III. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS, CONTINUED

ICCPR

•          Russian Federation, ICCPR, A/59/40 vol. I (2003) 20 at para. 64(21).

(21) The Committee is concerned that journalists, researchers and environmental activists have been tried and convicted on treason charges, essentially for having disseminated information of legitimate public interest, and that in some cases where the charges were not proven, the courts have referred the matter back to prosecutors instead of dismissing the charges.

The State party should ensure that no one is subjected to criminal charges or conviction for carrying out legitimate journalistic or investigative scientific work, within the terms covered by article 19 of the Covenant.

ICESCR

•          China, ICESCR, E/2006/22 (2005) 25 at paras. 168 and 197.

168. The Committee notes with deep concern the restrictions placed on access to information with regard to academic research, foreign and domestic publications and the Internet.

...

197. The Committee urges the State party to remove restrictions on freedom of information and expression in the State party, to enable all persons under its jurisdiction to take part in cultural life, enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications, and benefit from the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he or she is the author.

CEDAW

•          Sri Lanka, CEDAW, A/57/38 part I (2002) 31 at paras. 280 and 281.

280. Despite the progress in education for women and girls, the Committee is concerned about the underrepresentation of women in engineering and technology-related courses in tertiary education.

281. The Committee urges the State party to take all necessary measures to increase the representation of women in engineering and technology-related courses in tertiary education.

•          Canada, CEDAW, A/58/38 part I (2003) 53 at para. 343.

343. The Committee expresses satisfaction to the State party with the efforts undertaken in some provincial jurisdictions in order to increase the number of female students in the technical and scientific disciplines at the universities.

•          Bhutan, CEDAW, A/59/38 part I (2004) 21 at paras. 113 and 114.

113. While welcoming the significant progress achieved in the increase in the enrolment rate in primary education, where girls now constitute 45 per cent of the enrolled students, the Committee is concerned about the low participation of girls and women in secondary and tertiary education, including in technology- and science-related courses.

114. The Committee encourages the State party to continue its efforts to close the gender gap in primary education and to take all necessary measures to increase the number of women in secondary and tertiary education in the country, including in technology- and science-related courses, in order to ensure that girls and women are accorded an equal opportunity to study, develop and benefit from science and technology...

•          Germany, CEDAW, A/59/38 part I (2004) 62 at paras. 396 and 397.

396. While appreciating that women’s participation in political life has exceeded the critical threshold of 30 per cent, the Committee is concerned that women are underrepresented in the higher echelons of several other sectors of public life, particularly in the civil service, the diplomatic service, science and research and academia.

397. The Committee calls on the State party to take steps to facilitate increased access of women to high-level positions. It recommends the adoption of proactive measures to remove existing obstacles and, where necessary, to implement temporary special measures, as provided for in article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention.

•          Croatia, CEDAW, A/60/38 part I (2005) 30 at paras. 200 and 201.

200. The Committee is concerned about the persistence of sex-stereotyping in educational curricula and in textbooks. It is also concerned that girls and women in secondary schools and universities continue to choose study areas traditionally seen as “female areas” and that they are underrepresented in the sciences.

201. The Committee encourages the State party to intensify its efforts to eliminate gender stereotyping and to strengthen the mainstreaming of gender perspectives in curricula and textbooks...It calls on the State party to further encourage diversification of the educational choices of boys and girls and, at the tertiary level, to attract more women to the field of science and technology, including through temporary special measures in accordance with article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention. It also urges the State party to encourage a public dialogue on the educational choices girls and women make and their subsequent opportunities and chances in the labour market.