| United Nations | E/1995/26 - E/CN.6/1995/14 |
Economic and Social Council
Distr. GENERAL
27 June 1995
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
Commission on the Status of Women Report on the thirty-ninth session (15 March-7 April 1995)
Economic and Social Council Official Records, 1995 Supplement No.6 E/1995/26 E/CN.6/1995/14 Commission on the Status of Women
Report on the thirty-ninth session (15 March-7 April 1995)
Economic and Social Council Official Records, 1995 Supplement No.6
United Nations T New York, 1995 NOTE
Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document. ISSN 0252-0117 --SUMMARY
At its thirty-ninth session, the Commission on the Status of Women, acting as the preparatory body for the Fourth World Conference on Women, recommended a draft resolution on accreditation of non-governmental organizations to the Conference for adoption by the General Assembly and recommended the provisional rules of procedure of the Conference, as amended, for approval by the General Assembly (see chap. II). The Commission recommended the provisional agenda and proposed organization of work of the Conference for adoption by the Conference (resolution 39/1). The Commission also decided to grant observer status to a number of intergovernmental organizations and other entities (decision 39/1), approved the list of non-governmental organizations recommended for accreditation to the Conference (decision 39/2), decided to establish an informal contact group to seek agreement on the commonly understood meaning of the term "gender" in the context of the Platform for Action (decision 39/3), and decided to transmit to the Conference for its consideration, material on a draft declaration and the draft platform for action (decision 39/4).
As part of its regular work, the Commission recommended to the Economic and Social Council the adoption of three draft resolutions and one draft decision. In addition, it adopted eight resolutions related to items on its agenda.
In draft resolution I (Improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat), the Council would urge the Secretary-General to implement fully the strategic plan of action for the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat, giving priority to the recruitment and promotion of women in posts subject to geographical distribution, particularly in senior policy-level and decision-making posts; to examine further existing work practices within the United Nations system to increase flexibility; to increase the number of women in the Secretariat from developing countries and from other countries that have a low representation of women. It would request the Secretary-General to ensure that equal employment opportunities
exist for all staff; to enable the Focal Point on the Status of Women within the Secretariat to monitor and facilitate progress; and to further develop comprehensive policy measures aimed at the prevention of sexual harassment. It would encourage Member States to support the strategic plan and take steps to assist in its implementation.
In draft resolution II (Palestinian women), the Council would demand compliance from the occupying power to various international principles and call upon it to facilitate the return of all refugee and displaced Palestinian women and children and those who are political deportees to their homes and properties in the occupied Palestinian territory; urge members of the international community to intensify efforts to provide financial and technical assistance to Palestinian women; request the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action on parts of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women concerning Palestinian women and children; and request the Secretary- General to continue to review the situation and to assist Palestinian women by all available means.
In draft resolution III (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women), the Council would recommend that the request by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to hold two sessions in 1996, each of three weeks duration, be considered favourably, within the existing level of budgetary resources; request the Secretary-General to invite Governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations to submit their views on an optional protocol to the Convention and to submit a comprehensive report on the views expressed to the Commission on the Status of Women; decide that the Commission should establish an in-session open-ended working group to consider the report with a view to elaborating a draft optional protocol to the Convention; and encourage States to limit the extent of any reservation entered, regularly review them and encourage States who are behind schedule in submitting their periodic reports to the Committee to do so promptly.
In the draft decision (Report of the Commission on the Status of Women on its thirty-ninth session and provisional agenda and documentation for the fortieth session of the Commission), the Council would approve the provisional agenda and documentation for the fortieth session of the Commission.
In matters brought to the attention of the Council, the Commission adopted eight resolutions on various subjects.
In resolution 39/2 (Release of women and children who have been taken hostage in armed conflicts and imprisoned, the Commission urges all parties to conflicts to release all women and children who have been taken hostage in areas of armed conflict before the opening of the Fourth World Conference on Women; requests the Secretary-General and all relevant international agencies to use all their potentialities to facilitate their release; and requests the Secretary-General to report on the matter to the Commission at its fortieth session.
In resolution 39/3 (Integration of women in the Middle East peace process), the Commission urges Governments, intergovernmental bodies and non-governmental organizations to include women in the peace process; to assist the Palestinian people to ensure Palestinian women's political development and participation; and urges Member States to expedite economic, financial and technical assistance to Palestinian women.
In resolution 39/4 (Rape and abuse of women in the areas of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia), the Commission strongly condemns the practice of rape and abuse of women and children; demands its immediate cessation; condemns denial of access to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the former Yugoslavia and others by the Bosnian Serb forces; urges punishment of perpetrators; urges the Chief Prosecutor to consider the appointment to his office of experts in the
prosecution of crimes of sexual violence; urges Member States to consider continuing to provide necessary medical and psychological care to victims of rape and to cooperate with the International Tribunal and the Office of the Prosecutor; and requests the Secretary-General to provide such necessary means as are available to him in the area to enable any future missions to have free and secure access to places of detention.
In resolution 39/5 (Mainstreaming the human rights of women), the Commission recommends that the Division for the Advancement of Women provide input for the next meeting of the persons chairing human rights treaty bodies in order to assist treaty bodies in addressing violations of the human rights of women; encourages the Division to provide relevant material it receives or prepares through the Centre for Human Rights, for the information of the treaty bodies in their work and to provide information to the Special Rapporteur on violence against women; encourages the Division and the Centre for Human Rights to explore the possibility of organizing training in the human rights of women; encourages the efforts of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, within his mandate, to promote and protect the human rights of women; and requests the Secretary-General to see to the preparation of a joint work plan on the human rights of women for the Centre for Human Rights and the Division for the Advancement of Women and to inform both the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission on the Status of Women of these plans and to report on the implementation of the resolution to both bodies at their 1996 sessions.
In resolution 39/6 (Traffic in women and girls), the Commission invites Governments to combat trafficking in women and children through nationally and internationally coordinated measures and to consider the development of standard minimum rules for the humanitarian treatment of trafficked persons; encourages the international community to gather and share information relative to all aspects of trafficking in women and girl children; 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; encourages ratification or accession to the Convention for the Suppression of Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others; invites the Fourth World Conference on Women and the Ninth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders to deal with the subject; requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Economic and Social Council at its 1995 session for inclusion in a report to the General Assembly at its fiftieth session; and requests the Secretary-General to focus the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 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.
In resolution 39/7 (Violence against women migrant workers), the Commission invites sending and receiving States to conduct regular consultations for the purpose of identifying problem areas in promoting and protecting the rights of women and addressing them; encourages Member States to ensure the protection of the rights and fundamental freedoms of women migrant workers and to consider signing and ratifying or acceding to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and the Members of their Families and to take a number of other measures; invites organizations of the United Nations system and others to monitor the situation and recommends specific action by a number of them; requests the Secretary-General to develop concrete indicators of the situation, consider establishing an expert group on the matter and submit a report on the subject to the Commission.
In resolution 39/8 (Integration of displaced rural women into development processes), the Commission urges Governments to integrate women into the formulation and implementation of rural development policies, plans and processes, to apply a gender approach in rural development projects, pay special attention to the situation of rural women who have been displaced and include this in development programmes.
In resolution 39/9 (Women in agriculture and rural development), the Commission urges Governments to support rural women's full participation in the economy and in the political system, including integrating gender issues in mainstream research and policy initiatives using gender analysis, collecting and disseminating information on the situation of rural women, enforcing existing legislation to ensure that women fully enjoy their legal rights, revising legislation where necessary, formulating policies to ensure income-earning opportunities, developing grass-roots level credit programmes, creating and strengthening local advisory training programmes and extension services, providing low-cost primary health care, promoting equitable distribution of income and affordable and sustainable pension and social security schemes for rural people, empowering rural women through their organizations, applying technological research, policy and programmes to reduce the burden of domestic tasks and establishing social infrastructure in rural areas; and requests the Secretary-General and Governments to ensure that the issues of rural women and development programmes are an integral part of the International Development Strategy for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade. CONTENTS
Chapter Page
I. MATTERS CALLING FOR ACTION BY THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL OR BROUGHT TO ITS ATTENTION .........................................1
A. Draft resolutions for adoption by the Council ................1
I. Improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat ....1
II. Palestinian women ........................................4
III. Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women .............................5
B. Draft decision for adoption by the Council ...................8
Report of the Commission on the Status of Women on its thirty- ninth session and provisional agenda and documentation for the fortieth session of the Commission ...........................8
C. Matters brought to the attention of the Council ..............10
Resolution 39/1. Provisional agenda and proposed organization of work for the Fourth World Conference on Women ......................................10
Resolution 39/2. Release of women and children who have been taken hostage in armed conflicts and imprisoned .................................13
Resolution 39/3. Integration of women in the Middle East peace process ..............................13
Resolution 39/4. Rape and abuse of women in the areas of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia ....15
Resolution 39/5. Mainstreaming the human rights of women ....18
Resolution 39/6. Traffic in women and girls .................21
Resolution 39/7. Violence against women migrant workers .....24
Resolution 39/8. Integration of displaced rural women into development processes ......................27
Resolution 39/9. Women in agriculture and rural development .29
Decision 39/1. Participation of intergovernmental organizations and other entities in the work of the Commission and in the Fourth World Conference on Women ..................32
Decision 39/2. Accreditation of non-governmental organizations in accordance with General Assembly resolution 48/108 .................32 CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Page
Decision 39/3. Establishment of an informal contact group on gender ..................................33
Decision 39/4. Draft declaration and draft platform for action of the Fourth World Conference on Women ......................................33
II. PREPARATIONS FOR THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN: ACTION FOR EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE .............................34
III. PROGRAMMING AND COORDINATION MATTERS RELATED TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM ...........................49
IV. MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NAIROBI FORWARD-LOOKING STRATEGIES FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN .........................51
V. PRIORITY THEMES .................................................62
VI. PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR THE FORTIETH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ...67
VII. ADOPTION OF THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON ITS THIRTY-NINTH SESSION .........................................................68
VIII. ORGANIZATION OF THE SESSION .....................................69
A. Opening and duration of the session .........................69
B. Attendance ..................................................69
C. Election of officers ........................................70
D. Agenda and organization of work .............................70
E. Friends of the Rapporteur ...................................71
F. Participation of intergovernmental organizations and other entities in the work of the Commission and in the Fourth World Conference on Women ...................................71
G. Accreditation of non-governmental organizations in accordance with General Assembly resolution 48/108 ..........71
H. Consultations with non-governmental organizations ...........72
I. Appointment of the members of the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women .......................73
J. Establishment of an informal contact group on gender ........73
CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Page
Annexes
I. Attendance .......................................................74
II. Non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council or the Commission on Sustainable Development ......................................................78
III. Non-governmental organizations participating in the Commission on the Status of Women ..............................................83
IV. List of documents before the Commission at its thirty-ninth session ..........................................................98
--Chapter I
MATTERS CALLING FOR ACTION BY THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL OR BROUGHT TO ITS ATTENTION
A. Draft resolutions for adoption by the Council
1. The Commission on the Status of Women recommends to the Economic and Social Council the adoption of the following draft resolutions:
DRAFT RESOLUTION I
Improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat*
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling Articles 1 and 101 of the Charter of the United Nations,
Recalling also Article 8 of the Charter, which provides that the United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs,
Recalling further the relevant paragraphs of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 1/ especially paragraphs 79, 315, 356 and 358,
Recalling further the relevant resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and other bodies that have continued to focus on this area since the adoption of Assembly resolution 2715 (XXV) of 15 December 1970, in which the question of the employment of women in the Professional category was first addressed,
Concerned at the serious and continuing underrepresentation of women in the Secretariat, particularly at the higher decision-making levels,
Convinced that the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat could significantly enhance the effectiveness and credibility of the United Nations, including its leadership role in advancing the status of women world wide and in promoting the full participation of women in all aspects of decision-making,
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* For the discussion, see chap. III.
1/ Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15-26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A. Recalling the goal, set in General Assembly resolutions 45/125 of 14 December 1990 and 45/239 C of 21 December 1990 and reaffirmed in Assembly resolutions 46/100 of 16 December 1991, 47/93 of 16 December 1992, 48/106 of 20 December 1993 and 49/167 of 23 December 1994, of a 35 per cent overall participation rate of women in posts subject to geographical distribution by 1995,
Noting with concern that the current rate of increase in the appointment of women may not be sufficient to achieve the objective of a 35 per cent participation rate of women in posts subject to geographical distribution by 1995,
Recalling the goal, set in General Assembly resolution 45/239 C and reaffirmed in Assembly resolutions 46/100, 47/93, 48/106 and 49/167, of a 25 per cent participation rate of women in posts at the D-1 level and above by 1995,
Noting with disappointment that the participation rate of women in posts at the D-1 level and above remains unacceptably low, and well below the 25 per cent goal,
Noting the efforts made in the past year by the Secretary-General and the Office of Human Resources Management of the Secretariat to integrate the objectives set by the General Assembly for the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat into the overall strategy for the management of the Organization's human resources, and noting also that such a comprehensive approach will be conducive to enhancing the status of women in the Secretariat,
Recognizing the importance of providing equal employment opportunities for all staff,
Aware that a comprehensive policy aimed at preventing sexual harassment should be an integral part of personnel policy,
Commending the Secretary-General for his administrative instruction on procedures for dealing with cases of sexual harassment,
Bearing in mind that a visible commitment by the Secretary-General is essential to the achievement of the targets set by the General Assembly,
1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat 2/ while regretting the lateness in the availability of the report;
2. Also takes note of the strategic plan of action for the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat (1995-2000), 3/ as contained in the above-mentioned report of the Secretary-General, and of the goals and objectives of the strategic plan as proposed by the Secretary-General;
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2/ A/49/587 and Corr.1.
3/ Ibid., sect. IV. 3. Urges the Secretary-General to implement fully the strategic plan of action for the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat (1995- 2000), noting that his visible commitment is essential to the achievement of the targets set by the General Assembly and the goals and objectives contained in the strategic plan;
4. Welcomes the intention of the Secretary-General to ensure implementation of the strategic plan through, inter alia, the issuance of clear and specific instructions as to the authority and responsibility of all managers in implementing the plan and the criteria by which performance will be appraised;
5. Urges the Secretary-General, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and in such a way as is consistent with the strategic plan, to accord greater priority to the recruitment and promotion of women in posts subject to geographical distribution, particularly in senior policy- level and decision-making posts and within those parts of the United Nations system and the specialized agencies where representation of women is considerably below the average, in order to achieve the goals set in General Assembly resolutions 45/125 and 45/239 C of an overall participation rate of 35 per cent by 1995 and in posts at the D-1 level and above of 25 per cent by 1995;
6. Also urges the Secretary-General to examine further existing work practices within the United Nations system with a view to increasing flexibility so as to remove direct or indirect discrimination against staff members with family responsibilities, including consideration of such issues as spouse employment, job-sharing, flexible working hours, child- care arrangements, career-break schemes and access to training;
7. Further urges the Secretary-General to increase the number of women employed in the Secretariat from developing countries, particularly those that are unrepresented or underrepresented, and from other countries that have a low representation of women, including countries in transition;
8. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that equal employment opportunities exist for all staff;
9. Also requests the Secretary-General to enable, from within existing resources, the Focal Point on the Status of Women within the Secretariat to effectively monitor and facilitate progress in the implementation of the strategic plan;
10. Strongly encourages Member States to support the strategic plan and the efforts of the United Nations and the specialized agencies to increase the percentage of women in the Professional category, especially in posts at the D-1 level and above, by identifying and sending forward more women candidates, encouraging women to apply for vacant posts and creating national rosters of women candidates to be shared with the Secretariat, the specialized agencies and the regional commissions;
11. Requests the Secretary-General to further develop comprehensive policy measures aimed at the prevention of sexual harassment in the Secretariat;
12. Also requests the Secretary-General to ensure that a progress report on the status of women in the Secretariat containing, inter alia, information on activities undertaken towards the achievement of the goals and objectives contained in the strategic plan and policy measures aimed at the prevention of sexual harassment in the Secretariat is presented to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fortieth session, in accordance with the relevant rules concerning the timetable for delivery of documentation, and to the General Assembly at its fiftieth session.
DRAFT RESOLUTION II
Palestinian women*
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General
on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women, 4/
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 1/ in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children,
Recalling also its resolution 38/4 of 16 March 1994 and other relevant United Nations resolutions,
Recalling the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women 5/ as it concerns the protection of civilian populations,
Welcoming the signing by the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Government of Israel of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self- Government Arrangements, in Washington, D.C., on 13 September 1993, 6/ as well as the implementation of the agreements reached between the two sides,
Deeply concerned about the continuing deterioration of all aspects of the situation of the Palestinian women in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem,
Gravely concerned about the severe consequences of the continuous Israeli illegal settlements activities, as well as the measurements which isolate Jerusalem from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, on the situation of Palestinian women and their families,
1. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation constitutes a major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development plan of their society;
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* For the discussion, see chap. IV.
4/ E/CN.6/1995/8.
5/ General Assembly resolution 48/104, annex.
6/ A/48/486-S/26560, annex.
2. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 7/ the Hague Regulation and the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949, 8/ in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;
3. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugee and displaced Palestinian women and children and those who are political deportees to their homes and properties in the occupied Palestinian territory, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions;
4. Urges Member States, international financial organizations of the United Nations system, non-governmental organizations and other relevant institutions to intensify their efforts to provide financial and technical assistance to Palestinian women for the creation of projects responding to their needs, especially during the transitional period;
5. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward- looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children;
6. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation and to assist Palestinian women by all available means, and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fortieth session a report on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.
DRAFT RESOLUTION III
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women*
The Economic and Social Council,
Bearing in mind that the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 9/ is a key international human rights instrument for the promotion of equality between women and men,
Welcoming the increasing number of States parties to the Convention, which has reached one hundred and thirty-nine,
Noting with deep concern that the Convention is still one of the human rights instruments with a large number of reservations, many of which run contrary to the object and purpose of the Convention, despite the fact that some States Parties have withdrawn their reservations to it,
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* For the discussion, see chap. IV.
7/ General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
8/ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
9/ General Assembly resolution 34/180, annex. Recalling the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action 10/ adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights, held at Vienna from 14 to 25 June 1993, in which the Conference stipulated that the human rights of women and of the girl child were an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights,
Recalling also that in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the Conference recommended the adoption of new procedures to strengthen the implementation of the commitment to women's equality and human rights and called upon the Commission on the Status of Women and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to examine quickly the possibility of introducing the right of petition through the preparation of an optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 11/
Noting suggestion No. 7, entitled "Elements for an optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women", 12/ adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at its fourteenth session,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 47/94 of 16 December 1992, relating to the scheduling of the meetings of the Committee,
Recalling also Council resolution 1994/7 of 21 July 1994 and relevant resolutions adopted by the General Assembly to support the work of the Committee,
Welcoming General Assembly resolution 49/164 of 23 December 1994 and its decision 49/448 of 23 December 1994, providing for a meeting of States Parties to the Convention in 1995 to consider the revision of article 20, paragraph 1 of the Convention,
Aware that the workload of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has increased because of the growing number of States Parties to the Convention, and that the annual session of the Committee is still the shortest of all the annual sessions of the human rights treaty bodies,
Welcoming the Committee's efforts to further improve its working methods, inter alia, by adopting concluding observations containing specific suggestions and recommendations,
1. Calls upon the States Parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, at their meeting in 1995, to consider the revision of article 20, paragraph 1, of the Convention to allow the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to meet annually
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10/ Report of the World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 14-25 June 1993 (A/CONF.157/24 (Part I)), chap. III.
11/ Ibid., sect. II, para. 40.
12/ See E/CN.6/1995/CRP.1. with sufficient time for the effective performance of its functions under the Convention;
2. Supports the request made by the Committee at its twelfth session for additional meeting time, with adequate support from the Secretariat, so as to allow the Committee to meet once a year for three weeks for its fifteenth session, and recommends that the request made by the Committee at its fourteenth session to hold two sessions in 1996, each of three weeks' duration, be considered favourably, within the existing level of budgetary resources;
3. Welcomes the efforts made by the Committee to improve its procedures and working methods, and encourages it to continue such efforts, within its mandate;
4. Notes that suggestion No. 7, entitled "Elements for an optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women", adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at its fourteenth session, was transmitted to the Commission on the Status of Women for consideration;
5. Requests the Secretary-General to invite Governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations to submit their views on an optional protocol to the Convention, including those related to feasibility, taking into account the elements suggested by the Committee in its suggestion No. 7;
6. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fortieth session a comprehensive report, including a synthesis, on the views expressed in accordance with paragraph 5 above, if possible six weeks prior to the commencement of the session;
7. Decides that the Commission on the Status of Women should establish an in-session open-ended working group for a two-week period at its fortieth session to consider the report requested in paragraph 6 above with a view to elaborating a draft optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women;
8. Once again urges all States that have not yet done so to become parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women;
9. Encourages States to consider limiting the extent of any reservation they lodge to the Convention, to formulate any reservation as precisely and as narrowly as possible, and to ensure that no reservation is incompatible with the object and purpose of the Convention or otherwise contrary to international law;
10. Requests States Parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women to review their reservations regularly with a view to withdrawing them expeditiously so that the Convention may be fully implemented;
11. Encourages States Parties who are behind schedule in submitting their periodic reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to do so promptly, and requests the Committee to follow up this problem;
12. Urges the Secretary-General to continue to publicize widely the decisions and recommendations of the Committee. B. Draft decision for adoption by the Council
2. The Commission on the Status of Women recommends to the Economic and Social Council the adoption of the following draft decision:
Report of the Commission on the Status of Women on its thirty-ninth session and provisional agenda and documentation for the fortieth session of the Commission
The Economic and Social Council takes note of the report of the Commission on the Status of Women on its thirty-ninth session and approves the provisional agenda and documentation for the fortieth session of the Commission set out below.
1. Election of officers
(Legislative authority: rule 15 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council)
2. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters
(Legislative authority: Economic and Social Council resolution 1894 (LVII); rules 5 and 7 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council)
3.Programming and coordination matters related to the United Nations and the United Nations system
(Legislative authority: Programme planning regulation 4.12; General Assembly resolutions 45/125, 45/239 C, 46/100, 47/93, 48/105, 49/161; Economic and Social Council resolutions 1988/60, 1989/30, 1989/105, 1993/9, 1993/16, 1994/6)
Documentation
Report of the Secretary-General on the draft of the revised system- widemedium-term plan for the period 1996-2001
Note by the Secretary-General on proposals for the medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001
Report of the Secretary-General on the status of women in the Secretariat
4.Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women
Documentation
Report of the Secretary-General on the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women
5.Monitoring the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women
(a)Priority themes
(Legislative authority: Economic and Social Council resolution 1990/15)
(i)Elimination of stereotyping in the mass media;
(ii)Child and dependant care, including sharing of responsibilities between men and women;
(iii)Education for peace
Documentation
Report of the Secretary-General on the elimination of stereotyping in the mass media
Report of the Secretary-General on child and dependant care, including sharing of responsibilities between men and women
Report of the Secretary-General on education for peace
(b) Other issues
(Legislative authority: General Assembly resolutions 34/180, 44/77, 45/124, 45/129, 46/79, 47/94, 47/95, 48/108, 49/161; Economic and Social Council resolutions 1983/27, 1990/8, 1992/15, 1992/16, 1992/17, 1993/13, 1993/14, 1993/15)
Documentation
Report of the Secretary-General on the joint work plan of the Division for the Advancement of Women and the Centre for Human Rights
Report of the Secretary-General on the extent to which violations of women's human rights have been addressed by human rights mechanisms
Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the confidential list of communications concerning the status of women
Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the non-confidential list of communications concerning the status of women
Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the results of the fifteenth session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Report of the Secretary-General on violence against migrant women workers
Report of the Secretary-General on trafficking in women and girls
6. Provisional agenda for the forty-first session of the Commission
7. Adoption of the report of the Commission on its fortieth session
--C. Matters brought to the attention of the Council
3. The attention of the Council is drawn to the following resolutions and decisions adopted by the Commission:
Resolution 39/1. Provisional agenda and proposed organization of
work for the Fourth World Conference on Women For the discussion, see chap. II.
The Commission on the Status of Women,
Recalling General Assembly resolutions 45/129 of 14 December 1990 and 46/98 of 16 December 1991, in which the General Assembly endorsed Economic and Social Council resolution 1990/12 of 24 May 1990, in which the Council recommended that a world conference on women be held in 1995 and requested that the Commission on the Status of Women act as the preparatory body for the conference,
Recalling also General Assembly resolution 47/95 of 16 December 1992, in which the General Assembly endorsed Economic and Social Council decision 1992/272 of 30 July 1992, in which the Council expressed its appreciation to the Government of China for its offer to act as host for the Conference, to be held in Beijing from 4 to 15 September 1995, as well as Assembly resolutions 48/108 of 20 December 1993 and 49/161 of 23 December 1994,
1. Notes that, in accordance with rule 47 of its rules of procedure, the Conference may establish one or more main committees;
2. Recommends that the oral statements made during the Conference should not exceed seven minutes, it being understood that full-length statements may be circulated in writing;
3. Recommends that the Conference adopt the provisional agenda and organization of work annexed to the present resolution.
Annex I
PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN
1. Opening of the Conference.
2. Election of the President.
3. Adoption of the rules of procedure.
4. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters.
5. Election of officers other than the President.
6.Organization of work, including establishment of the Main Committees. The Chairpersons of the Main Committees will be elected in plenary meeting; officers of the Main Committees other than the Chairpersons will be elected by the Main Committee.
7.Credentials of representatives to the Conference:
(a)Appointment of the members of the Credentials Committee;
(b) Report of the Credentials Committee.
8. General exchange of views on:
(a)Second review and appraisal of the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women to the year 2000;
(b)Main conclusions and recommendations of regional preparatory conferences;
(c)National priorities and commitments. Participating States are invited to make statements of national priorities and/or commitments, including by specifying actions which they will take in their own countries to bring
about change by the year 2000, taking into account the draft platform for action.
9. Platform for Action.
10.Adoption of the Declaration and the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women.
11.Adoption of the report of the Conference.
Annex II
PROPOSED ORGANIZATION OF WORK FOR THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN
For purposes of the organization of work set out below, the following guidelines will apply:
(a) During the period 4-13 September, a general exchange of views will be held, at which delegations and executive heads of organizations of the United Nations system, as well as representatives of accredited non- governmental organizations and intergovernmental organizations, may present statements in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Conference;
(b) Statements to be presented through 4-13 September will be limited to seven minutes. Longer statements may be circulated in writing. Each Government may present one statement during the Conference;
(c) On 15 July 1995, the Secretariat will open a list of speakers for the general exchange of views (4-13 September);
(d) Normal meeting hours for the Conference will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Proposed organization of work
The following programme of work is proposed for the Fourth World Conference on Women:
(a) On Saturday and Sunday, 2 and 3 September, informal pre-Conference consultations will be held to consider a number of procedural and organizational matters;
(b) The general debate will take place in plenary meeting from 4 to 13 September;
(c) In accordance with rule 47 of its rules of procedure, the Conference will establish two Main Committees to consider the draft platform for action, also from 4 to 13 September, as follows:
Committee I (chapters III and IV);
Committee II (chapters I, II, V and VI);
(d) Consideration of the reports of the Main Committees and the adoption of the Declaration and the Platform for Action will take place on Thursday and Friday, 14 and 15 September.
Resolution 39/2. Release of women and children who have been taken hostage in armed conflicts and imprisoned For the discussion, see chap. IV.
The Commission on the Status of Women,
Recognizing the fact that the main objective of the Nairobi Forward- looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, adopted by the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women, 1/ was to promote the achievement of equality, development and peace,
Expressing grave concern at the continuation of armed conflicts in many regions throughout the world and at the human suffering and humanitarian emergencies they have caused,
Emphasizing that all forms of violence against women and children in the areas of armed conflict, including capturing them as hostages, seriously contravene international humanitarian law,
Expressing its strong belief that the rapid and unconditional release of women and children who have been taken hostage in areas of armed conflict will promote the implementation of the noble goals of the Nairobi Forward- looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women before the opening of the Fourth World Conference on Women, to be held in Beijing from 4 to 15 September 1995;
1. Urges all parties to conflicts to release all women and children who have been taken hostage in areas of armed conflict, before the opening of the Fourth World Conference on Women;
2. Requests the Secretary-General and all relevant international agencies to use all their potentialities to facilitate the release of all women and children taken hostage in the areas of armed conflict;
3. Also requests the Secretary-General to inform the Fourth World Conference on Women on the situation concerning the release of women and children who have been taken hostage in areas of armed conflict and to submit a report to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fortieth session, on the implementation of the present resolution.
Resolution 39/3. Integration of women in the Middle East peace process*
The Commission on the Status of Women,
Recalling its resolution 38/1 of 18 March 1994,
Recalling also General Assembly resolution 49/88 of 16 December 1994 on the Middle East peace process,
Recalling further the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, 10/ adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights in June 1993,
Stressing that the achievement of a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Middle East conflict will constitute a significant contribution to the strengthening of international peace and security and is an indispensable condition for the furthering of women's rights in the region,
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 extraregionalparticipant in the workof themultilateral 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 in Washington, D.C. on 13 September 1993 A/48/486-S/26560, annex. 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, the representative of the Palestinian people, at Cairo on 4 May 1994, A/49/180-S/1994/727, annex. and their agreement of 29 August 1994 on the preparatory transfer of powers and responsibilities,
Also bearing in mind the Jordan-Israel Treaty of Peace of 26 October 1994,
Welcoming the Declaration of Casablanca, adopted at the Middle East/North Africa Economic Summit, held at Casablanca from 30 October to 1 November 1994,
Welcoming also the progress made in the multilateral track of the peace process,
1. Stresses the importance of, and need for, achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East;
2. Emphasizes that the achievement of such a peace is vital for the implementation of the human rights of women in the area;
3. Welcomes the peace process started at Madrid and supports the subsequent bilateral negotiations;
4. 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;
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. Urges Member States to expedite economic, financial and technical assistance to Palestinian women.
Resolution 39/4. Rape and abuse of women in the areas of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia For the discussion, see chap. IV.
The Commission on the Status of Women,
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 7/ the International Covenants on Human Rights, General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex. the International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, General Assembly resolution 260 A (III). the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, General Assembly resolution 39/36, annex. the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 9/ the Convention on the Rights of the Child General Assembly resolution 44/25, annex. and other instruments of human rights and international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, Nos. 970-973. and the Additional Protocols thereto, of 1977, Ibid., vol. 1125, Nos. 17512 and 17513.
Recalling General Assembly resolution 3074 (XXVIII) of 3 December 1973, entitled "Principles of international cooperation in the detection, arrest, extradition and punishment of persons guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity",
Recalling Commission on Human Rights resolution 1994/77 of 9 March 1993, See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1994, Supplement No. 4 (E/1994/24), chap. II, sect. A. entitled "Rape and abuse of women and children in the territory of the former Yugoslavia", and General Assembly resolution 48/143 of 20 December 1993, entitled "Rape and abuse of women in the areas of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia",
Appalled at the continuing and substantiated reports of widespread rape and abuse of women and children in the areas of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia, in particular its use against the Muslim women and children in Bosnia and Herzegovina and other non-Serbs by Serbian forces,
Reaffirming the relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular resolution 798 (1992) of 18 December 1992, in which, inter alia, the Council strongly condemned those acts of unspeakable brutality,
Welcoming the reports and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the former Yugoslavia,
Noting with deep concern the reports on the findings of the Special Rapporteur regarding rape and abuse of women in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, particularly in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Convinced that this heinous practice constitutes a deliberate weapon of war in fulfilling the policy of ethnic cleansing carried out by Serbian forces in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and noting General Assembly resolution 47/121 of 18 December 1992, in which the Assembly stated, inter alia, that the abhorrent policy of ethnic cleansing was a form of genocide,
Stressing the importance of the work of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 and the need for appropriate funding, and in this context, encouraging the provision of all resources necessary, including full funding as well as voluntary contributions from States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, so that the Tribunal can continue its stipulated functions of trying those accused of and punishing those responsible for the perpetration of violations of international law,
Desirous of ensuring that persons accused of upholding and perpetrating rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war in the areas of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia will be brought to justice by the International Tribunal, where appropriate and without further delay,
Underlining, in this context, the need for the protection of the rape victims, and provision of effective guarantees of privacy and confidentiality of the rape victims, desirous of facilitating their participation in the proceedings of the Tribunal and ensuring that further traumatization will be prevented,
Stressing the need for further development and strengthening of a programme for protection of witnesses and survivors of sexual abuse and rape as a war crime who provide testimonies, in order to provide effective protection against retribution, and in this context expressing its support for the Victims and Witnesses Unit of the Tribunal,
Deeply alarmed at the situation facing victims of rape in the conflicts in different parts of the world, in particular in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the continuing use of rape as a weapon of war,
Noting with appreciation the work of Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, humanitarian organizations, and non-governmental organizations aimed at supporting the victims of rape and abuse and alleviating their suffering,
Taking into account its resolution 38/9 of 18 March 1994, See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1994, Supplement No. 7 (E/1994/27), chap. I, sect. C.
1. Strongly condemns the continuing abhorrent practice of rape and abuse of women and children in the areas of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia, which constitutes a war crime;
2. Expresses its outrage that the continuing and systematic practice of rape is being used as a weapon of war and an instrument of ethnic cleansing against the women and children in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
3. Demands that those involved immediately cease those outrageous acts, which are in gross violation of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 19/ and the Additional Protocols thereto of 1977, 20/ and take immediate action to ensure the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with their obligations under those instruments and other applicable international human rights instruments;
4. Urges all States Members of the United Nations to take joint and separate action, in cooperation with the United Nations, to bring about an end to this despicable practice;
5. Condemns the continuous and persistent denial of access by the Bosnian Serb forces to the Special Rapporteur, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the United Nations Protection Force, as well as other relevant humanitarian and human rights organizations, in the Serb- held areas, in particular Banja Luka, Bijeljina and other areas of concern, and demands that immediate and unimpeded access be granted, and in this context welcomes Security Council resolution 941 (1994) of 23 September 1994;
6. Reaffirms that all persons who perpetrate or authorize crimes against humanity or other violations of international humanitarian law are individually responsible for those violations and that those in positions of authority who have failed to ensure that persons under their control comply with the relevant international instruments are accountable, together with the perpetrators;
7. Declares that rape is a heinous crime and encourages the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 to give due priority to the cases of the victims of rape in the areas of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia, in particular in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
8. Urges Member States to exert every effort to bring to justice, in accordance with internationally recognized principles of due process, all those individuals directly or indirectly involved in these outrageous international crimes;
9. Urges the Chief Prosecutor to consider the appointment to his office of experts in the prosecution of crimes of sexual violence, as recommended in General Assembly resolution 48/153 of 20 December 1993;
10. Calls upon States to put experts, including experts in the prosecution of crimes of sexual violence, at the disposal of the Chief Prosecutor and Tribunal;
11. Encourages the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the territory of the former Yugoslavia to continue to pay particular attention to the widespread occurrence of rape, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and acknowledges the work done by his team of female experts;
12. Urges all States and relevant organizations to give immediate and serious consideration to the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur in his reports, in particular the recommendation for the provision for the continuation of necessary medical and psychological care to victims of rape within the framework of programmes to rehabilitate women and children traumatized by war;
13. Calls upon all States to cooperate with the International Tribunal and the Office of the Prosecutor in the investigation and prosecution of persons accused of using rape as a weapon of war and in the provision of protection, counselling and support to victims and witnesses;
14. Recognizes the extraordinary suffering of the victims of rape and sexual violence and the need for an appropriate response to provide assistance to those victims, and expresses its concern in particular for the welfare of those victims who are at present among the internally displaced or otherwise affected by the war, and who have experienced severe trauma and require psychosocial and other assistance;
15. Urges all States and all relevant intergovernmental and non- governmental organizations, including the United Nations Children's Fund, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Health Organization, to continue to provide to the victims of such rape and abuse appropriate assistance for their physical and mental rehabilitation and to extend their support to the community-based assistance programmes;
16. Requests the Secretary-General to provide such necessary means as are available to him in the area to enable any future missions to have free and secure access to places of detention;
17. Decides to continue the consideration of this question at its fortieth session.
Resolution 39/5. Mainstreaming the human rights of women For the discussion, see chap. IV.
The Commission on the Status of Women,
Recalling all relevant resolutions, in particular General Assembly resolution 44/77 of 8 December 1989, in which, inter alia, the Assembly endorsed and reaffirmed the importance of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15-26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A. for the period up to the year 2000 and set out measures for their immediate implementation and for the overall achievement of the interrelated guidelines and objectives of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace,
Welcoming the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, Report of the World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 14-25 June 1993 (A/CONF.157/24) (Part I)), chap. III. adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights, which emphasized that the human rights of women and the girl child are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights and stressed that these rights should be integrated into the mainstream of United Nations system-wide activities, and noting that, according to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, steps should be taken to increase cooperation and promote further integration of objectives and
goals between the Commission on the Status of Women, the Commission on Human Rights, the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, the United Nations Development Programme and other United Nations bodies,
Recalling that the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women General Assembly resolution 34/180. is a key international human rights instrument for the promotion and protection of women's human rights, and acknowledging both its codifying and innovating functions,
Noting the important roles that the Commission on the Status of Women and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women have to play in making the general human rights work of the United Nations more gender conscious and in promoting the universal and indivisible human rights of women,
Recalling Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/86 of 8 March 1995 on integrating the rights of women into the human rights mechanisms of the United Nations, Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1995, Supplement No. 3 (E/1995/23), chap. II, sect. A.
Welcoming the adoption by the General Assembly of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, General Assembly resolution 48/104. and recalling Commission on Human Rights resolution 1994/45 of 6 March 1994, 21/ in which the Commission decided to appoint, for a three- year period, a Special Rapporteur on violence against women, including its causes and its consequences, as well as Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/85 of 8 March 1995 on the elimination of violence against women, 26/
Recalling General Assembly resolution 49/161 of 23 December 1994, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General, inter alia, to prepare a report for the Commission, for consideration at its thirty-ninth session, on steps to be taken by the Division for the Advancement of Women, in cooperation with other United Nations bodies, specifically the Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat, to ensure that relevant human rights mechanisms of the United Nations, such as treaty-monitoring bodies, rapporteurs and working groups, regularly address violations of the rights of women, including gender-specific abuses,
1. Stresses the importance of cooperation and coordination between the Commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Human Rights to ensure that the United Nations human rights mechanisms address on a regular basis violations of the human rights of women and that the Commission on the Status of Women regularly takes stock of that integration process while carrying out its central role of monitoring activities relating to the status of women;
2. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on steps to be taken by the Division for the Advancement of Women to ensure that the relevant mechanisms of the United Nations human rights system regularly address violations of the human rights of women, including through progress in preparing a joint work plan on the human rights of women for the Centre for Human Rights and the Division for the Advancement of Women; E/CN.6/1995/13.
3. Takes note of the request of the Commission on Human Rights, in its resolution 1995/85, that the special rapporteurs, representatives, experts and chairpersons of the working groups of the Commission on Human Rights, in future meetings on enhancing cooperation and exchange of information, address violations of the human rights of women;
4. Recalls General Assembly resolution 49/178 of 23 December 1994, in which the Assembly endorsed the recommendation of the persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies that each treaty body consider amending its
reporting guidelines to request gender-specific information from States parties to allow qualitative analysis and review of the human rights of women in periodic reports;
5. Recommends that the Division for the Advancement of Women provide input for the next meeting of the persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies, providing background analyses of relevant articles of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, in order to assist the treaty bodies in addressing violations of the human rights of women by, inter alia, amending their reporting guidelines, in the consideration of State reports and in the preparation of general comments;
6. Encourages the Division for the Advancement of Women to provide relevant material it receives or prepares through the Centre for Human Rights, for the information of the treaty bodies in their work;
7. Encourages the Division for the Advancement of Women to cooperate with and assist the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences, through the automatic and regular exchange of information and by forwarding expeditiously relevant material it receives or prepares on violence against women;
8. Emphasizes the need to develop and enhance the role of focal points on the human rights of women, both in the Centre for Human Rights and in the Division for the Advancement of Women, and to ensure cooperation and coordination between the two bodies on an ongoing basis;
9. Encourages the Division for the Advancement of Women and the Centre for Human Rights to explore the possibility of organizing training in the human rights of women, inter alia, by exchange of personnel, so that human rights officers can be trained in the human rights of women, particularly those involved in technical assistance and advisory services, and the personnel in the Division for the Advancement of Women can be trained in general human rights matters;
10. Takes note of the recommendation of the Commission on Human Rights, in resolution 1995/86, that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in convening a meeting of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies and working groups, as well as special rapporteurs, representatives and experts, consider, in coordination with the Commission on the Status of Women and the Division for the Advancement of Women, ways in which the human rights of women can be integrated into the reports and work of the organs, bodies and mechanisms across the United Nations system, and report on progress made on this issue at the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace, to be held in Beijing in 1995;
11. Takes note of the recommendation of the Commission on Human Rights, in its resolution 1995/85, that the Secretary-General, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Preparatory Committee for the Conference and the Commission on the Status of Women, within the framework of their respective spheres of responsibility, take the necessary steps to ensure an appropriate role at the Conference for relevant special rapporteurs and working groups of the Commission on Human Rights, as well as the relevant treaty bodies, in promoting the integration of the human rights of women into the mainstream activities of all United Nations human rights mechanisms and system-wide United Nations activities, thus contributing to the successful achievement of the goals of the Conference;
12. Encourages the efforts made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, within his mandate as established by General Assembly resolution 48/141 of 20 December 1993, to promote and protect the human rights of women, including his efforts to coordinate the activities of relevant United Nations organs, bodies and mechanisms dealing with human rights in considering violations of the human rights of women;
13. Urges States to consider the gender composition of the treaty bodies when nominating and electing candidates to such bodies;
14. Requests the Secretary-General, taking into account the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women, to see to the preparation of a joint work plan on the human rights of women for the Centre for Human Rights and the Division for the Advancement of Women on an annual basis and to inform both the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission on the Status of Women at their annual sessions, beginning in 1995, of these plans to facilitate the mainstreaming of the human rights of women, in the context of the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;
15. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Commission on the Status of Women, at its annual session in 1996, on the implementation of the present resolution;
16. Decides to remain seized of this matter and, in particular, to examine at its fortieth session the progress made and the plans developed.
Resolution 39/6. Traffic in women and girls For the discussion, see chap. IV.
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,
Reaffirming the principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, General Assembly resolution 217 A (III). the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, General Assembly resolution 34/180, annex. the International Covenants on Human Rights, General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI). the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, General Assembly resolution 39/46, annex. the Convention on the Rights of the Child, General Assembly resolution 44/25, annex. and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, General Assembly resolution 48/104, annex.
Recalling that the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action 24/ affirmed the human rights of women and girl children as an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights,
Welcoming the recognition by the World Summit for Social Development of the danger to society of the trafficking in women and children,
Convinced of the need to eliminate all forms of sexual violence and trafficking in women and girls which are violations of the human rights of women and girl children,
Condemning the illicit and clandestine movement of persons across national and international borders, largely from developing countries and some countries with economies in transition, with the end goal of forcing women and girl children into sexually or economically oppressive and exploitative situations, for the profit of recruiters, traffickers and crime syndicates, as well as other illegal activities related to trafficking, such as forced domestic labour, false marriages, child marriages, clandestine employment and false adoption,
Noting 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 acknowledging that the problem of trafficking also victimizes young boys,
Recalling that the Commission on Human Rights, in its resolution 1994/45
of 4 March 1994, called for the elimination of trafficking in women,
Aware of 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 discussions on the question of organized transnational crime,
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. Expresses its grave concern over the worsening problems of trafficking, particularly the increasing syndication of the sex trade and the internationalization of the traffic in women and girl children;
2. Welcomes the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development A/CONF.171/13, chap. I, resolution 1, annex. 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 traffic of women and girl children;
3. Invites Governments to combat trafficking in women and children through nationally and internationally coordinated measures, at the same time establishing or strengthening institutions for the protection of the victims of trafficking of women and children, and to ensure for victims the necessary assistance, including legal support services that are linguistically and culturally accessible, towards their full protection, treatment and rehabilitation;
4. Invites Governments to consider the development of standard minimum rules for the humanitarian treatment of trafficked persons, consistent with internationally recognized human rights standards;
5. 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;
6. 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;
7. Encourages Member States to sign, ratify and accede to the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, General Assembly resolution 317 (IV), annex. international agreements on the suppression of slavery and all other relevant international instruments;
8. Draws the attention of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities to the problem of trafficking in women and girl children;
9. Welcomes the adoption by the Subcommission of its resolution 1994/5 recommending that Governments adopt legislation to prevent child prostitution and child pornography;
10. Also draws attention to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography;
11. Invites the Fourth World Conference on Women and the Ninth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders to consider including in their respective programmes of action the subject of the traffic in women and girl children;
12. Recommends that the problem of trafficking in women and girl children be given consideration within the implementation of all relevant international legal instruments and, if need be, that consideration be given to measures to strengthen them, without undermining their legal authority and integrity;
13. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 1995 for inclusion in a preliminary report to the General Assembly at its fiftieth session on the implementation of the present resolution under the item entitled "Advancement of women";
14. Requests 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.
Resolution 39/7. Violence against women migrant workers For the discussion, see chap. IV.
The Commission on the Status of Women,
Bearing in mind the Charter of the United Nations, which reaffirms faiths 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 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, General Assembly resolution 34/180, annex. adopted by the General Assembly on 18 December 1979,
Stressing that the promotion of the human rights of women constitutes an integral part of the human rights activities of the United Nations, as reaffirmed in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action 24/ adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights,
Welcoming the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 35/ held at Cairo from 5 to 13 September 1994, which called upon all countries to take full measures to eliminate all forms of exploitation, abuse and harassment, and all violence against women,
Welcoming also the Copenhagen Declaration See A/CONF.166/9, chap. I, resolution 1, annex I. and the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development, Ibid., annex II. which declared that countries should take concrete and effective measures against the exploitation of migrant workers,
Welcoming further the adoption by the General Assembly at its forty- eighth session of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, General Assembly resolution 48/104, annex.
Recalling General Assembly resolutions 47/96 of 16 December 1992, 48/110 of 20 December 1993 and 49/165 of 23 December 1994, as well as Commission on the Status of Women resolution 38/7 of 18 March 1994, on violence against 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, in particular women migrant workers, who are doubly vulnerable because of their gender and their being foreigners,
Aware that documented and undocumented migrant women whose residence status is dependent on their spouses or employers are at increased risk for genderbased violence,
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,
Convinced of the need to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and the need to protect them from gender-based violence,
1. Calls upon States Members of the United Nations to adopt measures for the effective implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, including applying them to migrant women workers;
2. Invites States concerned, specifically the sending and receiving States of women migrant workers, to conduct regular consultations for the purpose of identifying problem areas in promoting and protecting the rights of migrant women 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 the 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;
4. 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 the Members of Their Families; General Assembly resolution 45/158, annex.
5. Urges Member States to adopt and implement measures to eradicate all forms of racism and xenophobia, and promote education on human rights understanding and acceptance of cultural diversity;
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 ratifying the Convention for
the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others; 36/
7. Invites relevant United Nations functional bodies and specialized agencies, in particular the International Labour Organization, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, to monitor the situation of women migrant workers and to submit reports thereon through normal channels;
8. Recommends that the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, in its consideration of States Parties' reports, inquire into the status of migrant women workers and propose measures for their protection;
9. Recommends to the Centre for Human Rights that it include the promotion and protection of the human rights of women migrant workers in its programme of work relative to its advisory training and information services, and submit to the General Assembly, through the Commission on Human Rights and the Economic and Social Council, its reports thereon;
10. Recommends to the Commission on Human Rights that it make the rights of women migrant workers one of its priority concerns;
11. Invites the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on violence against women to continue to include among the urgent issues pertaining to her mandate the violence perpetrated against women migrant workers;
12. Reiterates the recommendation of the General Assembly, contained in its resolution 48/110 of 20 December 1993, that the Fourth World Conference on Women, which is to be held at Beijing in September 1995, address the issue of violence against women migrant workers;
13. Notes the decision of the General Assembly, in its resolution 49/127 of 19 December 1994, to consider the need for a United Nations conference on international migration and development;
14. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure the development of concrete indicators as a basis for future action to determine the situation of women migrant workers in sending and receiving countries;
15. Requests the Secretary-General to consider establishing an expert group to submit recommendations for improving coordination of the various efforts of the United Nations on behalf of migrant workers, for submission to the General Assembly at its fiftieth session;
16. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission at its fortieth session a copy of his report to the General Assembly on violence against women migrant workers, which should include the reports to be submitted by the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on violence against women, the Centre for Human Rights, relevant United Nations functional bodies and organizations, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations.
Resolution 39/8. Integration of displaced rural women into development processes For the discussion, see chap. V.
The Commission on the Status of Women,
Recalling the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 37/ in particular its article 14, in which the States Parties to the Convention agreed that they should take into account the significant roles that rural women played in the economic survival of their families, and ensure to such women the right to
participate in the elaboration and implementation of development planning at all levels,
Recalling also the Declaration of Principles and the Programme of Action of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, See Report of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, Rome, 12-20 July 1979 (WCARRD/REP), transmitted to the members of the General Assembly by a note of the Secretary-General (A/34/485). in which it was recommended that women should, on an equal footing with men, participate in and contribute to social, economic and political rural development processes and fully share in the benefits of improving living standards in rural areas,
Emphasizing the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15-26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A. which stress the design of development strategies and programmes, as well as incentive programmes and projects in the field of food and agriculture, in a manner that fully integrates women at all levels of planning, implementation, monitoring evaluation in all stages of the development process of a project cycle, so as to facilitate and enhance the key role that they play,
Bearing in mind the conclusions of the Summit on the Economic Advancement of Rural Women, held at Geneva in 1992,
Noting that peace is a sine qua non for achieving economic and social development,
Noting with concern situations of extreme violence, such as those caused by terrorist groups and by the commission of crimes directly related to terrorism, among them drug trafficking, which have brought about major changes in the survival strategies of poor rural families, prompting their forced displacement from their places of origin and rendering even more critical the situation of the women who then become the core of the nuclear family,
Taking into account the analytical report of 14 February 1992 of the representative of the Secretary-General concerning internal displacements, which stressed that in many cases displaced populations were composed of women and children and were predominantly of rural origin, as well as other reports of the representative of the Secretary-General concerning internal displacements due to violence, in which it was pointed out that women of rural origin had, as heads of families, been especially affected by such violence and the adverse socio-economic situation in the receiving areas,
Taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/57, in which the Commission urged the representative of the Secretary-General, in considering internal displacements, to continue paying special attention to the need of women and children for protection and assistance,
Welcoming with satisfaction the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development, 39/ which in chapter I provides that, to ensure that the political framework supports the objectives of social development, it is essential, inter alia, to take measures at the national level, with international cooperation, as appropriate, to create conditions for internally displaced persons to return voluntarily to their places of origin,
1. Calls upon Governments to integrate women into the formulation and implementation of public policies, plans and projects for rural development starting from the inception of the process, considering their contribution to the goals of improving standards of living in response to the overall needs of rural families;
2. Urges Governments to promote, as a matter of priority, rural development projects with a gender perspective;
3. Invites international agencies and donor Governments to give priority consideration to international cooperation in projects and programmes that benefit rural women;
4. Appeals to Governments to pay special attention to the situation of rural women, with emphasis on those who are displaced from their place of origin owing to terrorist violence, drug trafficking or other causes related to situations of violence;
5. Urges Governments, in their development programmes, to consider projects that have positive effects upon displaced rural women, and are geared primarily to productive employment, in order to facilitate the integration of those women into their new social setting or their return to their place of origin or another place of their preference;
6. Decides to consider the question of the integration of displaced rural women into development processes at its fortieth session.
Resolution 39/9. Women in agriculture and rural development For the discussion, see chap. V.
The Commission on the Status of Women,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 47/174, Economic and Social Council resolutions 1990/15 and 1992/53, and Commission on the Status of Women resolutions 34/3, 35/7, 36/5 and 37/6,
Recalling also the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 43/ which highlighted the key role of women in the development and production of food and agriculture and in food security and which recommended the establishment of multisectoral programmes to promote the productive capacity of poor rural women in food and animal production so as to create off-farm employment opportunities and to reduce their workload,
Referring to paragraphs 224-227 of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies, as well as to chapter 24 of Agenda 21, Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigendum), resolution 1, annex II. adopted by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, underlining the importance of women's role in the management and protection of the environment and in achieving a sustainable and equitable development,
Welcoming the adoption by the World Conference on Human Rights of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action Report of the World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 14-25 June 1993 (A/CONF.157/24) (Part I), chap. III. which stressed the importance of the integration and full participation of women as both agents and beneficiaries in the development process,
Recalling the recommendations of the Abuja Declaration on Participatory Development: The Role of Women in Africa in the 1990s on the need to design specific training programmes for women in rural areas aimed at developing their technical skills in agriculture and other fields, including environment, water and energy, within the global framework of the improvement of women's access to higher education in the field of science and technology,
Welcoming the adoption of the Geneva Declaration for Rural Women, A/47/308-E/1992/97, annex. by the Summit on the Economic Advancement of Rural Women, held at Geneva in 1992,
Recalling the Lagos Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Monrovia Strategy for the Economic Development of Africa A/S-11/14, annex I. on food self-sufficiency and food security for Africa in 1984 and the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development, 1986-1990, General Assembly resolution S-13/2, annex.
Bearing in mind that rural areas still represent an important part of the African region, where rural populations may account for up to 85 per cent of the total population, that the agricultural sector can contribute up to 50 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) and that the proportion of active rural women varies from 45 to 80 per cent of the agricultural labour force, producing up to 80 per cent of food crops,
Expressing deep concern that despite the fact that rural women significantly contribute to the well-being of rural families, to the livelihood of communities and to the national economy, their important role is not sufficiently recognized, and their participation in the decision- making process at all levels is low,
Aware of the need to recognize the importance of an understanding of gender issues within all areas of agricultural, social, economic, environmental and political life in order to achieve a balanced division of roles and responsibilities,
Deeply concerned about the lack of economic independence of rural women owing to their lack of access to land ownership, productive resources, and employment and entrepreneurial opportunities and owing as well to inadequate professional and technical skills as a result of the restricted access of women to education, training and literacy programmes,
Noting that rural areas lack favourable social support services and resources, information on opportunities, and enabling conditions that would allow rural women to fully participate in development,
Aware of the low self-esteem of rural women and their limited selfawareness concerning their possibilities and potentials and of the fact that there is poor communication on opportunities,
Expressing deep concern about the marginalization of rural women, especially young women with small children, women living in extreme poverty in rural areas and the sexual harassment experienced by, and the violence perpetrated against, them, including those in war-affected areas, as well as about the effect of male migrant workers,
Aware of the need for rural women to become empowered to take an active part in development, as well as of their need to have access to education, health and various social and economic support organizations and institutions,
Concerned about the worsening of the socio-economic status of rural women and of their life and working conditions, thereby hindering their full integration in development,
1. Urges Governments to take action in support of rural women's full participation in the economy and in the political system by developing specific plans to meet the above-mentioned needs;
2. Recommends that Governments set up monitoring and evaluation measures to appraise progress made;
3. Urges Governments to integrate gender issues in mainstream research and policy initiatives, follow-up and evaluation in the field of agriculture and rural development and to support, as appropriate, women's participation in policy-making and relevant institutions; 4. Calls upon Governments and international organizations, in particular United Nations organizations, to collect and disseminate
information on the situation of rural women, their concerns and the strategies required for their advancement through the development of appropriate information channels;
5. Urges Governments on the one hand, to enforce existing legislation in order to allow women to enjoy their legal rights fully and, on the other, to promote legislative initiatives that guarantee equity in the wage system and increase the status of women in agriculture, family enterprises, the professions and the informal sector;
6. Also urges Governments to consider the need to revise national legislation so as to give rural women rights regarding access to land ownership and technology as well as natural and productive resources;
7. Further urges Governments to formulate policies and provide effective support to rural women and seek the assistance of international and non- governmental organizations with respect to their gaining access to incomegenerating activities, and to ensure the development of economic structures that create new job opportunities, the development of entrepreneurship, the promotion of credit programmes that provide equity financing so as to facilitate the establishment of small businesses by rural women, and the introduction of more efficient information systems to facilitate economic activities;
8. Calls upon Governments to encourage relevant development and financial institutions to provide support for the promotion of grass-roots credit programmes adapted to the needs and activities of rural women so as to encourage and facilitate the establishment of small enterprises;
9. Recommends that Governments create and strengthen local advisory training programmes and extension services, as well as basic and higher education for rural women, so as to increase their awareness about non- traditional careers and business opportunities and to improve their access to them;
10. Calls upon Governments to promote the provision of low-cost primary health care in rural areas and to develop and promote sensitization campaigns to encourage low-income rural women to utilize primary health- care facilities;
11. Urges Governments to promote an equitable distribution of income and resources for both economically productive and reproductive tasks and activities and to promote affordable and sustainable pension and social security schemes for rural people;
12. Recommends that Governments take into account the concepts of gender, socio-economic gender analysis, population, environment, sustainable development and poverty eradication in all policies and programmes and provide rural women with the necessary incentives, capacities and skills to effectively carry out the management of the natural resources that they depend on and to secure a healthy environment and shelter;
13. Appeals to Governments to empower rural women, to be aware of and develop their potential and to actively engage, individually or in groups, in the fight for the enforcement of their rights, the improvement of their civil, personal and professional status, and the increasing of their representation in sufficient number in all policy-making, decision-making and consultative bodies and functions; 14. Strongly recommends that Governments promote applied technological research, policy and programmes in the fields of time- and energy-consuming domestic tasks, food production, and processing and storage of food, in order to ensure the saving of time for more remunerative and cultural activities and increase the efficiency and income of rural women;
15. Recommends that Governments promote the establishment of a social
infrastructure in rural areas that encourages women, including poor women, to develop capacities and skills such as leadership in administrative and financial management for collective and community life, and that supports rural women's organizations and their participation in representative and economic bodies (for example, farmers' organizations, workers' unions, cooperatives and associations);
16. Requests the Secretary-General and Governments to ensure that the issues of rural women and development programmes are an integral part of the International Development Strategy for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade * For the discussion, see chap. VIII, sect. F.
** For the discussion, see chap. VIII, sect. G.
General Assembly resolution 45/199, annex. and of the national strategies for the Decade.
Decision 39/1. Participation of intergovernmental organizations and other entities in the work of the Commission and in the Fourth World Conference on Women*
At its 1st meeting, on 15 March 1995, the Commission on the Status of Women, after reviewing the credentials of intergovernmental organizations seeking to participate in the work of the Conference and its preparatory body, decided to grant observer status to (a) the following intergovernmental organizations: African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development (CAFRAD); Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development; Inter-American Development Bank; Nordic Council; South Pacific Commission; and (b) the following entities: Global Commission on Women's Health; International Steering Committee on the Economic Advancement of Rural Women.
Decision 39/2. Accreditation of non-governmental organizations in accordance with General Assembly resolution 48/108**
At its 6th meeting, on 20 March 1995, the Commission on the Status of Women decided to accredit those non-governmental organizations listed in documents E/CN.6/1995/L.4 and Add.1, Add.1/Corr.1, Add.2, Add.3 and Add.3/Corr.1, to participate in the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace and its preparatory body.
Decision 39/3. Establishment of an informal contact group on gender For the discussion, see chap. VIII, sect. J.
At its 19th meeting, on 7 April 1995, the Commission decided to establish an informal contact group to seek agreement on the commonly understood meaning of the term "gender" in the context of the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women.
Decision 39/4. Draft declaration and draft platform for action of the Fourth World Conference on Women For the discussion, see chap. II.
At its 19th meeting, on 7 April 1995, the Commission on the Status of Women decided to transmit to the Fourth World Conference on Women for its consideration the material for a draft declaration contained in an informal paper and the draft platform for action contained in documents E/CN.6/1995/L.17 and the relevant addenda, and the informal papers containing amendments thereto, as orally amended.
--Chapter II
PREPARATIONS FOR THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN: ACTION FOR EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE
1. The Commission considered item 3 of its agenda from 15 to 20 March 1995. It had before it the following documents:
(a) Report of the Secretary-General containing the revised draft of the Platform for Action (E/CN.6/1995/2);
(b) Report of the Secretary-General on the second review and appraisal of the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women (E/CN.6/1995/3 and Add.1-10);
(c) Report of the Secretary-General on preparations for the Fourth World Conference on Women (E/CN.6/1995/4);
(d) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the results of the regional conferences and other international conferences (E/CN.6/1995/5 and Add.1-7);
(e) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting a study on technical and financial cooperation programmes targeting women (E/CN.6/1995/6);
(f) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the draft rules of procedure of the Conference (E/CN.6/1994/L.3);
(g) Report of the Secretary-General on the 1994 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development (A/49/378).
The report of the Secretary-General on the proposed merger of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (A/49/217-E/1994/103) was made available to the Commission.
2. In introducing the item, the Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women said that the success of the Conference would completely depend on the work done during the thirty-ninth session. The preparatory process at the international, regional and national levels was proceeding well and involved a large number of different activities that examined the key issues of the advancement of women, including significant mobilization of research and policy analysis. The 1994 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development and the second review and appraisal of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women formed the conceptual and factual basis for the Platform for Action. She emphasized that the Platform for Action should be built on the results achieved during the regional and United Nations conferences and should meet the needs of all women in the world.
3. In her statement, the Governor-General of Barbados and convener of the NGO Forum at the Nairobi Conference, stressed that women should demonstrate to the whole world a new form of policy-making based on dialogue. She emphasized the importance of cooperation among Governments and non- governmental organizations. The forthcoming NGO Forum would be historic in its level of participation and in the commitment of those involved. Referring to the Platform for Action, she urged that special attention be paid to the paramount issue of peace.
4. Many representatives emphasized that the Fourth World Conference on Women should promote a new vision of development based on women's reality and rights and should be implemented in the spirit of solidarity between women and men, between nations and between present and future generations.
5. It should be a "Conference of Commitments" and the outcome of the
Conference should be as practical and focused as possible. Efforts should be made to ensure that adequate resources, processes and mechanisms were put in place for the accountability and implementation of that new vision. It was emphasized that at Beijing, besides trying to create equality between men and women in a given world, it would be necessary to question the situation of that world itself and examine the processes and systems that were simultaneously producing new patterns of poverty and wealth. In that context, the need for consolidation and building of new bases of solidarity for international women's movements and the creation of new partnerships with Governments and civil societies was stressed.
6. Many representatives said that the Fourth World Conference on Women would be an opportunity to take stock of the policies, programmes and measures devised for achieving women's advancement in the 50 years of the existence of the United Nations and also to assess gains and failures. One representative suggested that the Conference should not be just a conference to reiterate commitments but to carry them forward. Some representatives suggested that the Fourth World Conference on Women should set standards for the first decade of the twentyfirst century, against which the performance of the international community and national actions would be judged. Therefore, it was imperative to be successful in consensus-building for setting progressive, innovative and forward-looking standards for Governments and the international community, centred on the United Nations system.
(a)Preparatory activities at the national, regional and international levels
7. Most representatives expressed the view that the preparatory activities had been successful and noteworthy at all levels and particularly commended the work of non-governmental organizations. The preparations at the national level had been coordinated by National Committees composed of governmental and non-governmental institutions. Some representatives pointed out that the preparatory process, including the informal consultations held, had contributed to increasing awareness-raising at all levels and to enriching the Platform for Action. A few participants were of the view that the preparatory activities had given rise to intense communication and interaction among women as well as between all the sectors of society. In one country, consensus had been reached on actual and future challenges, as well as on actions to be taken. One representative highlighted the transparency and consultation of the preparatory process and said that a wealth of material had been obtained, on the basis of which the country position could be finalized.
8. In the context of the preparations for the Conference, one representative advised the Commission that efforts were being made with respect to the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
9. Some representatives reported on national activities that addressed the critical areas of concern. One representative reported on efforts of the Government to assist women victims of war and violence and about plans to conduct a national seminar that would address affirmative action with respect to the status of women. Another representative provided information on a variety of programmes undertaken by the Government and non-governmental organizations to improve the status of women. One representative reported on workshops on women's participation and statistics and on the utilization of the mass media to promote public information. One representative informed the Commission that training activities have been developed, with special emphasis on the catalytic role of the Government and the need for the participation of all sectors.
10. Many representatives reported on the participation of their countries in the regional preparatory conferences. They expressed their support for the regional platforms of action. References were made to the High-level Regional Preparatory Meeting of the Economic Commission for Europe at
Vienna and to the Conference on Equality and Democracy: Utopia and Challenge, organized by the Council of Europe at Strasbourg.
11. Some representatives reported on the subregional meetings organized in preparation for the regional preparatory meetings and the adoption of subregional platforms for action. One representative informed the Commission of the upcoming Caribbean subregional meeting to finalize preparations for the Conference.
12. In a joint statement, United Nations agencies advised the Commission about their activities in preparation for Beijing, emphasizing that acting in a coordinating way facilitated the realization of the Women in Development/gender mandates.
13. The Special Adviser to the Secretary-General for Public Policy spoke about the preparations for the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations and the special importance of women's contribution being reflected therein.
(b)Review and appraisal of the implementation of the Nairobi Forward- looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women
14. Many representatives stated that the principle of equality was embodied in their constitutions and in the Charter of the United Nations. Reference was made to the existing international legal instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and to the various institutional, legal measures at the national level that were being taken to translate the principle of equality into reality. However, despite notable progress in the advancement of women in societies the world over, much remained to be done before the international community could claim that the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women had been implemented in full.
15. Although some representatives stated that the participation of women in decision-making bodies at the national level had increased, many representatives stressed that women were still far from reaching equal power and that more radical policy interventions and strong political will would be required to bring about immediate changes, including changes in the structure and cultures of institutions. Women's participation in decision-making was a prerequisite for democracy that should be practised at all levels, from grass-roots to top decision-making in both the private and public spheres. Some representatives expressed similar concerns regarding international institutions and decisionmaking, including the United Nations system.
16. Many representatives stated that despite increased participation of women in the labour force, women were still clustered in low-paid, low- skilled jobs and that discrimination against women in remuneration and promotion continued. A few representatives mentioned improvements in the areas of education and health. Many representatives referred to persistent discrimination against women and their lack of access to proper nutrition, clean drinking water, health, education, social support services and decent housing. Many representatives referred to women's insufficient access to productive resources such as land, capital and technology.
17. Some representatives stressed the negative impact of the continuing recession in many economies on women. Some representatives referred to the increasing burden of debt and its adverse effects on women and overall national development programmes. It was stated that structural adjustment programmes had negatively affected the quality of life of women, particularly rural women. A few representatives mentioned the widening North-South gap and the extremely disadvantageous position of the least developed countries. One representative provided information on the main priorities for women in the least developed countries established at the meeting on women in development in the least developed countries, held in Niger in 1995.
18. Many representatives referred to education as a critical factor for the advancement of women, emphasizing the importance of education for girls.
19. Some representatives emphasized the importance of the family and the role of women as pillars of the family. One representative expressed concern that while achieving equality between men and women was essential, it should not deprive women of their femininity and their role as mothers. It was maintained that both men and women should be treated equally, with dignity as human beings and that the contribution of social reproduction to development should be duly recognized.
20. A few representatives stressed the importance of women's reproductive rights; they referred to their activities and the measures taken to improve women's reproductive health. Some representatives mentioned the increasing incidence of HIV/AIDS as a grave threat to women's health.
21. It was emphasized that sex-based discrimination was closely linked to culture and tradition. Reference was made to fundamentalist movements, religious extremism and ethnic fanaticism, which were said to adversely affect women's status in society. Another representative voiced concern about the "negative side of culture", which was often used to legitimize oppression of women in the family and society. It was suggested that that issue should be given due attention in the context of national and international programmes. One representative referred to cultures and the rights of indigenous people and the difficulty of integrating them.
22. Many representatives referred to the adverse effects of the lack of peace and security on women, particularly in situations of civil strife and armed conflict. In that context, the waste of resources due to increased military spending was emphasized. One representative referred to the holistic approach to security, taking into account basic developmental needs, as well as the need for political security, including respect for human rights. A few representatives stressed that women should unite more effectively and put a stop to ongoing wars, the production and development of weapons, arms trafficking and mindless destruction.
23. Many representatives commented on the violation of international legal, humanitarian and ethical standards, which adversely affected refugee and displaced women in situations of armed conflict. A few referred to rape being used as a tool of war. Some representatives referred to the worsening of socio-economic conditions and the feminization of poverty due to armed conflict and civil wars.
24. One representative reported on the meeting organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross to analyse the measures to be taken for ensuring the protection of women and children against the violation of international humanitarian laws.
25. Many representatives referred to the prevailing violence against women, in the family, society and in circumstances of war and armed conflict. They reported on means and measures to eradicate violence against women in all its forms and to provide assistance to the victims, and stressed the need for concerted international action in that respect. A few representatives raised the issue of new forms of violence emerging from terrorism.
26. Many representatives said that the human rights of women were insufficiently protected. Some stressed the importance of the principle of equality, enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, as the basis for international protection of women. Some representatives reported on efforts being made in their countries to reform national laws in compliance with international legal standards. It was stressed that the human rights of women should be respected in all spheres of life, including social and cultural rights, which constitute an integral part of universal human rights. One representative referred to the difficulties of transition from
the customary to the modern legal framework. Although the advantage of the modern legal system was recognized, the necessity of protecting women in customary ways during the transition period was emphasized. Many representatives stressed the importance of legal literacy of women and the practical application of their rights.
27. Many representatives referred to the insufficiency of gender disaggregated data.
28. A non-governmental organization said that the current imbalance in women's access to various sports had been pointed out at a conference on women and sports, held in 1994, at which strategies to increase women's participation in sports had been adopted. The representative urged that the Platform for Action addressed barriers to women's equal participation in sports.
(c)Reports from regional conferences and other international conferences
29. The representatives of the regional commissions (the Economic Commission for Africa, the Economic Commission for Europe, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia) reported on the preparatory activities for the Fourth World Conference on Women, including regional conferences. All representatives commented on the wide participation in the regional conferences of intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, women's organizations and the United Nations system, including the regional commissions. They highlighted the process of consensus-building around regional critical areas of concern, leading to the adoption of regional platforms for action. The process was considered dynamic given the diversity and cultural pluralism among countries. Each representative acknowledged the contribution of various meetings at the subregional and national levels during the preparatory phase, including various youth meetings, artistic performances and fairs and other initiatives of civil society. All representatives stated that specific follow-up activities were being planned for the implementation of regional plans of action.
30. One representative reported on the Regional Conference on Intra- Familial Violence which took place at Phnom Penh in December 1994.
31. References were made to the achievements of the international conferences in Mexico and Copenhagen.
(d)Draft Platform for Action
32. Many representatives commended the draft Platform for Action as comprehensive and providing the basis for further discussion. Some representatives found it too extensive and detailed, as well as weak regarding content analysis and consistency in the critical areas of concern. Many representatives suggested that it should reflect reality and sensitivity to common global problems and in a balanced way embody regional diversity without, however, duplicating the regional platforms for action.
33. Many representatives urged that the Platform for Action should reflect the many important and hard-won gains that were ach