United States of America

Specialized bodies - Gender equality

• Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission January 2008
• Committee on Foreign Affairs, sub-committee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights & International Organizations January 1981

Committee on Foreign Affairs, sub-committee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights & International Organizations January 1981

About

Nature

Permanent or temporary (ad-hoc)

View field in the data dictionary

Permanent

See historical data for this field

Related to Chambers

House of Representatives

Themes

Human rights

Gender equality

Members

Chairperson(s)

(2023-01)

See historical data for this field

Person

Person details for the Chair

View field in the data dictionary

Karen Bass (Female)
Date of birth: 03 Oct 1953

Political affiliation

Majority

Person

Person details for the Chair

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Christopher Smith (Male)
Date of birth: 04 Mar 1953

Political affiliation

Opposition

Committee functions

The Committee has the following functions:

Mainstream human rights into the work of (other) parliamentary committees and of Parliament as a whole

No information available

Mainstream gender equality into the work of (other) parliamentary committees and of Parliament as a whole

No information available

Scrutinise all Bills for their compatibility with human rights

No information available

Scrutinise all Bills from a gender perspective

No information available

Scrutinise the Executive’s policy for compatibility with human rights

Yes

Scrutinise the Executive’s policy from a gender perspective

No information available

Obtain information from the Executive about the justification for actions or inaction which affect human rights

No information available

Obtain information from the Executive about the justification for actions or inaction which affect gender equality and women’s rights

No information available

Scrutinise State compliance with existing UN human rights treaties

Yes

Scrutinise State compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

No information available

Initiate inquiries of its own choosing

Yes

Scrutinise proposed human rights treaties, and other international treaties with implications for human rights, and report to Parliament thereon, prior to ratification

Yes

Scrutinise proposed treaties on gender equality, and other international treaties with implications for gender equality and women’s rights, and report to Parliament thereon, prior to ratification

No information available

Ascertain and review the Executive’s reasons for not acceding to or ratifying existing international human rights treaties

Yes

Ascertain and review the Executive’s reasons for not acceding to or ratifying existing international human rights treaties on gender equality and women’s rights

No information available

Scrutinise the Executive’s response to judgments of national, regional and international courts with implications for human rights

Yes

Scrutinise the Executive’s response to human rights judgments - of national, regional and international courts – that have gender considerations

No information available

Monitor the adequacy of the existing national system for the protection of human rights

No information available

Monitor the adequacy of the existing national system for the promotion of gender equality

No information available

Review the allocation and expenditure of funds in the State budget to support measures to promote and protect human rights

Yes

Review the allocation and expenditure of funds in the State budget to support measures to promote gender equality and protect women’s rights

No information available

Other important functions, please specify

No information available

Committee involvement in international and national reporting mechanisms

Such as the UN Human Rights Council and its' Universal Periodic Review, the UN CEDAW Committee etc.

Consulted in the preparation of national report to the UN Human Rights Council

No information available

Consulted in the preparation of the most recent national report to the CEDAW Committee

No information available

Included in the official delegation which orally presented the most recent national report to the Council

No information available

Included in the official delegation which orally presented the most recent national report to the CEDAW Committee

No information available

Discussed the conclusions and recommendations which the Council adopted as a result

No information available

Discussed the conclusions and recommendations which the CEDAW Committee adopted as a result

No information available

Conducted hearings with the Executive about its plans to implement CEDAW conclusions and recommendations

No information available

Conducted hearings with the Executive about its plans to implement the conclusions and recommendations of the Human Rights Council

No information available

Involved in the preparation of national reports to other international or regional mechanisms (Resolution 1325 of the United Nations Security Council on Women, peace and security, the Beijing Platform for action…)

No information available

Committee powers

The Committee has the power to:

Propose amendments to legislation

Yes

Introduce bills into Parliament

Yes

Initiate parliamentary debates on its reports or on subjects of its choosing

No information available

Carry out inquiries

Yes

Hold oral evidence hearings

Yes

Compel witnesses to attend

Yes

Compel the production of documents and papers

Yes

Make recommendations to the Executive

No information available

Conduct visits, including visits abroad

Yes

Access places of detention without notice

No information available

Committee working methods

The Committee:

Adopts an annual or longer-term work plan

Yes

Publishes reports on its work on the parliamentary website

No information available

Usually reaches consensus on the issues on which it reports

No information available

Systematically follows up its reports and recommendations

No information available

Reports regularly to Parliament on its activities

Yes

Number of specialised staff to service committee

3

Cooperation and coordination

The Committee regularly cooperates and coordinates (e.g. through sharing of reports; meetings; joint follow-up action) with:

Other parliamentary committees

Often

Civil society organisations

Often

National Human Rights Institution(s)

Often called “Commissions” and/or “Ombudspersons” in the area of human rights

View field in the data dictionary

No information available

National Human Rights Institution(s) and National Institution(s) for the promotion of gender equality

Often called “Commissions” and/or “Ombudspersons” in the area of human rights

View field in the data dictionary

No information available

Academic institutions, including research institutes on human rights and the rule of law

Often

Academic institutions, including human rights and gender equality research institutes

No information available

The media

Often

Contact information for the Committee

Contact / Address

No information available

Phone

+1 (202) 225-5021

Fax number

No information available

E-mail

No information available

Web site

https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/subcommittee/africa-global-health-global-human-rights-and-international-organizations/