroups to analyse the information received from the states parties they have been assigned to review

iconLockWant more? Read the full rules of procedure for MESECVI

How does it help tackle violence against women?

States Reporting Procedure 

As the follow-up mechanism to the Belém do Pará Convention, MESECVI is a key body in tackling violence against women throughout the Americas. Through MESECVI’s states reporting procedure, CEVI is able to raise awareness of violence against women at two levels: national and regional. At the national level, CEVI’s engagement with states parties, via CNAs (“competent national authorities”), identifies state-specific challenges to tackling gender-based violence. After identifying the relevant state’s challenges, it then issue recommendations to address them.

At the regional level, through the assistance of the Secretariat, CEVI compiles all member state information into a comprehensive hemispheric report on violence against women in the Americas. By delivering this report to the Conference of States Parties first and the General Assembly afterwards, MESECVI raises awareness of the multi-dimensional factors that contribute to violence against women throughout the region. This information can then inform policy-making decisions at the OAS.

iconLockWant more? MESECVI publishes its hemispheric reports in an interactive database

iconStarCivil Society Engagement: Parallel Reports/Shadow Reports

The MESECVI process (carried out by CEVI) provides CSOs an opportunity to raise awareness on the causes and consequences of VAW, and identify specific barriers to eliminating it. When a State comes under review, civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations working within the field of tackling VAW are invited to submit information on the relevant state’s implementation of the Belém do Pará Convention. By engaging with this process, CSOs helps CEVI develop region-specific VAW indicators and monitor state compliance with the Belém do Pará Convention.

The MESECVI process operations through a multi-lateral evaluation round and follow-up round. During each round there is an opportunity for CSOs to submit parallel reports on a state’s implementation of the Belém do Pará Convention (during the multi-lateral evaluation round) and on state’s implementation of CEVI’s recommendations (during the follow-up round).

Contact Information

MESECVI
1889 F Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
United States of America

Tel. +1 (202)458-6084
mesecvi@oas.org  

iconLockWant more? A directory of CSOs currently working with MESECVI can be found online


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