Corinne Dettmeijer-Vermeulen re-elected for CEDAW Committee
On June 7, 2024, the election took place for 11 new members of Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), for the 2025-2028 term. Dettmeijer-Vermeulen, who already received the most votes in 2020, has been re-elected as a member of CEDAW. CEDAW is a United Nations (UN) body that monitors compliance with the UN Convention on Women. This treaty prohibits discrimination against women.
Dettmeijer-Vermeulen has extensive knowledge and experience in the field of CEDAW. She has a legal background as a professor, former judge and former national rapporteur on human trafficking and sexual violence against children Additionally, she held the Cleveringa Leerstoel.
During her previous term, Dettmeijer-Vermeulen played an important role in improving the committee's working methods and aligning them with the Working Group on Communications that deals with complaints of individuals whose rights under the UN Convention on Women have been violated. Of the 20 candidates, Dettmeijer-Vermeulen was the only candidate from the European Union. She was country rapporteur for Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and France. She also led initiatives such as the National Referral Mechanism and collaborations with UNODC on human trafficking reports.
UN Women’s Convention
The UN Convention on Women, adopted in 1979, aims to end all forms of discrimination against women. To date, 189 countries, including the Netherlands, have signed this treaty. These countries are obliged to take measures that promote the development and independence of women so that they can fully enjoy their human rights and freedoms.
The CEDAW committee, which consists of 23 independent experts, ensures that countries adhere to this treaty. This committee meets three times a year in Geneva. Their duties include monitoring how the treaty is implemented, handling complaints and providing general recommendations on key issues such as combating violence against women and human trafficking.
International recognition
Dettmeijer-Vermeulen has received worldwide recognition for her leadership and dedication to the fight against human trafficking and sexual violence against children. Nobel Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi, actress and humanitarian activist Emma Thompson and the UN Secretary General's Special Representative on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais, have praised her work.
Now that she has been re-elected, Dettmeijer-Vermeulen will continue her important work to promote gender equality and fight discrimination against women worldwide.