UNITED NATIONS Convention ontheElimination ofallFormsofDiscrimination AgainstWomenCEDAW Distr. GENERAL CEDAW/C/SR.164 5February 1990 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Ninthsession SUMMARY RECORD OFTHE164thMEETING HeldatHeadquarters, NewYork, onWednesday, 31January 1990,at10a.m. Chairp~rBQn: Ms.EVATT later: Ms.GUANMINQIAN CONTENTS Consideration ofreports submitted byStatesparties underarticle 18ofthe Convention (continued) Thisrecordissubject tocorrection. Corrections should besubmitted inoneoftheworking languages. Theyshould besetforthinamemorandum andalsoincorporated inacopyoftherecord. They should besentwithin oneweekofthedateofthisdocument totheChief,Official Records Editing Section, Department ofConference Services, roomDC2-750, 2United Nations Plaza. Anycorrections totherecords0tthemeetings ofthissession willbe consolidated inasingle corrigendum, tobeissuedshortly aftertheendofthe session. 90-55116 2314S(E) /...CEDAW/C/SR.164 English Page2 Themeeting wascalledtoorderat10.15a.m. CONSIDERATION OFREPORTS SUBMITTED BYSTATES PARTIES UNDERARTICLE 18OFTHE CONVENTION (continued) Secondperiodic reportofMongolia (CEDAW/C/13/Add.7) 1.Attheinvitation oftheChairperson, Ms.IDER(Mongolia) tookaplaceatthe Committee table. 2.Ms.IDER(Mongolia) saidshewaspleased topresent hercountry's second periodic reportatatimewhenefforts werebeingmadetoimprove andrestructure international relations andtorevitalize socialism. Thereporthadbeenprepared in1986andhadbeendistributed totheCommittee thefollowing year.Inthe intervening years, aprogramme ofrestructuring initiated in1987hadgivenrise, andcontinued togiverise,tosweeping changes inhercountry. Economic reform, forinstance, hadresulted inatransition toeconomic methods ofadministration andincreased autonomy forenterprises andfarms. 3.Theultimate goaloftherestructuring process wastobringsocialism toanew stageofdevelopment, freeingitfrommisinterpretation andenabling ittoaddress thebasicrights andinterests oftheindividual. Facedwithtraditional bureaucratic, dogmatic andconservative attitudes whichwereentrenched inthe Mongolian wayoflife,thatprocess wasnotgoingsmoothly. 4.Perestroika andglasnost hadbrought manyunresolved socialproblems tothe fore,including theneedtoimprove theworking andlivingconditions oftherural population, particularly nomadic herdsmen. Thatpopulation mustbeprovided with adequate housing andimproved medical andsocialservices. Agricultu{e mustalso bemechanized andcommunications developed. Already, thenumberofprivately owned cattlehadincreased andnewformsoflabourorganization suchascontracting and leasing wereontherise.Inviewofthevastresources andamounts oftime needed, theGovernment planned toapproach thoseproblems instages. 5.Although therewasdejureequality ofwomenandmen,muchremained tobedone toachieve equality inpractice. Asthecountry developed socially and economically, theprospects forgenuine equality wouldincrease. Restructuring had brought tolightmanyproblems concerning womenwhich,priortothat,hadnotbeen publicly acknowledged. Thoseproblems included theneedforradical improvements inwomen's working andlivingconditions; theneedtomakespecial provision for working mothers; highmaternal andchildmortality rates;'thegrowing incidence of divorce andsing-parent families: asevereshortage ofkindergarten andchild-care facilities; andthehugedifference between thelivingstandards ofurbanandrural women. 6.Whileitwouldtakeconsiderable timeandresources tosolvesuchproblems, someresults hadalready beenachieved. InDecember 1989,thePresidium ofthe GreatPeople's Khuralbadenacted fourdecrees concerning womenandchildren. /...CEDAW/C/SR.164 English Page3 (Ms.Ider,Mongolia) Amendments hadbeenmadetopublichealthlegislation togivewomentherightto decide onthenumber andspacing oftheirchildren. Abortion waspermitted, but onlyifperformed byaphysician inahospital setting. Amendments totheLabour Codewouldensureadequate paidmaternity leave,aswellasparental leaveandjob
**Analysis**
The text discusses the second periodic report of Mongolia under the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The report focuses on the country's efforts to improve and restructure its international relations, economy, and social system, with a particular emphasis on the rights and interests of women. The discussion touches on various aspects of Mongolian society, including agriculture, employment, education, and healthcare.

**Category**
Economic development, Employment, Education, Health