Obligations of the States Parties under the Optional Protocol

 By ratifying/acceding to the Optional Protocol to CEDAW Convention all States Parties commit themselves to recognize the competence of the CEDAW Committee to receive and consider the individual or group complaints lodged under the communications procedure about the violation of women’s rights guaranteed by the Convention. The States Parties are also committed to implement the recommendations of the Committee transmitted to the State Party together with its views as the result of examination of the complaint submitted under this procedure.

Although the Optional Protocol, unlike the CEDAW Convention, allows no reservations to any of its articles, the State Party may declare, at the time of signature or ratification/accession, that it does not recognize the competence of the CEDAW Committee to examine under the inquiry procedure the violations of women’s human rights by the State Party (art. 10 of OP CEDAW). In other words the States Parties have the possibility to opt-out of the inquiry procedure. However if the State does not opt-out of the inquiry procedure then the CEDAW Committee can decide to initiate an inquiry and this may include a country visit with the permission of the state concerned.