Chapter II
FOLLOW-UP TO THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN
1. The Commission considered item 3 of its agenda at the 1st to 12th and
14th to 16th meetings, from 11 to 15, 18 and 20 to 22 March 1996. It had
before it the following documents:
(a) Report of the Secretary-General on the mandate, methods of work and
multi-year work programme of the Commission (E/CN.6/1996/2);
(b) Report of the Secretary-General on ways to enhance the capacity of
the Organization and of the United Nations system to support the ongoing
follow-up to the Conference (E/CN.6/1996/3);
(c) Report of the Secretary-General on the elimination of stereotyping
in the mass media (E/CN.6/1996/4);
(d) Report of the Secretary-General on child and dependant care,
including the sharing of work and family responsibilities (E/CN.6/1996/5);
(e) Report of the Secretary-General on education for peace
(E/CN.6/1996/6);
(f) Report of the Secretary-General on the improvement of the status of
women in the Secretariat (E/CN.6/1996/7);
(g) Report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance
to Palestinian women (E/CN.6/1996/8);
(h) Report of the Secretary-General on the extent to which violations of
women's human rights have been addressed by human rights mechanisms
(E/CN.6/1996/9);
(i) Note by the Secretary-General on the implementation of General
Assembly resolution 50/166 on the role of the United Nations Development Fund
for Women in eliminating violence against women (E/CN.6/1996/11);
(j) Note by the Secretary-General on violence against women migrant
workers (E/CN.6/1996/12);
(k) Report of the Secretary-General on the joint work plan of the
Division for the Advancement of Women and the Centre for Human Rights
(E/CN.6/1996/13);
(l) Note by the Secretary-General containing proposals for the
medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001 (E/CN.6/1996/14);
(m) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the results of the
fifteenth session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women (E/CN.6/1996/CRP.1);
(n) Report of the Secretary-General on the proposed system-wide
medium-term plan for the advancement of women, 1996-2001 (E/CN.6/1996/CRP.2);
(o) Report of the Secretary-General on poverty (E/CN.6/1996/CRP.3).
Implementation of strategic objectives and action in the critical areas of
concern: poverty (agenda item 3 (c) (i))
2. At the 5th meeting, on 13 March, the Commission held a panel discussion
on the sub-item and heard presentations by the following experts: Aruna Rao,
Consultant, Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee; Ishrat Husain, Director,
Poverty and Social Policy Department, World Bank; Jennifer Riria-Ouko,
Managing Director, Kenya's Women's Finance; Mubyarto Martodinoto, Assistant
State Minister for Eradication of Poverty, Ministry of National Development
Planning of Indonesia; Gasto'n Iba'n~ez, Minister and Deputy Permanent
Representative of Peru; Elisabeth d'Hondt, Director, Division for Women in
Development, Family and Youth Issues, Federal Ministry for Development and
Cooperation, Germany.
3. The Chairperson made a statement.
4. At the same meeting, the Commission held a dialogue among Governments,
in which the following delegations participated: the Dominican Republic,
Congo, Ecuador, South Africa, Italy (on behalf of the States Members of the
United Nations that are members of the European Union), Bulgaria, China,
Pakistan, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Australia, Mali, Co^te d'Ivoire, Costa
Rica and Tunisia.
5. The representative of the Ad Hoc Inter-agency meeting on Women made a
statement.
6. The observers for Soroptimist International and a poverty caucus of
non-governmental organizations also made statements.
7. The panellists responded to points raised.
8. At the 6th meeting, on 13 March, the Commission held a dialogue with
representatives of organizations of the system, including the Bretton Woods
institutions, and heard presentations by the Assistant Secretary-General and
Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and by the
representatives of the United Nations Population Fund, the World Bank, the
United Nations Development Fund for Women, the United Nations Children's Fund,
the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Development
Programme.
9. A statement was made by the Chairperson.
10. The following delegations participated in the dialogue: Sudan, Antigua
and Barbuda, Ghana, Netherlands, Guinea-Bissau, Canada, United Republic of
Tanzania, Dominican Republic, Russian Federation, Costa Rica, Togo, Finland,
Swaziland, Namibia, Mexico, Guinea and United States of America.
11. The observer for the Commonwealth Secretariat made a statement.
12. The observer for the poverty caucus of non-governmental organizations
also made a statement.
13. The panellists responded to points raised.
14. At the 7th meeting, on 14 March, the Chairperson summarized the
discussion and dialogues held on the sub-item.
15. At the same meeting, the Commission held a dialogue among Governments,
in which the following delegations participated: Cuba, United States of
America, Tunisia, Republic of Korea, Chile, Bulgaria, Namibia, Italy (on
behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the
European Union), Co^te d'Ivoire, Ireland, Dominican Republic, Austria,
Nigeria, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Ethiopia, Portugal, Costa Rica (on behalf of
the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77),
France, China, Pakistan, Sudan, Finland, Sweden, Australia, Antigua and
Barbuda and Mexico.
16. The observers for the following non-governmental organizations also
spoke: Federally Employed Women and Women's International League for Peace
and Freedom.
Implementation of strategic objectives and action in the critical areas of
concern: women and the media (agenda item 3 (c) (ii))
17. At the 8th meeting, on 14 March, the Commission held a panel discussion
on the sub-item and heard statements by the following experts:
Margaret Gallagher, media consultant and former Coordinator of the European
Union Steering Committee for Equal Opportunities in Broadcasting; Joan
Pennefather, former Director-General, National Arts Center of Canada; Lyndall
Shope-Mafole, Counsellor, Independent Broadcasting Authority, South Africa;
Teresa Rodriguez, Chief, International Department, Ministry for Women's
Affairs of Chile; Alain Modoux, Director, Division for Communication of the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
18. A statement was made by the Chairperson.
19. At the same meeting, the Commission held a dialogue among Governments,
in which the following delegations participated: Spain, Netherlands, Turkey,
Ecuador, United States of America, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Pakistan,
Algeria, Cyprus, China, Mexico, Italy, Lesotho and Zambia.
20. The representative of the International Research and Training Institute
for the Advancement of Women also spoke.
21. The observers for the following non-governmental organizations spoke:
African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) and Association
for Progressive Communications.
22. The panellists responded to points raised.
23. At the 9th meeting, on 15 March, the Chairperson made a statement.
24. At the same meeting, the Commission held a dialogue in which the
following delegations participated: Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Poland,
China, Sudan, Cuba, Canada, Japan, Guinea, Finland, Belgium, Portugal, Italy
(on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the
European Union), Israel, Bahamas, Ghana, France, Islamic Republic of Iran,
Ecuador and Kyrgyzstan.
25. The observers for the following non-governmental organizations also
spoke: American Association of Retired Persons and World Association of
Community Radio Broadcasters.
Implementation of strategic objectives and action in the critical areas of
concern: child and dependant care, including sharing of responsibilities
between men and women (agenda item 3 (c) (iii))
26. At the 10th meeting, on 15 March, the Commission held a panel discussion
on the sub-item and heard presentations by the following experts: Kathryn
Tolbert, The Population Council, Mexico Office; Mihaela-Rodica Stanoiu,
Secretary of State on Women's Affairs and Family Policies, Ministry of Labour
and Social Protection, Romania; Misrak Elias, Senior Adviser, Women in
Development, United Nations Children's Fund; Anne Havnþr, Senior Executive
Officer, Ministry of Children and Family Affairs, Norway; Chen Guomei, Vice-
President, China Family Education Association, and Professor, Beijing Normal
University.
27. A statement was made by the Chairperson.
28. At the same meeting, the Commission held a dialogue among Governments,
in which the following delegations participated: Namibia, Tunisia, Mali,
Sudan, Netherlands, Austria, Zimbabwe, Italy and Finland.
29. Statements were made by the observers for the following non-governmental
organizations: a caucus on shared responsibilities and a non-governmental
organization committee on the status of women, International Confederation of
Free Trade Unions and World Federation of United Nations Associations.
30. The panellists responded to points raised.
31. At the 11th meeting, on 18 March, the Commission held a dialogue among
Governments, in which the following delegations participated: Thailand,
United States of America, Swaziland, Republic of Korea, China, Chile, Japan,
Israel, Ghana, Cuba, Italy, Namibia, Guinea, Canada, Mexico, Sudan, Ecuador,
Pakistan, France, Botswana, Angola, Finland, United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland and Sweden.
ACTION TAKEN BY THE COMMISSION
Release of women and children taken hostage in armed conflicts
and imprisoned
32. At the 11th meeting, on 18 March, the observer for Azerbaijan, on
behalf of Argentina, 69/ Azerbaijan, 69/ Bangladesh, 69/ Bosnia and
Herzegovina, 69/ Cambodia, 69/ Ecuador, Egypt, 69/, Georgia, 69/ Kuwait, 69/
Kyrgyzstan, 69/ Malaysia, Mozambique, 69/ Pakistan, 69/ Togo, Tunisia,
Turkey, 69/ Turkmenistan, 69/ the United Arab Emirates, 69/ Uzbekistan 69/ and
Zimbabwe, 69/ introduced a draft resolution (E/CN.6/1996/L.1) entitled
"Release of women and children taken hostage in armed conflicts and
imprisoned". Subsequently, Botswana, 69/ Burkina Faso, 69/ Colombia, Costa
Rica, Co^te d'Ivoire, 69/ the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, 69/ Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, 69/ the Islamic Republic of Iran, Jordan, 69/
Kazakstan, 69/ Lebanon, Liberia, 69/ Mali, Namibia, Panama, 69/ Peru, 69/
Qatar, 69/ South Africa, 69/ Swaziland, the United Republic of Tanzania, 69/
Venezuela 69/ and Zambia 69/ joined in sponsoring the draft resolution.
69/ In accordance with rule 69 of the rules of procedure of the
functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council.
33. At the 15th meeting, on 22 March, the observer for Azerbaijan orally
revised the draft resolution as follows:
(a) The fifth preambular paragraph, which read:
"Stressing that all forms of repression and cruel and inhuman
treatment of women and children committed by belligerents in the course
of military operations or in occupied territories, including taking them
hostage, their imprisonment, the destruction of their dwellings and
their forcible eviction, should be considered criminal", was deleted;
(b) Operative paragraph 1, which read:
"Condemns violence against women and children in areas of armed
conflict, recognizing it as a violation of international humanitarian
law, and calls for a particularly effective response to violations of
this kind, including the immediate release of women and children taken
hostage in areas of armed conflict",
was changed to read:
"Condemns violent acts in contravention of international
humanitarian law against civilian women and children in areas of armed
conflict and calls for an effective response to such acts, including the
immediate release of such women and children taken hostage in areas of
armed conflict".
34. At the same meeting, the observer for Germany proposed an amendment to
the draft resolution whereby operative paragraph 2, which read:
"Strongly urges all parties to conflicts to immediately release all
women and children taken hostage in areas of armed conflict"
was replaced by the following text:
"Strongly urges all parties to armed conflicts to respect fully the
norms of international humanitarian law in armed conflict and take all
measures required for the protection of women and children, in
particular the immediate release of women and children taken hostage or
imprisoned".
35. The Commission then adopted the draft resolution, as orally revised and
amended (see chap. I, sect. C, Commission resolution 40/1).
Integration of women in the Middle East peace process
36. At the 12th meeting, on 20 March, the representative of the United
States of America introduced and orally revised a draft resolution
(E/CN.6/1996/L.3) entitled "Integration of women in the Middle East peace
process". Subsequently, Costa Rica, Israel, 69/ Norway and the Russian
Federation joined in sponsoring the draft resolution, which read as follows:
"The Commission on the Status of Women,
"Recalling General Assembly resolution 50/21 of 12 December 1995,
Economic and Social Council resolution 1995/52 of 28 July 1995, and
Commission on the Status of Women resolution 39/3 of 31 March 1995,
"Recalling also the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action,
adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women, in September 1995,
"Stressing that the achievement of a comprehensive, just and lasting
settlement of the Middle East conflict will constitute a significant
contribution to strengthening international peace and security,
"Recalling the convening of the Peace Conference on the Middle East
at Madrid on 30 October 1991, on the basis of Security Council
resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967 and 338 (1973) of
22 October 1973, and the subsequent bilateral negotiations, as well as
the meetings of the multilateral working groups, and noting with
satisfaction the broad international support for the peace process,
"Noting the continuing positive participation of the United Nations
as a full extraregional participant in the work of the multilateral
working groups,
"Bearing in mind the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-
Government Arrangements, signed by the Government of the State of Israel
and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the
Palestinian People, in Washington on 13 September 1993, and the
subsequent Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area, signed by
the Government of the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation
Organization at Cairo on 4 May 1994, their 29 August 1994 Agreement on
the Preparatory Transfer of Powers and Responsibilities, the Protocol on
Further Transfer of Powers and Responsibilities signed by the Government
of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization at Cairo on
27 August 1995, and the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and Gaza
Strip, signed by the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation
Organization in Washington on 28 September 1995,
"Also bearing in mind the Agreement between Israel and Jordan on the
Common Agenda, signed in Washington on 14 September 1993, the Washington
Declaration, signed by Jordan and Israel on 25 July 1994, and the Treaty
of Peace between the State of Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan, of 26 October 1994,
"Welcoming the Declaration of the Middle East/North Africa Economic
Summit, held at Casablanca from 30 October to 1 November 1994, as well
as the Declaration of the Middle East/North Africa Economic Summit, held
at Amman from 29 to 31 October 1995,
"Reaffirming paragraph 145 of the Beijing Platform for Action which
calls upon the international community to condemn and act against all
forms and manifestations of terrorism,
"1. Welcomes the peace process started at Madrid, and supports the
subsequent bilateral negotiations;
"2. Stresses the importance of, and need for, achieving a
comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East;
"3. Expresses its full support for the achievements of the peace
process thus far, in particular the Declaration of Principles on Interim
Self-Government Arrangements, signed by the Government of the State of
Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of
the Palestinian People, the subsequent Agreement on the Gaza Strip and
the Jericho Area, signed by the Government of the State of Israel and
the Palestine Liberation Organization, their 29 August 1994 Agreement on
the Preparatory Transfer of Powers and Responsibilities, the Protocol on
Further Transfer of Powers and Responsibilities signed by the Government
of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization at Cairo on
27 August 1995, the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip,
signed by the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation
Organization in Washington on 28 September 1995, the Agreement between
Israel and Jordan on the Common Agenda, the Washington Declaration,
signed by Jordan and Israel on 25 July 1994, and the Treaty of Peace
between the State of Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, of
26 October 1994, which constitute important steps in achieving a
comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, and urges all
parties to implement the agreements reached;
"4. Stresses the need to achieve rapid progress on the other tracks
of the Arab-Israeli negotiations within the peace process;
"5. Urges Governments, intergovernmental bodies and
non-governmental organizations to include women in the peace process;
"6. Also urges Governments, intergovernmental bodies and
non-governmental organizations to support the implementation of the
Declaration of Principles and to assist the Palestinian people to ensure
Palestinian women's political development and participation;
"7. Welcomes the results of the Conference to Support Middle East
Peace, convened in Washington on 1 October 1993, including the
establishment of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, the subsequent work of
the World Bank Consultative Group, welcomes also the appointment by the
Secretary-General of the 'United Nations Special Coordinator in the
Occupied Territories', and urges Member States to expedite economic,
financial and technical assistance to the Palestinian people during the
interim period;
"8. Condemns recent terrorist attacks in Israel which seek to
undermine the peace process and which have caused loss of life and
injuries among women and their families, and supports the statement of
the Summit of the Peace Makers in Sharm el-Sheikh on 13 March 1996;
"9. Calls upon all Member States to extend economic, financial and
technical assistance to parties in the region and to render support for
the peace process, especially with regard to women;
"10. Urges Member States to ensure that all economic, financial and
technical assistance to parties in the region take into account the role
of women as full participants and beneficiaries;
"11. Considers that an active United Nations role in the Middle East
peace process and in assisting in the implementation of the Declaration
of Principles can make a positive contribution with regard to the status
of women;
"12. Encourages regional development and cooperation in areas where
work has begun within the framework of the Madrid Conference."
37. At the 15th meeting, on 22 March, the representative of the United
States of America further orally revised the draft resolution.
38. The observer for the Syrian Arab Republic made a statement.
39. The Commission then adopted the draft resolution, as orally revised, by
a roll-call vote of 27 to 2, with 11 abstentions (see chap. I, sect. C,
Commission resolution 40/2). The voting was as follows:
In favour: Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belarus, Belgium,
Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica,
Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Greece, India,
Japan, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Russian
Federation, Slovakia, Tunisia, United States of America.
Against: Iran (Islamic Republic of), Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
Abstaining: Angola, Cuba, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Lebanon,
Malaysia, Namibia, Philippines, Sudan, Swaziland.
40. Before the draft resolution was adopted, the representatives of Lebanon,
Algeria, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Tunisia made statements; after it was
adopted, statements were made by the representatives of the Islamic Republic
of Iran, Swaziland and Cuba.
41. The representative of Ecuador made a statement.
Mainstreaming the human rights of women
42. At the 12th meeting, on 20 March, the representative of Australia, on
behalf of Argentina, 69/ Australia, Canada, 69/ the Congo, Costa Rica, Cyprus,
Finland, 69/ Ghana, 69/ Malaysia, the Netherlands, 69/ New Zealand, 69/
Nigeria, 69/ Norway, Poland, 69/ Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Romania, 69/
Sweden, 69/ Switzerland 69/ and Togo, introduced a draft resolution
(E/CN.6/1996/L.4) entitled "Mainstreaming the human rights of women".
Subsequently, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, 69/ Belgium, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Cameroon, 69/ Chile, Colombia, Co^te d'Ivoire, 69/ Denmark, 69/ the
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, 69/ France, Gabon, 69/ Germany, 69/
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, 69/ Iceland, 69/ Ireland, 69/ Israel, 69/
Italy, 69/ Japan, Kyrgyzstan, 69/ Lesotho, 69/ Liechtenstein, 69/ Mali,
Morocco, 69/ Namibia, Nepal, 69/ Panama, 69/ Peru, 69/ the Philippines,
Senegal, 69/ Slovakia, Slovenia, 69/ South Africa, 69/ Spain, 69/ Thailand,
Turkey, 69/ the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland, 69/ the United Republic of Tanzania, 69/ Zambia and
Zimbabwe joined in sponsoring the draft resolution.
43. At the 15th meeting, on 22 March, the representative of Australia orally
revised the fifth preambular paragraph of the draft resolution by replacing
the word "Welcoming" by the words "Reaffirming the importance of".
44. At the same meeting, the Commission adopted the draft resolution, as
orally revised (see chap. I, sect. C, Commission resolution 40/3).
Traffic in women and girls
45. At the 12th meeting, on 20 March, the representative of the Philippines,
on behalf of Argentina, 69/ Costa Rica, Co^te d'Ivoire, 69/ Fiji, 69/
Ghana, 69/ Indonesia, Israel, 69/ Nigeria, 69/ Panama, 69/ the Philippines and
Thailand, introduced a draft resolution (E/CN.6/1996/L.5) entitled "Traffic in
women and girls". Subsequently, Angola, Bangladesh, 69/ Belgium, Benin, 69/
Burkina Faso, 69/ Cameroon, 69/ the Congo, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Ethiopia, 69/ France, Gabon, 69/ Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, 69/ Malaysia,
Mali, Peru, 69/ the Russian Federation, Senegal, 69/ South Africa, 69/
Switzerland, 69/ Togo, Viet Nam 69/ and Zambia 69/ joined in sponsoring the
draft resolution, which read as follows:
"The Commission on the Status of Women,
"Reaffirming its faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity
and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women,
enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the
principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women, the International Covenants on Human Rights, the Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the
Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women,
"Recalling General Assembly resolutions 49/166 of 23 December 1994
and 50/167 of 22 December 1995, Commission on the Status of Women
resolution 39/6 of 29 March 1995 and Commission on Human Rights
resolutions 1994/45 of 4 March 1994 and 1995/25 of 3 March 1995 on the
traffic in women and girls,
"Concurring with the conclusions and recommendations made by recent
international conferences, including the World Conference on Human
Rights in Vienna, the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen,
the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo and
the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, on the human rights of
women and girl children, in particular with respect to the violation of
those rights by their being forced into sexually or economically
oppressive and exploitative situations for the profit of recruiters,
traffickers and crime syndicates, as well as into other illegal
activities related to trafficking, such as forced domestic labour, false
marriages, child marriages, clandestine employment and false adoption,
"Acknowledging that the problem of trafficking also victimizes young
boys,
"Welcoming the decision of the Commission on Crime Prevention and
Criminal Justice in its resolution 3/2 of 6 May 1994 to consider the
international traffic in minors at its fourth session, in the context of
its discussion on the question of organized transnational crime, and the
adoption by the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and
Protection of Minorities of resolution 1994/5, in which the
Subcommission recommended that Governments adopt legislation to prevent
child prostitution and child pornography,
"Concerned about the increasing number of women and girl children
from developing countries and from some countries with economies in
transition who are being victimized by traffickers, and noting the
misuse of advanced information technology for pornographic and
trafficking purposes,
"Realizing the urgent need for the adoption of effective measures at
the national, regional and international levels to protect women and
girl children from this nefarious traffic,
"1. Welcomes the Programme of Action of the International
Conference on Population and Development, held at Cairo from 5 to 13
September 1994, which, inter alia, called upon all Governments to
prevent all international trafficking in migrants, especially for the
purpose of prostitution, and for the adoption by Governments of both
receiving countries and countries of origin of effective sanctions
against those who organize undocumented migration, exploit undocumented
migrants or engage in trafficking in undocumented migrants, especially
those who engage in any form of international trafficking in women and
girl children;
"2. Calls for the implementation of the Platform for Action of the
Fourth World Conference on Women by Governments of countries of origin,
transit and destination and regional and international organizations, as
appropriate:
"(a) By considering the ratification and enforcement of
international conventions on trafficking in persons and on slavery;
"(b) By taking appropriate measures to address the root factors,
including external factors, that encourage trafficking in women and
girls for prostitution and other forms of commercialized sex, forced
marriages and forced labour in order to eliminate trafficking in women,
including by strengthening existing legislation with a view to providing
better protection of the rights of women and girls and to punishing the
perpetrators, through both criminal and civil measures;
"(c) By stepping up cooperation and concerted action by all relevant
law enforcement authorities and institutions with a view to dismantling
national, regional and international networks in trafficking;
"(d) By allocating resources to provide comprehensive programmes
designed to heal and rehabilitate into society victims of trafficking,
including through job training and the provision of legal assistance and
confidential health care, as well as by taking measures to cooperate
with non-governmental organizations to provide for the social, medical
and psychological care of the victims of trafficking;
"(e) By developing educational and training programmes and policies
and considering enacting legislation aimed at preventing sex tourism and
trafficking, giving special emphasis to the protection of young women
and children;
"3. Invites Governments to consider the development of standard
minimum rules for the humanitarian treatment of trafficked persons,
consistent with internationally recognized human rights standards;
"4. Encourages Governments, relevant organizations and bodies of
the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations and
non-governmental organizations to gather and share information relative
to all aspects of trafficking in women and girl children in order to
facilitate the development of anti-trafficking measures, and to adopt
appropriate measures to create wider public awareness of the problem;
"5. Calls upon all Governments to take appropriate measures to
prevent the misuse and exploitation by traffickers of such economic
activities as the development of tourism and the export of labour and
the use of advanced information technology, including cyberspace;
"6. Encourages the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human
Rights on violence against women and the Special Rapporteur of the
Commission of Human Rights on the sale of children, child prostitution
and child pornography, as well as the Working Group on Contemporary
Forms of Slavery of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination
and Protection of Minorities, to continue to pay special attention to
the problem of trafficking in women and girl children, and to submit a
report thereon to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session,
through the usual channels;
"7. Reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to focus the
International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December 1996, on the
problem of trafficking in human persons, especially women and children,
and to devote one meeting of the fifty-first session of the General
Assembly to the discussion of this problem;
"8. Encourages the holding of an international conference on
trafficking;
"9. Decides to remain seized of this matter and to examine, at its
forty-first session, the reports of the Special Rapporteurs and relevant
organizations and bodies, with a view to making appropriate
recommendations to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session,
through the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of
1996."
46. At the 15th and 16th meetings, on 22 March, the representative of the
Philippines read out revisions to the draft resolution.
47. At the 16th meeting, the Commission adopted the draft resolution, as
orally revised (see chap. I, sect. C, Commission resolution 40/4).
International Research and Training Institute for the
Advancement of Women
48. At the 14th meeting, on 21 March, the representative of Costa Rica, on
behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the
Group of 77 and China, introduced a draft resolution (E/CN.6/1996/L.6)
entitled "International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of
Women". Subsequently, Turkey joined in sponsoring the draft resolution.
49. At the 16th meeting, on 22 March, the representative of Costa Rica
orally revised operative paragraph 4 of the draft resolution by replacing the
word "important" by the word "special".
50. At the same meeting, the Commission adopted the draft resolution, as
orally revised (see chap. I, sect. C, Commission resolution 40/5).
Violence against women migrant workers
51. At the 14th meeting, on 21 March, the representative of the Philippines,
on behalf of Fiji, 69/ Ghana, 69/ Israel 69/ and the Philippines, introduced
and orally revised a draft resolution (E/CN.6/1996/L.7) entitled "Violence
against women migrant workers". Subsequently,Costa Rica, the Dominican
Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal 69/ joined in sponsoring the draft
resolution, which read as follows:
"The Commission on the Status of Women,
"Bearing in mind the Charter of the United Nations, which reaffirms
faith in human rights and fundamental freedoms, in the dignity and worth
of the human person, and in the equal rights of women and men,
"Reaffirming the principles set forth in the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women,
"Recalling General Assembly resolutions 47/96 of 16 December 1992,
48/110 of 20 December 1993, 49/165 of 23 December 1994 and 50/168 of
22 December 1995 and Commission on the Status of Women resolutions 38/7
of 18 March 1994 and 39/7 of 31 March 1995, as well as the Declaration
on the Elimination of Violence against Women adopted by the General
Assembly at its forty-eighth session,
"Welcoming the conclusions and recommendations made by recent
international conferences, including the World Conference on Human
Rights held in Vienna in June 1993, the International Conference on
Population and Development held in Cairo in September 1994, the World
Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen in March 1995 and the
Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in September 1995, on
the promotion and protection of the rights and fundamental freedoms of
women, in particular women migrant workers,
"Noting the large numbers of women from developing countries and
from some countries with economies in transition who continue to venture
forth to more affluent countries in search of a living for themselves
and their families as a consequence of poverty, unemployment and other
socio-economic conditions,
"Recognizing that it is the duty of sending countries to protect and
promote the interests of their citizens who seek or receive employment
in other countries, to provide them with appropriate training/education
and to apprise them of their rights and obligations in the countries of
employment,
"Aware of the moral obligation of receiving or host countries to
ensure the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons within
their boundaries, including migrant workers, who are doubly vulnerable
because of their gender and their being foreigners,
"Noting the measures adopted by some receiving States to alleviate
the plight of women migrant workers residing within their areas of
jurisdiction,
"Noting with concern, however, the continuing reports of grave
abuses and acts of violence committed against women migrant workers by
some of their employers in some host countries,
"Stressing that acts of violence directed against women impair or
nullify women's enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental
freedoms,
"1. Reiterates its call for States Members of the United Nations to
adopt measures for the effective implementation of the Declaration on
the Elimination of Violence against Women, including their application
to women migrant workers;
"2. Invites States concerned, specifically those sending and
receiving women migrant workers, to conduct regular consultations for
the purpose of identifying problem areas in promoting and protecting the
rights of women migrant workers and ensuring health, legal and social
services for them, adopting specific measures to address these problems,
setting up, as appropriate, linguistically and culturally accessible
services and mechanisms to implement those measures and, in general,
creating conditions that foster greater harmony and tolerance between
women migrant workers and the rest of society in which they reside;
"3. Encourages States Members of the United Nations, particularly
those from which women migrant workers originate and those that play
host to them, to ensure the protection of the rights and fundamental
freedoms of women migrant workers as defined by international
conventions and agreements and by the outcome of recent international
conferences;
"4. Calls upon States Members to adopt and/or implement and
periodically review and analyse legislation to ensure its effectiveness
in eliminating violence against women, including women migrant workers,
emphasizing the prevention of violence and the prosecution of offenders,
to take measures for the protection of women, particularly women migrant
workers, who are subjected to violence, and to ensure access to just and
effective remedies, including compensation and indemnification and
healing of victims, and rehabilitation of perpetrators;
"5. Encourages Member States to consider signing and ratifying or
acceding to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights
of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families;
"6. Calls upon States to explore the possibility of adopting
measures to prevent the victimization of women migrant workers by sexual
traffickers and to penalize those traffickers, including the
ratification of the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in
Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others;
"7. Calls for the organization/establishment of a mechanism under
the aegis of the Centre for Human Rights/United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, in coordination with the Division for the
Advancement of Women, to be funded from the existing funds of relevant
United Nations bodies and from voluntary contributions by
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, which would have
the following functions, among others:
"(a) Conduct continuing studies on the situation of migrant workers
on a global and/or regional basis;
"(b) Disseminate information on migrant worker issues;
"(c) Provide training and information to migrant workers to enable
them to assert their rights and fundamental freedoms;
"(d) Make recommendations on measures to address, from cross-
sectoral, interregional, regional and subregional perspectives, the
issues affecting migrant workers, in particular women migrant workers;
"(e) Serve as a forum for the exchange of views, expertise and the
like on migrant workers;
"(f) Organize seminars, consultations and conferences on issues
affecting migrant workers, particularly women migrant workers;
"8. Reiterates its recommendation to the Commission on Human Rights
to make the protection and promotion of the rights of women migrant
workers one of its priority concerns, and for the Special Rapporteur of
the Commission to continue to include among the urgent issues pertaining
to her mandate the violence perpetrated against women migrant workers;
"9. Welcomes the scheduled holding from 27 to 30 May 1996 of the
United Nations Expert Group meeting on the issue of violence against
women migrant workers, and requests that the Group's report be submitted
to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session, through the Economic
and Social Council, and that recommendations for concrete indicators to
determine the situation of women migrant workers in sending and
receiving countries be included in the report of the Secretary-General
to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session, together with the
reports of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and of
relevant United Nations bodies and intergovernmental and
non-governmental organizations."
52. At the 16th meeting, on 22 March, the representative of the Philippines,
on behalf of the sponsors, read out further revisions to the draft resolution.
53. At the same meeting, the Commission adopted the draft resolution, as
orally revised (see chap. I, sect. C, Commission resolution 40/6).
Attainment of strategic objectives and action to be taken
in the critical area of concern: women and the media
54. At the 14th meeting, on 21 March, the representative of Costa Rica, on
behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the
Group of 77 and China, introduced and orally revised a draft resolution
(E/CN.6/1996/L.8) entitled "Attainment of strategic objectives and action to
be taken in critical areas: women and the media". The draft resolution read
as follows:
"The Commission on the Status of Women,
"Recalling the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against
Women, adopted in 1993,
"Referring to the Toronto Platform for Action concerning the access
of women journalists to expression and decision-making,
"1. Reaffirms the provisions of the Platform for Action adopted by
the Fourth World Conference on Women, in particular paragraphs 131 and
135 concerning religious intolerance, extremist violence and terrorism
suffered by women because of their place in society and their sex;
"2. Also reaffirms paragraph 145 (f) of the Platform for Action,
which states that Governments and international and regional
organizations should call upon the international community to condemn
and act against all forms and manifestations of terrorism, emphasizing
the prevention of violence against women in general and women
journalists in particular who, because of their profession, are an easy
and preferred target of acts of violence and intolerance and terrorist
attacks;
"3. Condemns the murders and acts of violence and terrorism
committed against women journalists, particularly in Algeria, because of
their sex and their profession;
"4. Pays a warm tribute to all the women who continue, with
courage, sacrifice and determination, to make their contribution,
through the media, to improving the status of women;
"5. Appeals to the United Nations, the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization and the international community to
join their efforts in order to intensify, in accordance with the
Platform for Action, efforts to combat terrorism and all forms of
intolerance and violence, which are a major obstacle to achieving the
objectives of equality, development and peace proclaimed in the Nairobi
Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women."
55. At the 16th meeting, on 22 March, the Commission had before it a revised
draft resolution (E/CN.6/1996/L.8/Rev.1), which the representative of Costa
Rica further orally revised on behalf of the sponsors. France, Italy, 69/
Nepal, 69/ Turkey 69/ and the United States of America joined in sponsoring
the revised draft resolution.
56. At the same meeting, the Commission adopted the revised draft
resolution, as further orally revised (see chap. I, sect. C, Commission
resolution 40/7).
Palestinian women
57. At the 14th meeting, on 21 March, the representative of Costa Rica, on
behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the
Group of 77 and China, introduced a draft resolution (E/CN.6/1996/L.9)
entitled "Palestinian women".
58. At the 16th meeting, on 22 March, statements were made by the observers
for the Syrian Arab Republic and Israel.
59. At the same meeting, the Commission adopted the draft resolution by a
recorded vote of 36 to 1, with 7 abstentions (see chap. I, sect. A, draft
resolution I). The voting was as follows:
In favour: Algeria, Angola, Austria, Bahamas, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba,
Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Greece, Guinea,
India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Japan, Libyan
Arab Jamahiriya, Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, Philippines,
Portugal, Republic of Korea, Sudan, Swaziland, Thailand,
Togo, Tunisia.
Against: United States of America.
Abstaining: Australia, Guinea-Bissau, Lebanon, Mali, 70/ Norway,
Russian Federation, Slovakia.
60. Before the draft resolution was adopted, the representative of the
United States of America made a statement; after it was adopted, statements
were made by the representatives of Australia, Norway, the Islamic Republic of
Iran and the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
61. The observer for Palestine also made a statement.
Implementation of strategic objectives and action in the
critical areas of concern: poverty
62. At the 12th meeting, on 20 March, the representative of Costa Rica (on
behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the
Group of 77 and China) introduced and orally revised a draft resolution
(E/CN.6/1996/L.10) entitled "Implementation of strategic objectives and action
in the critical area of concern: poverty". The draft resolution read as
follows:
"The Commission on the Status of Women,
"Recalling General Assembly resolutions 43/195 of 20 December 1988,
44/212 of 22 December 1989, 45/213 of 21 December 1990, 46/141 of
17 December 1991, 47/197 of 22 December 1992, 48/184 of 21 December 1993
and 49/110 of 19 December 1994 related to international cooperation for
the eradication of poverty in developing countries,
"Recalling General Assembly resolution 50/107 of 20 December 1995 on
the observance of the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
and proclamation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication
of Poverty,
"Reaffirming the importance of the outcome of the Fourth World
Conference on Women, held in Beijing from 4 to 15 September 1995, as
well as all the United Nations major conferences and summits organized
since 1990, in particular the World Summit for Children, held in New
York in September 1990, and the World Summit for Social Development,
held in Copenhagen in March 1995,
70/ The delegation of Mali subsequently indicated that it had intended
to vote in favour of the draft resolution.
"Reaffirming General Assembly resolution 50/203 of 22 December 1995
on the follow-up of the Fourth World Conference on Women,
"Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on poverty,
"Recognizing that the eradication of poverty requires the full and
equal participation of women, in particular in the formulation and
implementation of policies that affect them, so as to enable them to
become genuine partners in development,
"Emphasizing that empowering women is a critical factor in the
eradication of poverty, since women constitute the majority of people
living in poverty, and since they contribute to the economy and to
combating poverty through their work at home, in the community and in
the workplace,
"Recognizing that more women than men live in absolute poverty and
the imbalance is on the increase, resulting in their limited access to
income, resources, education, health care, nutrition, shelter and safe
water in all developing countries, in particular African countries and
the least developed countries,
"Bearing in mind that the increasing number of women living in
poverty in developing countries, especially in the rural areas and urban
slums, requires the urgent action of the international community and the
adoption of concrete actions and measures at the national and regional
levels towards the eradication of poverty within the framework of the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted by the Fourth World
Conference on Women,
"Stressing the necessity of promoting and implementing policies to
create a supportive international economic environment, through,
inter alia, alleviation of the external debt burden and the negative
impact of structural adjustment programmes, through mobilization and/or
the provision of new and additional financial resources that are both
adequate and predictable, and by ensuring equitable terms of trade and
increased access of women in developing countries to markets, productive
investments and technologies,
"1. Recognizes the central role that women play in the eradication
of poverty, and recommends their full and equal participation in the
formulation and implementation of policies that affect them so as to
enable them to become genuine partners in development;
"2. Recognizes also that the eradication of poverty is both a
complex and a multidimensional problem and fundamental to reinforcing
equality, peace and development;
"3. Urges all Governments, the United Nations system, including the
Bretton Woods institutions, and civil society to implement the Platform
for Action in its entirety;
"4. Recommends that in order to attain the goals of eradicating the
feminization of poverty as set out in the Platform for Action, the
following actions, inter alia, be undertaken:
"(a) Development and implementation of education, training and
retraining policies for women and girls;
"(b) Promotion and protection of women's rights to full and equal
access to economic resources, including the right to inheritance and to
ownership of land and other property, credit, natural resources and
appropriate technologies;
"(c) Promotion of the participation of women at all levels of
decision-making;
"(d) Mainstreaming of a gender perspective in the design of policies
and programmes for the eradication of poverty;
"(e) Development of national strategies for promoting employment and
self-employment, including entrepreneurial and organizational skills in
order to generate income for women;
"(f) Adoption of policies to ensure that all women have adequate
economic and social protection during unemployment, ill health,
maternity, child-bearing, widowhood, disability and old age;
"(g) Development of gender-based methodologies and conducting of
research to address the contribution of women to the economy, the
feminization of poverty and the economic and social impact of debt and
structural adjustment programmes in all developing countries, in
particular African countries and the least developed countries;
"(h) Reduction, as appropriate, of excessive military expenditures
and investments for arms production and acquisition, consistent with
national security requirements, in order to increase resources for
social and economic development;
"5. Calls for the urgent implementation of the outcome of all other
major United Nations conferences and summits related to the eradication
of poverty;
"6. Calls upon States to undertake commitments 2 and 5 of the
Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development, and calls upon all
relevant international actors to implement promptly the actions for the
eradication of poverty, as contained in the Programme of Action of the
World Summit for Social Development;
"7. Stresses that the United Nations system, including the Bretton
Woods institutions, should play a central role in enhancing financial
and technical support and assistance for developing countries,
particularly African countries and the least developed countries, in
their efforts to achieve the objectives set forth in the Beijing
Declaration and Platform for Action, particularly the goal of the
eradication of the feminization of poverty;
"8. Stresses the importance of using all available funding sources
and mechanisms, with a view to contributing towards the goal of poverty
eradication and targeting women living in poverty;
"9. Invites all countries, the United Nations system, including the
Bretton Woods institutions, other relevant international organizations,
non-governmental organizations, the private sector and all other sectors
to contribute to the implementation of programmes aimed at eradicating
poverty;
"10. Recommends that the Economic and Social Council, when
considering the theme "Coordination of the United Nations system
activities for poverty eradication" at its substantive session for 1996,
ensure that the relevant organs of the United Nations system take fully
into account the gender perspective in their activities for the
eradication of poverty, and requests the Council to recommend to the
General Assembly that the gender dimension of poverty be incorporated
into the plan of action of the first United Nations Decade for the
Eradication of Poverty;
"11. Requests the Secretary-General to report on the implementation
of the present resolution in the framework of the first United Nations
Decade for the Eradication of Poverty;
"12. Also requests the Secretary-General to keep in mind the poverty
dimension in the implementation and review of reports on all other
critical areas of concern set out in the Platform for Action, taking
into consideration the many links between the eradication of poverty and
the other critical areas of concern."
63. At the 16th meeting, on 22 March, the Commission had before it a draft
resolution (E/CN.6/1996/L.14) entitled "Implementation of strategic objectives
and action in the critical area of concern: poverty", submitted by the
Chairperson as the basis for informal consultations. The draft resolution
read as follows:
"The Commission on the Status of Women,
"1st preambular paragraph. Recalling General Assembly resolution
49/110 of 19 December 1994 and other relevant resolutions of the
Assembly related to international cooperation for the eradication of
poverty in developing countries,
"2nd preambular paragraph. Recalling also Assembly resolution
50/107 of 20 December 1995 on the observance of the International Year
for the Eradication of Poverty and proclamation of the first United
Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty,
"3rd preambular paragraph. Reaffirming the importance of the
outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing from 4
to 15 September 1995 as well as all the United Nations major conferences
and summits organized since 1990, in particular the World Summit for
Social Development held in Copenhagen in March 1995, [Placement to be
decided]
"3 bis preambular paragraph. Recognizing that the eradication of
poverty will require the implementation and integration of strategies at
the national and international levels in all the critical areas of
concern in the Platform for Action [including, inter alia, health,
education and human rights],
"4th preambular paragraph. Reaffirming General Assembly resolution
50/203 of 22 December 1995 on the follow-up to the Fourth World
Conference on Women,
"5th preambular paragraph. Taking note of the report of the
Secretary-General on poverty in the follow-up to the Fourth World
Conference on Women and of the discussion that took place on this issue
during the fortieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women,
"5 bis preambular paragraph. Reaffirming General Assembly
resolutions 50/173 of 22 December 1995 on the United Nations Decade for
Human Rights Education, 1995-2004, and 49/184 of 23 December 1994, in
which the Assembly expressed the conviction that each woman, man and
child, to realize their full human potential, must be made aware of all
their human rights - civil, cultural, economic, political and social
[and of the right to development],
"5 ter preambular paragraph. Recognizing that mainstreaming a
gender perspective into all policies and programmes aimed at combating
poverty is crucial, as women constitute the majority of the world's
people living in poverty,
"5 quater preambular paragraph. Recognizing also that the full
implementation of the human rights of women and of the girl child, as an
inalienable, integral and indivisible part of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms, is essential for the advancement of women,
"5 quinquiens preambular paragraph. Recognizing further that the
commitment of Governments is of fundamental importance in combating
poverty and in improving living conditions for women and men,
"6th preambular paragraph. Recognizing further that national and
international efforts to eradicate poverty require full and equal
participation of women in the formulation and implementation of policies
that take fully into account the gender perspective and that empower
women to be full partners in development,
"7th preambular paragraph. Emphasizing that empowering of women is
a critical factor in the eradication of poverty, since women constitute
the majority of people living in poverty and contribute to the economy
and to the combating of poverty through their work at home, in the
community, and in the workplace,
"7 bis preambular paragraph. Recognizing that poverty is a global
problem affecting all countries and that the complexity of poverty,
including the feminization of poverty, requires a wide range of measures
and actions, at the national and the regional level, giving particular
priority to the situation of women living in poverty,
"8th preambular paragraph. Recognizing also that more women than
men live in absolute poverty and that the imbalance is on the increase,
resulting in the limited access of women to income, resources,
education, health care, nutrition, shelter and safe water in all
developing countries, particularly in Africa and in the least developed
countries,
"8 bis preambular paragraph. Recognizing further that a large
number of women in countries with economies in transition are also
affected by poverty,
"9th preambular paragraph. Bearing in mind that the increasing
number of women living in poverty in developing countries, especially in
the rural and urban areas, requires action by the international
community in support of actions and measures at the national and
regional levels towards the eradication of poverty within the framework
of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action,
"10th preambular paragraph. Stressing the necessity for promoting
and implementing policies to create a supportive external economic
environment, through, inter alia, cooperation in the formulation and
implementation of macroeconomic policies, trade liberalization,
mobilization and/or the provision of new and additional financial
resources that are both adequate and predictable and mobilized in a way
that maximizes the availability of such resources for sustainable
development, using all available funding sources and mechanisms,
enhanced financial stability and ensuring increased access of developing
countries to global markets, productive investment and technologies, and
appropriate knowledge,
"OP1. Recognizes the central role that women play in the
eradication of poverty, and stresses the need for their full and equal
participation in the formulation and implementation of policies that
take fully into account the gender perspective and that empower women to
be full partners in development;
"OP1 bis. Stresses that the empowerment and autonomy of women and
the improvement of women's social, economic and political status are
essential for the eradication of poverty and that the full and equal
participation of women in decision-making at all levels is an integral
part of the process;
"OP2. Recognizes that the eradication of poverty is both a complex
and a multidimensional issue, and fundamental to promoting equality
between men and women as well as to reinforcing peace and achieving
sustainable development;
"OP2 bis. [Reaffirms that the promotional protection of, and
respect for, all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the
human rights of women and the right to development, which are universal,
indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, should be mainstreamed
into all policies and programmes aimed at the eradication of poverty,
and reaffirms as well the need to take measures to ensure that every
person is entitled to participate in, to contribute to, and to enjoy
economic, social, cultural and political development;]
"OP2 ter. Stresses that mainstreaming the gender perspective
implies examining the ways in which women and men are affected by
poverty, the different assets they possess to address the question and
their respective contributions and potentials;
"OP2 quater. Also stresses that both mainstreaming and other
positive actions should be regarded as complementary strategies aimed at
elaborating the full release of women's and men's development potential
and at eradicating poverty;
"OP2 quinquiens. Urges all Governments to fulfil their commitments
in the Platform for Action to develop, preferably by the end of 1996,
national implementation strategies or plans of action that should also
focus on the eradication of absolute poverty and the reduction of
overall poverty, with targets, benchmarks for monitoring and proposals
for allocation or reallocation of resources for implementation,
including resources for undertaking gender impact analysis; where
necessary the support of the international community could be enlisted,
including resources;
"OP3. [Urges all Governments, the United Nations system, including
the Bretton Woods institutions, and civil society, to implement the
Platform for Action in its entirety;] [, including undertaking gender
impact analysis;]
"OP4. Emphasizes that, in addition to the commitments and
recommendations regarding the eradication of poverty outlined in the
Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development and in
the Platform for Action adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women,
measures should be undertaken specifically in the context of the
Platform for Action to address the feminization of poverty and to
mainstream a gender perspective in all policies and programmes for the
eradication of poverty, including, inter alia, measures to:
"(a) Develop and implement education, training and retraining
policies for women and girls;
"(b) Undertake legislative and administrative reforms to give women
full and equal access to economic resources, including the right to
inheritance and to ownership of land and other property, credit, natural
resources and appropriate technologies;
"(c) Promote the participation of women at all levels of decision-
making;
"(d) Develop national strategies for promoting employment and self-
employment, including entrepreneurial and organizational skills, in
order to generate income for women;
"(e) Adopt policies to ensure that all women have adequate economic
and social protection during unemployment, ill health, maternity, child-
bearing, widowhood, disability and old age and that women, men and
society share responsibilities for child and other dependant care;
"(e bis) Restructure and target the allocation of public
expenditures to promote women's economic opportunities and equal access
to productive resources and to address the basic social, educational and
health needs of women, particularly those living in poverty;
"(f) Develop gender-based methodologies and conduct research [for
use in designing a more effective policy to recognize and value the full
contribution of women to the economy through all forms of work and
employment and to address the feminization of poverty, in particular the
relationship between unremunerated work and women's vulnerability to
poverty;] [delete: to address the contribution of women to the economy,
the feminization of poverty, and the economic and social impact of debt
and structural adjustment programmes in all developing countries,
particularly in Africa, and in the least developed countries;]
"(f bis) [Analyse, from a gender perspective, macroeconomic and
micro-economic policies, including structural adjustment policies and
programmes and the allocation of public expenditures, which should be
designed and implemented with the full and equal participation of women
so as to avoid negative impacts on women living in poverty;]
"(g) Reduce excessive military expenditures and investments for arms
production and acquisition, as is appropriate and consistent with
national security requirements, in order to increase resources for
social and economic development;
"OP4 bis. Calls for the implementation of the outcome of all other
major United Nations conferences related to the eradication of poverty;
"OP5. Calls upon States to undertake all commitments of the
Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development, taking into account
commitments 2 and 5 and the linkages between them, in their efforts to
eradicate poverty, and also calls upon all relevant actors to implement
promptly the actions and measures for the eradication of poverty, as
contained in the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social
Development;
"OP5 bis. Stresses the need to fully integrate a gender perspective
into the work of all thematic task forces relating to the eradication of
poverty established by the Administrative Committee on Coordination, as
well as the importance of establishing the proposed inter-agency
committee on the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women;
"OP5 ter. Recommends that a United Nations system-wide effort
should be undertaken to review existing indicators, strengthen gender
impact analysis of the design and implementation of economic reform
programmes, develop complementary, qualitative assessments, and
standardize measures and promote their implementation, and stresses that
this effort will necessitate effective coordination;
"OP5 quater. Also recommends that the secretariats of the United
Nations system, including the Bretton Woods institutions, incorporate a
coherent method of including both the mainstreaming of the gender
perspective and specific gender programmes to achieve equality between
women and men in the operational activities, staffing and decision-
making sphere of the system;
"OP6. Stresses that the United Nations system, including the
Bretton Woods institutions, should play a central role in enhancing
financial and technical support and assistance for developing countries,
particularly African countries and least developed countries, in their
efforts to achieve the objectives of the eradication of poverty and the
full integration of a gender perspective into all policies and
programmes, as set forth in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action, particularly the goal of the eradication of poverty;
"OP6 bis. Recognizes that the implementation of the Platform for
Action in the countries with economies in transition will also require
continued international cooperation and assistance, in support of
national efforts;
"OP7. Stresses the importance of using all available funding
sources and mechanisms with a view to contributing towards the goal of
poverty eradication and targeting of women living in poverty;
"OP7 bis. Calls upon States committed to the initiative of
allocation of 20 per cent of official development assistance and
20 per cent of the national budget to basic social programmes to fully
integrate a gender perspective into its implementation, as called for in
paragraph 16 of General Assembly resolution 50/203;
"OP8. Invites all countries, the United Nations system, including
the Bretton Woods institutions, relevant international organizations,
non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and all other
sectors to contribute to the implementation of programmes aimed at
eradicating poverty;
"OP8 bis. Stresses the need for a coherent and coordinated approach
among all partners in development in the implementation of national
poverty eradication plans or programmes that fully take into account the
gender perspective;
"OP8 ter. Also stresses the need for gender-sensitive training,
with the assistance of United Nations organizations, of those
responsible for the formulation and implementation of development
policies and programmes;
"OP8 quater. Further stresses the important role of
non-governmental organizations as actors involved at the grass-roots
level in the policy dialogue designed to reach women through poverty
eradication programmes and calls for further efforts to identify ways by
which those non-governmental organizations could contribute to the
implementation of such programmes;
"OP9. Recommends that the Economic and Social Council, when
examining the "Coordination of the activities of the United Nations
system for the eradication of poverty" as the theme for the coordination
segment of the substantive session of 1996 of the Council, ensure that
the relevant organs of the United Nations system take fully into account
the gender perspective in their activities for the eradication of
poverty, and, likewise, requests that the Council recommend to the
General Assembly that the gender dimension of poverty be incorporated
into all activities and documentation related to the first United
Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty;
"OP9 bis. Stresses the need to fully integrate a gender perspective
into the coordinated follow-up to major United Nations conferences and
summits and recommends that the Economic and Social Council examine, on
a regular basis, the extent to which gender factors have been taken into
account in the recommendations of all the concerned functional
commissions;
"OP10. Requests the Secretary-General to keep in mind the
multidimensional nature of poverty in the implementation and review of
reports on all other critical areas of concern, taking into
consideration the many links between the eradication of poverty and
those other critical areas of concern;
"OP11. Also requests the Secretary-General to report on the
implementation of the present resolution within the framework of his
report on action envisaged to be taken in preparation for the First
United Nations Decade on the Eradication of Poverty."
64. At the same meeting, the observer for Canada, as facilitator of informal
consultations on the topic, informed the Commission of the changes to the
draft resolution agreed upon during informal consultations.
65. The Commission then agreed to waive rule 52 of the rules of procedure of
the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council and take action
on the draft resolution, as orally revised.
66. Statements were made by the observers for Italy (on behalf of the States
Members of the United Nations that are members of the European Union), who
proposed an amendment to the draft resolution, and Canada.
67. Also at the 16th meeting, the Commission adopted the draft resolution,
as orally revised and amended (see chap. I, sect. C, Commission resolution
40/9).
68. Statements were made by the representatives of the Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya and the Islamic Republic of Iran and the observer for Guatemala.
69. In the light of the adoption of draft resolution E/CN.6/1996/L.14, draft
resolution E/CN.6/1996/L.10 was withdrawn by the sponsors.
Methods of work for dealing with the implementation of
the Platform for Action adopted by the Fourth World
Conference on Women
70. At the 14th meeting, on 21 March, the representative of the Philippines
introduced draft agreed conclusions (E/CN.6/1996/L.12) on methods of work for
dealing with the implementation of the Platform for Action adopted by the
Fourth World Conference on Women, which were submitted by her as coordinator
of the informal consultations held on agenda item 3.
71. At the 15th meeting, on 22 March, the representative of Costa Rica (on
behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the
Group of 77 and China) made a statement.
72. At the same meeting, the representative of the Philippines orally
revised the draft agreed conclusions as a result of further informal
consultations held by her as coordinator.
73. The representatives of Costa Rica (on behalf of the States Members of
the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77 and China) and Algeria
proposed amendments to the draft agreed conclusions.
74. Statements were made by the representatives of Costa Rica, Mexico and
the Russian Federation and the observer for Canada.
75. The observer for Italy (on behalf of the States Members of the United
Nations that are members of the European Union) proposed an amendment to the
draft agreed conclusions.
76. A statement was made by the representative of Namibia.
77. Also at the 15th meeting, the Commission approved the draft agreed
conclusions, as orally revised and as amended by the observer for Italy, and
agreed to include them in its final report (see chap. I, sect. C, agreed
conclusions 1996/1).
78. The representative of the Russian Federation made a statement.
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women
79. At the 14th meeting, on 21 March, the representative of the Philippines
introduced a draft resolution (E/CN.6/1996/L.13) entitled "Follow-up to the
Fourth World Conference on Women", which was submitted by her as coordinator
of the informal consultations held on agenda item 3. The draft resolution
read as follows:
"The Economic and Social Council,
"Welcoming the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women and
the adoption of its Platform for Action,
"Bearing in mind Economic and Social Council resolutions ll (II) of
21 June 1946 and 48 (IV) of 29 March 1947, by which the Council
established the Commission on the Status of Women and defined its terms
of reference, and 1987/22 of 26 May 1987, by which the Council expanded
the mandate of the Commission,
"Taking into account agreed conclusions 1995/1, approved by the
Council on 28 July 1995, as well as General Assembly resolution 50/203
of 22 December 1995, on the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on
Women and full implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the
Platform for Action, in which the Assembly invited the Economic and
Social Council to review and strengthen the mandate of the Commission,
I
"Framework for the functioning of the Commission
"Recalling that the Assembly, in resolution 50/203, decided that the
General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Commission on
the Status of Women, in accordance with their respective mandates and
with Assembly resolution 48/162 of 20 December 1993 and other relevant
resolutions, should constitute a three-tiered intergovernmental
mechanism that would play the primary role in the overall policy-making
and follow-up, and in coordinating the implementation and monitoring of
the Platform for Action, reaffirming the need for a coordinated
follow-up to and implementation of the results of major international
conferences in the economic, social and related fields,
"Convinced that the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on
Women should be undertaken on the basis of an integrated approach to the
advancement of women within the framework of a coordinated follow-up to
and implementation of the results of major international conferences in
the economic, social and related fields, as well as the overall
responsibilities of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social
Council,
"1. Decides that the Commission on the Status of Women shall have a
catalytic role in mainstreaming a gender perspective in policies and
programmes;
"2. Decides that the inter-agency committee on the advancement and
empowerment of women, once established by the Administrative Committee
on Coordination, shall inform the Commission and the Economic and Social
Council of the progress of its work, for the purpose of system-wide
coordination, and that a gender perspective shall also be fully
integrated in the work of all thematic task forces established by the
Administrative Committee on Coordination;
"2 bis. [The United Nations Development Fund for Women and the
International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of
Women have, in accordance with their respective mandates, a specific
role to play in the implementation of the strategic objectives of the
Platform for Action];
"2 ter. [Urges the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women to include in its reports to the General Assembly
information on the implementation of the strategic objectives of the
Platform for Action related to the provisions of the Convention,
pursuant to paragraph 36 of General Assembly resolution 50/203];
"3. Decides, in view of the traditional importance of
non-governmental organizations in the advancement of women, that such
organizations should be encouraged to participate in the work of the
Commission and in the monitoring and implementation process related to
the Conference to the maximum extent possible, and requests the
Secretary-General to make appropriate arrangements to ensure full
utilization of existing channels of communication with non-governmental
organizations in order to facilitate broad-based participation and
dissemination of information;
"3 bis. [Recognizing the valuable contribution of non-governmental
organizations to the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Council and
its Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations will decide to review
the applications of those non-governmental organizations under Council
resolution 1296 (XLIV) as expeditiously as possible and that prior to
the forty-first session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the
Council will decide on the participation of those non-governmental
organizations accredited to the Conference in Conference follow-up and
in the work of the Commission on the Status of Women, without prejudice
to the work of the Open-ended Working Group on the Review of
Arrangements for Consultation with Non-Governmental Organizations];
II
"Terms of reference
"1. Confirms the existing mandate of the Commission on the Status
of Women as set out in its resolutions 11 (II) of 21 June 1946, 48 (IV)
of 29 March 1947 and 1987/22 of 26 May 1987, bearing in mind that the
Platform for Action builds upon the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies
for the Advancement of Women;
"2. Decides that the Commission on the Status of Women shall assist
the Economic and Social Council in monitoring, reviewing and appraising
progress achieved and problems encountered in the implementation of the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action at all levels, and shall
advise the Council thereon;
"3. Decides that the Commission on the Status of Women shall
continue to ensure support for mainstreaming a gender perspective in
United Nations activities and develop further its catalytic role in this
regard in other areas;
"4. Decides further that the Commission on the Status of Women
shall identify issues where United Nations system-wide coordination
needs to be improved in order to assist the Council in its coordination
function;
"5. Decides that the Commission shall identify emerging issues,
trends and new approaches to issues affecting the situation of women or
equality between women and men that require urgent consideration and
make substantive recommendations thereon;
"6. Decides that the Commission shall maintain and enhance public
awareness and support for the implementation of the Platform for Action;
III
"Documentation
"1. Requests that all United Nations documentation be kept concise,
clear, analytical and timely with a focus on relevant issues and in
accordance with Council resolution 1987/24 of 26 May 1987 and Council
agreed conclusions 1995/1 of 28 July 1995; that reports contain
recommendations for action and indicate the actors; that reports be
available in all official languages, in accordance with the rules of the
United Nations; and that other methods of reporting, such as oral
reports, also be explored;
"2. Requests that the relevant reports of the meetings of
inter-agency mechanisms established by the Secretary-General be
transmitted for information to the Commission to ensure coordination,
collaboration and coherence in the implementation of the Platform for
Action;
"3. Decides that requests for reports of the Secretary-General
should be limited to the minimum strictly necessary and that the
Secretariat should use information and data already provided by
Governments to the maximum extent possible, avoiding duplication of
requests to Governments for such information;
"4. Decides further that voluntary submission of national
information, for example national action plans or national reports by
Governments, should be encouraged;
"5. Requests that the following reports be prepared under agenda
item 3 (Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women), bearing in
mind the need to promote integrated reporting:
"(a) Report of the Secretary-General on the measures taken and the
progress achieved in mainstreaming a gender perspective within the
United Nations system (annually);
"(b) Analytical report of the Secretary-General on the thematic
issues before the Commission in accordance with the multi-year work
programme, including, as far as possible, progress made in national
implementation, based on available existing data and statistics
(annually);
"(c) Report on emerging issues under agenda item 3 (b),* as
appropriate, at the request of the Commission or its Bureau;
"(d) Synthesized report on implementation plans of Governments and
the United Nations system, based, inter alia, on national action plans
and any other sources of information already available in the United
Nations system (in 1998);
* See sect. IV, para. 3 below.
"(e) Mid-term review of the system-wide medium-term plan (in 1998);
"(f) Report on the implementation of the Platform for Action, on the
basis of national reports, taking into account the Nairobi
Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women (in 2000);
IV
"Work programme of the Commission on the
Status of Women
"1. Adopts a multi-year work programme for a focused and thematic
approach, culminating in a quinquennial review and appraisal of the
Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women; the work
programme, inter alia, will provide a framework to assess the progress
achieved in the implementation of the Platform for Action and will be in
line with the coordinated follow-up to conferences;
"2. Decides that the work of the Commission in relation to the
programme of work shall be closely related to the relevant provisions of
the Platform for Action, with a view to ensuring the effective
implementation of the Platform for Action;
"3. Decides that the agenda for the Commission shall consist of the
following:
"1. Election of officers.
"2. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters.
"3. Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women:
"(a) Review of mainstreaming in organizations of the United
Nations system;
"(b) Emerging issues, trends and new approaches to issues
affecting the situation of women or equality between women
and men;
"(c) Implementation of strategic objectives and action in the
critical areas of concern.
"4. Communications concerning the status of women.
"5. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women, including the elaboration of a
draft optional protocol to the Convention.
"6. Provisional agenda for the forty-second session of the
Commission.
"7. Adoption of the report of the Commission on its forty-first
session.
"4. Decides, in the light of the need for a focused and thematic
multi-year work programme on the critical areas of concern and bearing
in mind that the critical areas of concern are interrelated and
interdependent, on the following calendar:
"1997 Education and training of women (Platform for Action,
chapter IV.B)
Women and the economy (Platform for Action, chapter IV.F)
Women in power and decision-making (Platform for Action,
chapter IV.G)
Women and the environment (Platform for Action,
chapter IV.K)
"1998 Violence against women (Platform for Action, chapter IV.D)
Women and armed conflict (Platform for Action,
chapter IV.E)
Human rights of women (Platform for Action, chapter IV.I)
The girl child (Platform for Action, chapter IV.L)
"1999 Women and health (Platform for Action, chapter IV.C)
Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women
(Platform for Action, chapter IV.H)
Initiation of the comprehensive review and appraisal of
the implementation of the Platform for Action
"2000 Comprehensive quinquennial review and appraisal of the
implementation of the Platform for Action
Emerging issues
V
"Regional [dimension]
"Recalling the important role played by regional preparatory
conferences in the preparations for the Fourth World Conference on Women
and that plans and programmes of action were adopted that served as
essential inputs to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action,
"1. Recommends that the regional follow-up and monitoring of the
regional platforms and programmes of action should be utilized as inputs
for the review and appraisal of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action;
"2. Recommends further that the Council [should] consider how best
to integrate the inputs of regional commissions into the overall
monitoring and follow-up to the Platform for Action."
80. At the 15th meeting, on 22 March, the representative of the Philippines
read out revisions to the draft resolution as a result of further informal
consultations held by her as coordinator.
81. At the same meeting, statements were made by the representatives of the
Russian Federation, Costa Rica (on behalf of the States Members of the United
Nations that are members of the Group of 77 and China), the Philippines and
Bulgaria and the observer for Italy (on behalf of the States Members of the
United Nations that are members of the European Union).
82. The Commission then adopted draft resolution E/CN.6/1996/L.13, as orally
revised (see chap. I, sect. A, draft resolution II, and chap. I, sect. B,
draft decision II).
Comments on the proposed system-wide medium-term plan for the
advancement of women, 1996-2001
83. At the 15th meeting, on 22 March, the observer for Italy, on behalf of
the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the European
Union, introduced a draft resolution (E/CN.6/1996/L.15) entitled "Comments on
the proposed system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women,
1996-2001", which read as follows:
"The Commission on the Status of Women,
"Recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 1985/46, in which
the Council requested the formulation of a system-wide medium-term plan
for women and development, and the resulting Plan, as endorsed by the
Council in its resolution 1987/86,
"Also recalling Council resolution 1988/59, in which the Council
requested the Secretary-General to initiate the formulation of a system-
wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women for the period
1996-2001,
"Noting that the Commission had before it at its thirty-seventh
session a draft system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of
women, 1996-2001, and that in its resolution 1993/16, the Council
adopted the proposal of the Commission on the Status of Women to invite
the Secretary-General to revise the draft plan after the Beijing
Platform for Action and the second review and appraisal of the Nairobi
Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women had been
formulated and adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women,
"Recognizing the role of the Council in overseeing system-wide
coordination in the implementation of the Platform for Action,
"Recalling that Governments have the primary responsibility for
implementing the Platform for Action,
"Further recalling that the Platform for Action needs to be
implemented through the work of all of the organizations and bodies of
the United Nations system as an integral part of system-wide
programming,
"Recognizing that the Platform for Action calls upon the specialized
agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to
strengthen their support for actions at the national level and to
enhance their contributions to coordinated follow-up by the United
Nations, by setting out the specific actions that they will undertake,
including goals and targets for realigning priorities and redirecting
resources to meet the global priorities identified in the Platform for
Action, with a clear delineation of responsibility and accountability,
all of which should be reflected in the system-wide medium-term plan for
the advancement of women, 1996-2001, and stressing in this connection
the need for appropriate mechanisms for coordination and cooperation,
"Aware that the Platform for Action stresses that the responsibility
for ensuring its implementation and the integration of a gender
perspective into all policies and programmes of the United Nations
system must rest at the highest levels,
"Also aware that the Platform for Action recommends that the Council
consider dedicating at least one coordination segment before the year
2000 to coordination of the advancement of women, based on the revised
system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women,
"Further aware that the Platform for Action recommends that the
Council consider dedicating at least one operational activities segment
before the year 2000 to the consideration of development activities
related to gender, based on the revised system-wide medium-term plan for
the advancement of women, with a view to instituting guidelines and
procedures for implementation of the Platform for Action by the funds
and programmes of the United Nations system,
"Mindful that the Platform for Action requests the Secretary-General
to assume responsibility for the coordination of policy within the
United Nations for the implementation of the Platform for Action and for
mainstreaming a system-wide gender perspective in all activities of the
United Nations,
"1. Stresses that the system-wide medium-term plan for the
advancement of women, 1996-2001 should be an effective instrument for
promoting the coordinated implementation of the Beijing Platform for
Action;
"2. Takes note with appreciation of the revised draft plan prepared
by the Ad Hoc Inter-agency Meeting on Women;
"3. Recommends the adoption of the revised draft plan by the
Economic and Social Council, taking into account the comments of the
Commission contained in the annex to the present resolution;
"4. Emphasizes the importance of a coherent approach and of the
strategic orientation/focus of the United Nations system spelt out under
each critical area of concern;
"5. Stresses the importance of institutional follow-up, as well as
gender mainstreaming and capacity-building;
"6. Recommends that the system-wide medium-term plan for the
advancement of women, 1996-2001 serve to orient the policy of the United
Nations Secretariat and as a monitoring and coordination tool for
system-wide progress in implementing actions under each critical area of
concern in the Platform for Action;
"7. Stresses the importance of involving all parts of the United
Nations in the implementation of the Platform for Action, including the
decision-making level;
"8. Invites the United Nations bodies that meet under the auspices
of the Administrative Committee on Coordination to regularly discuss
progress made in implementing activities under each area of critical
concern, in keeping with the long-term programme of work of the
Commission on the Status of Women and the Economic and Social Council,
and to provide up-to-date information in those areas to the Council
through the Commission, taking into consideration the comments made on
the plan by the Commission and other relevant bodies;
"9. Recommends that the Council, through the Commission, undertake
a comprehensive mid-term review of the implementation of the plan as a
basis for future programming and coordination of activities for the
advancement and empowerment of women by the United Nations system,
including a review of progress in mainstreaming a gender perspective in
all activities of the United Nations system;
"10. Invites the Secretary-General to submit to the Council for its
consideration of the draft plan the comments of the Committee for
Programme and Coordination and the Administrative Committee on
Coordination, along with the comments of the Commission;
"11. Recommends that the Administrative Committee on Coordination
and the proposed Inter-Agency Committee on Advancement and Employment of
Women use the plan and comments on it as a basis for monitoring
increasing collaboration and cost-effective approaches to United Nations
system activities for the advancement and empowerment of women,
including the assessment of the need for the preparation of guidelines
on methods for mainstreaming a gender perspective in all United Nations
activities, ensuring accountability and carrying out impact analyses of
gender-aware programmes and policies;
"12. Recommends that the Council request the Secretary-General to
submit to it, through the Commission at its forty-second session, a
progress report on the implementation of the plan;
"13. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure the mainstreaming of a
system-wide gender perspective in all United Nations activities,
including in decision-making as part of the accountability of senior
managers;
"14. Urges the Secretary-General to implement the decision taken by
the General Assembly at its fiftieth session to strengthen the capacity
of the Division on the Advancement of Women of the United Nations
Secretariat, and emphasizes the need to provide the necessary resources
for the comprehensive follow-up of the Platform for Action in the
current revision of the programme budget for the biennium;
"15. Recommends that the Council request the formulation of a new
system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women to cover the
period 2002-2005, and that the Secretary-General, in his capacity as
Chairman of the Administrative Committee on Coordination, submit the new
draft plan to the Council at its substantive session of 2000 in order to
influence the medium-term plans of the individual organizations of the
United Nations system.
"Annex
"COMMENTS OF THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN ON THE
PROPOSED SYSTEM-WIDE MEDIUM-TERM PLAN FOR THE ADVANCEMENT
OF WOMEN, 1996-2001
"I. GENERAL COMMENTS
"1. The system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women,
1996-2001 needs to be more than a compilation of what the
organizations of the United Nations system are doing.
"2. The concept of visible mainstreaming should be better reflected in
the indicative planning of the system.
"3. The list of actors under different critical areas of concern should
not be exclusive.
"4. More emphasis is needed on "policy formulation and guidance", as a
bridge between research and analysis, function and operational
training.
"5. The United Nations Secretariat as a whole should undertake
activities in the critical areas of concern - not only those
entities that have a specific mandate on the advancement of women
and the operational agencies. Certain entities of the Secretariat,
such as the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, the
Department of Political Affairs, the Department for Policy
Coordination and Sustainable Development, the Office of Legal
Affairs and the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, are not included
in these activities. As another example, the Joint and Co-sponsored
United Nations Programme on Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome needs to be better reflected in the
system-wide medium-term plan.
"6. A more strategic orientation on the mainstreaming of a gender
perspective within the work of the United Nations is needed.
"II. SPECIFIC COMMENTS
"A. Women and poverty
"1. More emphasis should be placed on the need for joint efforts by the
United Nations system as regards the use of gender-disaggregated
data and the development of indicators to monitor trends in poverty
from a gender perspective.
"2. Insufficient attention is given to an understanding of the
underlying causes of poverty.
* The proposed system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of
women, 1996-2001 was before the Commission in document E/CN.6/1996/CRP.2.
"3. The integration of a gender dimension in the design and
implementation of both macroeconomic and micro-economic policies,
including structural adjustment programmes, is crucial. The
system-wide medium-term plan highlights this as regards both
research/analysis and operational activities. It is surprising,
however, that no reference is made to the role of the World Bank in
paragraph 29 or to United Nations funds and programmes (the United
Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund
and the United Nations Population Fund).
"4. There is the need for all United Nations bodies to be involved in
development cooperation activities to mainstream a gender
perspective into all their policies and programmes. This would
imply the integration of gender analysis and the development of
gender expertise both at Headquarters and in the field.
"5. The reference to 'family life education' is rather unclear. The
need to integrate education on reproductive and sexual health,
including family planning, into all population and development
programmes should be addressed.
"B. Education and training of women
"6. Action within the United Nations Secretariat should include
analysis and monitoring of data, policy development and
coordination of action by various parts of the United Nations.
Currently action is limited almost exclusively to United Nations
agencies. There are limited references to the Division for the
Advancement of Women of the Department for Policy Coordination and
Sustainable Development and the Department of Public Information.
"7. The United Nations system should consider how to integrate life-
long education and training throughout the activities of the system
and promote similar action at the national level. Appropriate
support mechanisms for teaching in difficult, especially violent,
situations should be established.
"8. Data collection and research should include wider activities of the
Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis.
"9. Data collection should focus on data not currently available.
Existing data may need to be presented in a different format to be
useful to relevant committees but duplication of data collection
should be avoided.
"10. Measures that encourage the participation of girls and women in
science and technology in primary, secondary and further education
should be included.
"C. Women and health
"11. This section should reflect accurately the terminology from the
International Conference on Population and Development and the
Fourth World Conference on Women, that is sexual and reproductive
health and sexual rights instead of health and family planning.
"12. All parts of the Platform for Action need to be implemented at all
levels.
"13. All relevant actors throughout the United Nations, including the
Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis,
the United Nations Population Fund and the Centre for Human Rights
need to be involved.
"14. The role of caregivers should be included. Activities with respect
to HIV/AIDS are welcomed, but the heavy burden of care that is
often placed on caregivers, in particular women, needs to be
addressed.
"15. The general comments need to avoid duplication of activity; it
should be recognized, however, that more than one actor will have
an interest in each area.
"16. The involvement of men needs to be further addressed, as does the
encouragement of men and women to take responsibility for their
sexual and reproductive behaviour.
"17. The Centre for Human Rights should highlight the implications of
sexual rights as a human rights issue.
"D. Violence against women
"18. Actions contained in the system-wide medium-term plan in relation
to strategic objective D.3 (Eliminate trafficking in women and
assist victims of violence due to prostitution and trafficking) of
the Platform for Action are very limited, as is the list of
organizations involved.
"E. Women and armed conflict
"19. The focus under this critical area of concern should be on actions
to be taken by the United Nations system in order to protect women
who are victims or who are at risk of becoming victims, of armed
conflict from violence and abuse.
"20. Measures to raise awareness of women's rights in armed conflict,
and in the training of police, military personnel, health workers,
teachers, managers of camps for refugee/displaced persons and so
forth should be further elaborated.
"21. Measures to promote the more active participation of women in
conflict resolution need to be addressed. In so doing, however,
the system-wide medium-term plan should not assume - as the text
now does - that there is a main difference between women's and
men's attitudes to peace, security and conflict solution.
"F. Women and the economy
"22. In relation to the care of children and dependants and the sharing
of family responsibilities, child care and dependant care need to
be provided as integral parts of the concept of gender equality and
gender analysis, and ILO Convention No. 156 needs to be promoted.
"23. In operational activities, there should be a greater commitment to
the provision of care of children and dependants.
"24. The work on indicators should be better coordinated. The World
Bank should also be associated with the analysis of data on
globalization and change in international work patterns.
"25. Under operational activities, there should be a clearer reference
to United Nations system assistance to Governments in implementing
policies to ensure women equal rights with men to economic
resources; this should include access to ownership and control over
land and other forms of property, credit, inheritance, natural
resources and new technologies.
"26. As regards women in the rural sector, as reflected in
paragraphs 137 and 138 of the system-wide medium-term plan, there
should be more emphasis on the concepts contained in the Platform
for Action, in particular paragraph 166 (c) thereof.
"G. Women in power and decision-making
"27. The expression 'parity' is not used in the Platform for Action and
should not be used in the system-wide medium-term plan.
"28. Decision-making is a cross-cutting theme throughout the Platform
for Action and should be addressed at all levels.
"29. The linkage between the productive and reproductive roles of women
should be stressed.
"30. Activities within the United Nations Secretariat in this area of
concern need to be strengthened.
"31. The United Nations Statistics Division should collect and publicize
statistics (in a yearly publication) on the number of women and men
throughout the United Nations system at all levels.
"32. Research on men's representation in fields where they are
underrepresented should be stressed.
"33. Dialogue with and the participation of local communities and civil
society needs to be strengthened in development activities.
"H. Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women
"34. The United Nations system should take into account that the main
task of national machineries for the advancement of women is to
support government-wide mainstreaming of a gender perspective in
all policy areas, and that Governments should create or strengthen
national machineries and other governmental bodies for the
advancement of women.
"35. Providing technical assistance and support to Governments on how to
strengthen institutional capacities for the advancement of women
requires a broader range of actions to be considered than those
reflected in the system-wide medium-term plan, which focus
particularly on the collection, use and dissemination of data.
Including gender capacity-building elements in national plans and
development strategies, as well as in supportive efforts provided
by international cooperation, should be considered.
"I. Human rights of women
"36. It should be stressed that this is the priority objective of the
United Nations.
"37. The United Nations should develop a comprehensive policy programme
for mainstreaming the human rights of women throughout the United
Nations system emphasizing the strengthening of the cooperation and
coordination between different entities of the United Nations in
the promotion and protection of the human rights of women.
"38. Reference to sexual and reproductive rights should be included.
"39. Integration of human rights in all activities of the United Nations
should be emphasized.
"J. Women and the media
"40. This section should be updated in the light of the Platform for
Action and the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social
Development.
"41. The activities of all parts of the United Nations Secretariat
should be reflected, not just those of the Division for the
Advancement of Women and the Department of Public Information. A
gender element is needed in all programmes.
"42. Emphasis should be placed on the ability to communicate in order to
get the mainstreaming message across.
"43. Public information and outreach should be undertaken by all parts
of the United Nations system. Mainstreaming a gender perspective
into all publications is essential. The role of women in political
activity, as well as in the social and economic activity in the
United Nations system is important. Not only should agencies that
have traditionally had a role in this critical area of concern
undertake activities, but also others should get more involved in
the future.
"K. Women and the environment
"44. In the indication of areas of research, more emphasis should be
given to the issues identified in paragraph 258 (b) of the Platform
for Action.
"45. The work on indicators should be integrated with the work initiated
under the aegis of the Commission on Sustainable Development.
"L. The girl child
"46. Educating the girl child about rights guaranteed to her under
international human rights should be given more importance.
"47. Health should be emphasized, including reproductive and sexual
health and information on human immunodeficiency virus/acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome.
"M. Institutional arrangements
"48. More attention should be given to measures to promote mainstreaming
of a gender perspective into all policies and programmes of the
United Nations.
"49. Clarification has to be sought on progress regarding innovative
mobilization of resources.
"50. Experiences from bilateral cooperation should be taken into account
by indicating best practices and the importance of policy dialogue
and country strategies.
"51. The role of the Economic and Social Council and the importance of
coordinated follow-up of all major United Nations conferences
should be further highlighted."
84. At the 16th meeting, on 22 March, the representative of the Philippines,
as coordinator of the informal consultations held on agenda item 3, read out
the changes to the draft resolution agreed upon during informal consultations.
85. At the same meeting, the Commission agreed to waive rule 52 of the rules
of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council
and take action on the draft resolution, as orally revised.
86. Also at the same meeting, statements were made by the representatives of
Costa Rica (on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are
members of the Group of 77 and China), Indonesia, who also proposed an
amendment to the draft resolution, the Sudan and the Islamic Republic of Iran
and the observers for Italy (on behalf of the States Members of the United
Nations that are members of the European Union), Ghana, Egypt, the Syrian Arab
Republic, Morocco and Canada.
87. The Commission then adopted the draft resolution, as orally revised and
amended (see chap. I, sect. C, Commission resolution 40/10).
88. After the draft resolution was adopted, the representative of the Sudan
made a statement.
Women and the media
89. At the 16th meeting, on 22 March, the Commission had before it draft
agreed conclusions (E/CN.6/1996/L.16) on women and the media, submitted by the
Vice-Chairperson, Ljudmila Boskova (Bulgaria), as coordinator of the informal
consultations held on the topic.
90. The observer for Canada proposed an amendment to the draft agreed
conclusions.
91. At the same meeting, the Commission approved the draft agreed
conclusions, as orally amended, and agreed to include them in its final report
(see chap. I, sect. C, agreed conclusions 1996/2).
Child and dependant care, including sharing of
work and family responsibilities
92. At the 16th meeting, on 22 March, the Commission had before it draft
agreed conclusions (E/CN.6/1996/L.17) on child and dependant care, including
sharing of responsibilities between men and women, submitted by the
Chairperson on the basis of the informal consultations held on the topic.
93. At the same meeting, the Commission agreed to waive rule 52 of the rules
of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council
and take action on the draft agreed conclusions.
94. Statements were then made by the representative of Costa Rica (on behalf
of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of
77 and China) and the observer for Italy (on behalf of the States Members of
the United Nations that are members of the European Union).
95. Also at the 16th meeting, the Commission approved the draft agreed
conclusions and agreed to include them in its final report (see chap. I,
sect. C, agreed conclusions 1996/3).
Reports relating to follow-up to the Fourth World
Conference on Women
96. At the 16th meeting, on 22 March, the Commission took note of the
reports relating to follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women (see
chap. I, sect. C, Commission decision 40/101).
This document has been posted online by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). Reproduction and dissemination of the document - in electronic and/or printed format - is encouraged, provided acknowledgement is made of the role of the United Nations in making it available.
Date last updated: 06 December 1999 by DESA/DAW
Copyright © 1999 United Nations