Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current membership of the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women; and which members and candidates for election in 2014 they consider to be able to represent United Kingdom interests.

Assessments of the current membership of and the candidates for election to the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women are made jointly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

All members and candidates for election to the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women are assessed against a number of criteria, including their moral standing, competence in the field, and ability to exercise their functions independently of the government they have been nominated by. Consideration is also given to fair representation of geographical regions, gender, and different legal systems. Candidates are elected by the 193 UN member states.

HMG is confident that the members of the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women are able to discharge their mandate.