CEDAW/C/GC/29 VIII. Reservations 54. In its 1998 statement on reservations to the Convention, f the Committee expressed concern about the number and the nature of reservations. In paragraph 6, it specifically noted that: Articles 2 and 16 are considered by the Committee to be core provisions of the Convention. Although some States parties have withdrawn reservations to those articles, the Committee is particularly concerned at the number and extent of reservations entered to those articles. In respect of article 16, the Committee specifically stated in paragraph 17 that: Neither traditional, religious or cultural practice nor incompatible domestic laws and policies can justify violations of the Convention. The Committee also remains convinced that reservations to article 16, whether lodged for national, traditional, religious or cultural reasons, are incompatible with the Convention and therefore impermissible and should be reviewed and modified or withdrawn. 55. With respect to reservations relating to religious laws and practices, the Committee recognizes that since 1998 a number of States parties have modified their laws to provide for equality in at least some aspects of family relations. It continues to recommend that States parties take “into consideration the experiences of countries with similar religious backgrounds and legal systems that have successfully accommodated domestic legislation to commitments emanating from international legally binding instruments, with a view to” withdrawing reservations. g f g 10 A/53/38/Rev.1, part two. CEDAW/C/ARE/CO/1 (2010), on concluding observations, United Arab Emirates, para. 46.