3.6 Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was established in accordance with the International Convention on the Elimina- tion of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The Committee is com- posed of 23 experts acting in their personal capacity, who are nominated and elected by the States parties to the Convention for a four-years term.
The Committee’s main function is to monitor the implementation of the Convention based on consideration of  reports from States parties.
The new Optional Protocol establishes two procedures: an individual commu- nications procedure which will allow communications to be submitted by or on behalf of individuals or groups of individuals claiming to be victims of a viola- tion of any of the rights set out in the Convention; and a procedure which will allow the Committee to enquire into grave or systematic violations by a State party of those rights. In addition, no reservations are permissible, although any State accepting the Protocol may “opt-out” of the enquiry procedure.