The Arab Women Organization, in partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), organized a virtual training on Reporting to the UN Committee of the Convention against All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), targeting North African countries and the Republic of Sudan, from 12 to 16 January 2021 via the online platform “Zoom”.
 
The training aims to enhance the capacities of national women’s machineries (NWMs), as well as the relevant governmental bodies and institutions, and civil society organizations in these Arab countries, on developing and drafting national follow-up reports using the latest methodologies and technologies; and to support their efforts in having a constructive dialogue with the CEDAW Committee.
 
ESCWA has always sought to establish strategic and sustainable partnerships with regional and national partners, including the Arab Women Organization, in all areas related to gender equality and women's empowerment, with the aim of supporting the efforts of Arab States to fulfill their international obligations.

Submitting periodic reports on the status of women to the relevant international mechanisms, including the national review on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the CEDAW report, the voluntary national review on the implementation of the sustainable development goals, etc. are among these international obligations.
 
In recognition of the member States' needs to enhance their national expertise to prepare and submit periodic reports and assess national progress, the Arab Women Organization and ESCWA designed and organized a series of training workshops on reporting skills to the CEDAW Committee, in cooperation with the Arab experts, members of the CEDAW Committee. These training webinars are a continuation of this effort.
 
The webinars brought together 25 participants representing NWMs, government agencies and civil society organizations from six Arab countries, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, the Sudan and Tunisia.