CEDAW/C/1996/3/Add.1 English Page 10 inform the public about the harmful effects of female genital mutilation. WHO has also consistently and equivocally advised that female genital mutilation, in all its forms, should not be practised by any health professionals in hospitals or any other establishments. Recently (1994), the Forty-seventh World Health Assembly (1994) adopted resolution WHA46.18 on maternal child health and family planning which included particular reference to eliminating harmful traditional practices with specific reference to female genital mutilation. 36. Since that time, the WHO Division of Family and Reproductive Health has commenced background work towards developing a strategy to strengthen country efforts to eliminate female genital mutilation. An information brochure on female genital mutilation and a joint WHO/United Nations Population Fund/UNICEF policy statement on female genital mutilation have been prepared. These are aimed at sensitizing policy makers, administrators, health authorities and other influential leaders in education, social welfare and development, labour, women's and men's organizations and youth agencies. To begin the process of developing standards and norms for research and action on female genital mutilation, a WHO technical working group on female genital mutilation was convened in July 1995. The Working Group has assessed the latest knowledge in the area of female genital mutilation and has identified priorities in research and in intervention to guide WHO's future support to countries for the elimination of female genital mutilation and in the management of the health complications of female genital mutilation. Women at decision-making levels 37. With regard to articles 7 and 8 of the Convention, on women at the decision-making level in WHO, in order to achieve the Organization's objectives of increasing the number of women in all Professional and higher graded posts as well as the participation of women in WHO programmes, technical meetings and meetings of WHO's governing bodies, several institutional mechanisms are in place: (a) Steering Committee on the Employment and Participation of Women. This Committee is composed of members of the WHO Executive Board, the administration, representatives of the Director-General and of Fifty-Fifty. 1/ The Steering Committee advises and makes recommendations to the Organization. Following a consultant report commissioned by the Steering Committee, the Director-General appointed a special adviser on the employment and participation of women (see below); (b) Joint Committee on the Employment and Participation of Women. This is a tripartite committee composed of representatives of the administration, the WHO Staff Committee and the Fifty-Fifty Group. This Committee reports regularly on the situation regarding the employment of women in the organization, and assists the administration in implementing recommendations made by the Steering Committee. A report on this issue will be presented to the session of the Executive Board at the beginning of 1996; (c) Adviser to the Director-General on the Employment and Participation of Women in WHO. Dr. Tomris Türmen, Executive Director of Family and Reproductive Health, was appointed as Adviser to the Director-General on the Employment and /...