Migration and Asylum Sub Group

Migration and Asylum Sub Group-Update for Commissioners meeting

The Migration & Asylum Sub Group will be meeting on July 18^th.

Meeting Chair: Mandana Hendessi OBE

Provisional Agenda is as follows:

UK Action Plan on the trafficking of human beings- discussion on the gaps in policy. Some members of the sub-group have developed a resource document which identifies these gaps
Borders and Immigration Agency (formerly IND) Gender Equality Scheme- Jeremy Oppenheim (BIA-Social Policy Unit) has been invited to talk about the scheme
Discrimination Law Review Green Paper-Someone [awaiting confirmation] from the WEU has been invited to talk about the DLR consultation
CEDAW- an update will be given to the Group
Response from Lin Homer (Chief Executive-Borders and Immigration Agency)-the Group will be discussed

Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

80 organisations and individuals submitted information for the CEDAW Report.
A list of critical issues for the UK was submitted on July 2^nd. This list will be passed on to the CEDAW Committee for the pre-session meeting between 16-20 July. At this pre-session, select CEDAW Committee members will meet to draw up questions for the UK Government to answer - e.g. ask the Government to address gaps or to elaborate on the Government report already submitted to the Committee. Submitting the list of critical issues mean that women's organisations have a chance to shape and influence these questions! [document tabled]
CEDAW Report submitted on July 4^th - International Women's Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) Asia Pacific has agreed to offer feedback on how to make the Report more effective. The final version will be updated and re-submitted in November to the CEDAW Committee. [document tabled]
The WNC will re-circulate the document electronically at the end of September requesting updates under the various Articles

Honours

Denise Marshall and Parvin Ali have been awarded OBEs in the Queen's Birthday List 2007. Letters of congratulations have been sent out to them.
The following have been put forward for the New Years List 2008:

Anna Coote, Aisha Gill, Dr Meera Kishen, Sheila Coates, Katherine Rake and Sylvia Walby.

RESPONDANTS TO CEDAW CONSULTATION

English, UK-wide and international organisations

Age Concern, England

Annette Lawson

Asylum Aid

Children's Rights Alliance for England (CRAE)

CROP

Department for Education and Schools (DfES)

EAVES Housing

Equal Opportunities Commission

Equality Now

Fawcett Society

fpa

International Federation of University Women

Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants

Kalayaan

Lilith and POPPY Project

London Metropolitan University Child and Women Abuse Studies Unit

Mandana Hendessi

UNISON

Medact, The Reaching Out Project

Medical Women's Federation

National Alliance of Women's Organisations (NAWO)

National Council for One Parent Families

OBJECT

Prowess

Public & Commercial Services Union

Refuge

RIBA Equality and Diversity Forum

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

SERICC

Soroptomist International

Southall Black Sisters

The Roselle Antoine Foundation

University of Warwick

WATCH

Agency for Culture and Change Management

UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology

The Mothers Union

FORWARD

British Red Cross

Equality and Diversity Forum

Eleonore Kofman-Middlesex University

Bristol University

Greater London Domestic Violence Project

Women in Management Network

UK Asian Women's Conference

Young Business and Professional Women's Club

Standing Together

Refugee Council

Commission for Racial Equality

Disability Rights Commission

Equality 2025

Refugee Action

Women's Resource Centre

Medical Women's Federation

Purna Sen -London School of Economics

Margaret Lucy Wilkins (Women in Music)

Janet Veitch

Baroness Joyce Gould-Acting WNC Chair

GenEd

The European Parliament

Women's Budget Group

Amnesty EVAW Campaign

Jill Maddison - DV Advisor at Croydon Council

Prof Marianne Hester - International Centre for the Study of Violence and Abuse

Northern Ireland Organisations

Northern Ireland, Ann Hope Irish Congress of Trade Unions

Northern Ireland Women's European Platform

Northern Ireland Women's Aid

Northern Ireland Women's Resource & Development Agency

fpa Northern Ireland

Scottish Organisations

Scotland, Marsha Scott (consulted Engender)

Scottish Women's Convention

Scottish Refugee Council

Karibu

Welsh Organisations

Welsh Women National Coalition

Welsh Women's Aid

WNC Commissioner Wales, Anita Gale

Women's Voice (Prev. Wales Women National Coalition)

WNC/07/3/07