Abstract
This presentation traces the origins, evolution, and impact of the CEDAW Convention, established to confront persistent and systemic discrimination against women. It highlights the transformative General Recommendation No. 40 (2024) on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems, illustrating how gender parity is both a right and a governance tool essential for building just, resilient, and inclusive societies.
*Participation is open to the public and free of charge.
Celine Georgi
Céline Georgi is a jurist specializing in international law, with a focus on women’s human rights and gender equality. She holds a Maîtrise en droit international et européen from the Université Paris-Est Créteil and an LLM in International Law from the University of the West of England, where she concentrated her research on feminist perspectives in international law. Since 2013, Céline has worked with the United Nations, with a focus on women’s human rights at both the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UN Women.
At OHCHR, Céline has contributed significantly to the Human Rights Treaties Branch, supporting various treaty bodies, especially the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Her work with CEDAW has included supporting country reviews, inquiry procedures, and general recommendations—such as general recommendation No. 35 on the elimination of gender-based violence against women, updating general recommendation No. 19 and, most recently, general recommendation No. 40 on women’s equal and inclusive representation in decision-making systems.
Her work with the OHCHR’s Women’s Human Rights and Gender Section, has been focusing on gender integration, including supporting the OHCHR Gender Accreditation Programme, and on gender-based violence prevention. At UN Women, she has supported human rights work on the communications procedure for the Commission on the Status of Women, coordinated UN Country Teams reporting to CEDAW and supported field offices’ engagement with UN human rights mechanisms.