of the political debate in the country on the issue of ratification there had been no fundamental opposition or differences of opinion. Since the Federal Republic's existing legislation had already largely been in keeping with the prov1s1ons of the Convention, no amendments to any legislation had been required in connection with ratification. 57. She wished now to comment on the Ministry for Youth, Family Affairs, Women and Health and on the various typ€s of machinery designed to bring about equality of men and women, since several Committee members had requested further information on I • • . CEDAW/C/SR.l57 English Page 9 (Mrs. Lehr. Federal Republic of Germany) the Ministry, its structure, its various areas of competence and the manner in which it functioned. 58. The Federal Republic was a three-tier federal State, and the three tiers -the federal level, the Lander and the municipalities (or communes) -were largely independent of one another. At all three levels there were elected parliaments or representative bodies and governments or administrations. For a number of years now at all of the levels there had been special machinery designed to achieve equality. At the level of the Federal Government, the Ministry for Youth, Family Affairs, Women and Health performed the role of such machinery. The corresponding machinery of the Lander had two representatives on the delegation of the Federal Republic to the Committee's current session. 59. The Ministry performed a wide range of tasks. For each cluster of tasks there was a special department within the Ministry, for example, individual departments for youth, health, family affairs and also for women's policies. Those departments were all on an equal footing with one another and co-operated both with one another and with the special departments in other ministries. The women's department, 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the government structure and policies of the Federal Republic of Germany, specifically focusing on the Ministry for Youth, Family Affairs, Women and Health, and its role in promoting equality between men and women. The language used suggests a focus on governance and social policy rather than economic or environmental issues.

**Category**
Health, Education