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(e) The same rights to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children <br /> and to have access to the information, education and means to enable them to exercise these <br /> rights; <br /> (f) The same rights and responsibilities with regard to guardianship, wardship, trusteeship and <br /> adoption of children, or similar institutions where these concepts exist in national legislation; in all <br /> cases the interests of the children shall be paramount; <br /> (g) The same personal rights as husband and wife, including the right to choose a family name, a <br /> profession and an occupation; <br /> (h) The same rights for both spouses in respect of the ownership, acquisition, management, <br /> administration, enjoyment and disposition of property, whether free of charge or for a valuable <br /> consideration. <br /> 2. The betrothal and the marriage of a child shall have no legal effect, and all necessary action, including <br /> legislation, shall be taken to specify a minimum age for marriage and to make the registration of <br /> marriages in an official registry compulsory. <br /> PART V <br /> Article 17 <br /> 1. For the purpose of considering the progress made in the implementation of the present Convention, <br /> there shall be established a Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (hereinafter <br /> referred to as the Committee) consisting, at the time of entry into force of the Convention, of eighteen <br /> and, after ratification of or accession to the Convention by the thirty-fifth State Party, of twenty-three <br /> experts of high moral standing and competence in the field covered by the Convention. The experts shall <br /> be elected by States Parties from among their nationals and shall serve in their personal capacity, <br /> consideration being given to equitable geographical distribution and to the representation of the different <br /> forms of civilization as well as the principal legal systems. <br /> 2. The members of the Committee shall be elected by secret ballot from a list of persons nominated by <br /> States Parties. Each State Party may nominate one person from among its own nationals. <br /> 3. The initial election shall be held six months after the date of the entry into force of the present <br /> Convention. At least three months before the date of each election the Secretary-General of the United <br /> Nations shall address a letter to the States Parties inviting them to submit their nominations within two <br /> months. The Secretary-General shall prepare a list in alphabetical order of all persons thus nominated, <br /> indicating the States Parties which have nominated them, and shall submit it to the States Parties. <br /> 4. Elections of the members of the Committee shall be held at a meeting of States Parties convened by <br /> the Secretary-General at United Nations Headquarters. At that meeting, for which two thirds of the States <br /> Parties shall constitute a quorum, the persons elected to the Committee shall be those nominees who <br /> obtain the largest number of votes and an absolute majority of the votes of the representatives of States <br /> Parties present and voting. <br /> 5. The members of the Committee shall be elected for a term of four years. However, the terms of nine of <br /> the members elected at the first election shall expire at the end of two years; immediately after the first <br /> election the names of these nine members shall be chosen by lot by the Chairman of the Committee. <br /> 6. The election of the five additional members of the Committee shall be held in accordance with the <br /> provisions of paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of this article, following the thirty-fifth ratification or accession. The <br /> terms of two of the additional members elected on this occasion shall expire at the end of two years, the <br /> 10 <br />