Women's anti-discrimination panel kicks off session at UN with focus on Spain

Experts monitoring international compliance with the world's foremost treaty on women's rights have opened a three-week session at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today began its review of Spain's report on action taken to implement the treaty, which now has 177 States parties.

Other countries to be examined during the session, which opened on Tuesday, include Angola, Latvia, Malta, Bangladesh, the Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Argentina.

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women provides for equality between women and men in the enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. The Committee is mandated to consider reports from the pact's States parties and to make suggestions and general recommendations in response.