Reservations indicate that a state does not consent to be bound to a particular duty under the Convention. States may also file objections to reservations filed by other states. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women issues recommendations which may be used as an aid to interpreting the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The Optional Protocol was adopted by the General Assembly in October 1999 and entered into force in December 22, 2000. In very basic terms, a state that has ratified a treaty is making a formal commitment to be bound by its terms.
Accession has basically the same effect as ratification.
This series was made in response to General Assembly and Economic and Social Council resolutions for the provision, facilitation and encouragement of public information activities relating to the Committee and the Convention. It includes session reports and the summary records of the discussions of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, prepared by the Division for the Advancement of Women of the United Nations Office at Vienna. This convention provides some assistance in interpreting international treaties. Its provisions themselves are open-ended and flexible however, and therefore also subject to interpretation. It entered into force in January 1980.