SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 6th MEETING
Chairman: Mrs. Shahani (Philippines) 

CONTENTS
TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL I
AGENDA ITEM 75: DRAFT CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION FO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN AND OTHER MATTERS 

The meeting was called to order at 3.50 p.m.
TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL I

	1.	The CHAIRMAN, speaking on behalf of the members of the Committee, expressed sorrow over the death of His Holiness Pope John Paul I. 
	2.	At the proposal fo the Chairman, the members of the Committee observed a minute of silence in the tribute to the memory of His Holiness Pope John Paul I. 
	3.	Mrs. GIROUX (Observer for the Holy See) thanked the Committee for its tribute to the memory of Pope John Paul I and said that she would convey its condolences to the Holy See.  AGENDA ITEM 75: DRAFT CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN (A/C.3/32/L.59)
	4.	The CHAIRMAN observed that, in the Committee’s programme of work (A/C.3/33/L.2), item 75 mentioned, simply for the purpose of establishing a Working Group to draft the convention on the elimination of discrimination against women. Since informal negotiations had been held on the matter, she trusted the Working Group could be organized that day and hold its first meeting immediately after the Committee adjourned. 
	5.	Mr. DJIGO (Senegal) wished, in order to dispel any misunderstanding that might have arisen, to explain that it was not, and had never been, his country’s aspiration to preside over the Working Group in question, especially in view of the fact that it already had a Vice-Chairman on the Third Committee and considered that it was not the Committee’s practice to elect officers for its working groups form the members of its Bureau. Consequently he would support the candidate nominated for the office. 
	6.	Mrs. SAHGAL (India) nominated Miss Marcella Martínez (Jamaica) for the office of Chairman of the Working Group of the Whole on the Drafting of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. 
	7.	Miss Martínez (Jamaica) was elected Chairman of the Working Group by acclamation. 
	8.	Miss SHAHKAR (Iran) nominated Miss Jelisaveta B. Djurickovic (Yugoslavia) for the office of Rapporteur of the Working Group. 
	9.	Miss Djurickovic (Yugoslavia) was elected Rapporteur of the Working Group by acclamation. 
	10.	 Mr. PAPADEMAS (Secretary of the Committee) made a statement concerning the conference services that would be available to the Working Group. 
	11.	 The CHAIRMAN pointed out that the Committee would have to establish an Advisory Committee for the International Year for Disabled Persons. According to paragraph 4 of General Assembly resolution 32/133, that Committee must be composed of the representatives of 15 Member States to be appointed, on the basis of equitable geographical distribution, by the Chairman of the Third Committee, in concurrence with the regional groups. It had not yet been possible to establish the Advisory Committee because the regional groups had not reached an agreement on its composition. Ambassador Mills, the Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations, had convened several meetings of the Chairmen of the regional groups and had suggested applying the formula that had been used since 1974 for the composition of the International Civil Service Commission, namely, four representatives of African States, three of Asian States, two of Eastern European States, two of Latin American States and four of Western European and Other States. It appeared that some regional groups wished to nominate more candidates than they  would be entitled to under that formula. Consequently, it might be necessary to propose that the General Assembly should increase the membership of the Advisory Committee. In that event, the formula used for the composition of the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women could be applied. That Committee was composed of representatives of 23 Member States, six of which belonged to the African Group of States, five to the Asian Group of States, three to the Eastern Group of States, four to the Latin American Group of States and five to the Western European and Other Group of States. 
	12.	 Since the Secretariat had already sent Member States a draft programme for the International Year for Disabled Persons, it was to be hoped that the Advisory Committee could be established and begin its work shortly.

The meeting rose at 4.10 p.m.