Annex 1 COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN The mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women to make general recommendations is set out in Article 21 of the Convention. Several of Committee’s recommendations are relevant to reproductive rights. In 2012, a Committee working group General ­Recommendation General ­Recommendation No. 14 – Female Circumcision, 1990 (Female Genital Mutilation – FGM) was developing a General Recommendation on Women affected by conflict, including a section on women’s sexual and reproductive health and there is also a joint working group of Committee and developing a ­General Comment/Recommendation on harmful practices. Provisions related to Reproductive Rights States should: 1. “Take appropriate and effective measures with a view to ­eradicating the practice of female circumcision. Such measures could include: a) The collection and dissemination by universities, medical or nursing associations, national women’s organizations or other bodies of basic data about such traditional practices; b) The support of women’s organizations at the national and local levels working for the elimination of female ­circumcision and other practices harmful to women; c) The encouragement of politicians, professionals, religious and community leaders at all levels, including the media and the arts, to co-operate in infl uencing attitudes towards the eradication of female circumcision; d) The introduction of appropriate educational and training programmes and seminars based on research fi ndings about the problems arising from female circumcision; 137