Fourth World Conference on Women	FWCW / 1
Beijing	28 August 1995



	PRESS RELEASE

	Flag-Raising Ceremony
	Fourth World Conference on Women


	The Chinese Organizing Committee turned over the Beijing 
International Conference Centre (BICC), the site of the Fourth 
World Conference On Women, to the United Nations in a flag-
raising ceremony at 9:00 a.m., Monday, 28 August 1995.  Mrs. 
Gertrude Mongella, Secretary-General of the Conference, accepted 
the key to the site from Her Excellency Mrs. Peng Pei Yun, State 
Counsellor and Chairwoman, Chinese Organizing Committee (COC), 
and praised the Government of China for the "extraordinary 
enthusiasm" it has shown in its efforts to make the Conference a 
success.

	Mrs. Mongella said that the banners flying all over the 
city and the thousands of people working to prepare the site was 
"an illustration of the remarkable degree to which China has met 
with the terms of the headquarters agreement regarding the 
preparations for the events which will take place here over the 
next weeks."

	She recalled that the Agreement for holding the Conference 
was signed one year ago on 14 September 1994, on behalf of the 
United Nations by Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who 
by his presence at the signing ceremony indicated his commitment 
to the primary importance of this Conference as one of the major 
events of our time for the advancement of women.

	The Conference, Mrs. Mongella said, would be "the biggest 
and I dare say the most important United Nations Conference in 
history, because it is not about one group or the other.  This 
Conference affects every human being on earth.  It is the chance 
for people, in particular women, around the world to link up and 
communicate, but as you all know, women make the difference in 
the lives of everyone."  Expected to attend the Conference were 
delegations from the 185 Member States of the United Nations, 
the representatives of some 2,500 non-governmental organizations 
and 3,500 media representatives.

	Other representatives of the Government of China at the 
ceremony were His Excellency Mr. Li Zhao Xing, Vice Minister for 
Foreign Affairs and Vice Chairman of the COC, and Her Excellency 
Mrs. Huang Qi Zhao, Vice Chairman of the All China Women's 
Federation.  Representing the United Nations, in addition to 
Mrs. Mongella, was Mr. Ismat Kittani, Under-Secretary-General. 


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