WOM/BEI/9/Rev.1* 4 September 1995 SECRETARY-GENERAL'S ADDRESS AT WELCOMING CEREMONY FOR FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN Following is the text of the address by United Nations Secretary- General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, delivered by Under-Secretary-General Ismat Kittani, at the welcoming ceremony organized by the Government of the People's Republic of China in the Great Hall of the People: We are meeting, here in Beijing, to take this great enterprise forward: to consolidate the legal advances, to build on the political understandings, to commit ourselves to action. I welcome you all to this World Conference on Women. I welcome the representatives of the governments of the Member States of the United Nations. I welcome, too, the many members of non-governmental organizations, and of other elements of civil society from around the world, who have joined us. Never before in history have so many representatives of non-governmental organizations attended a United Nations conference. Excellent facilities have been placed at our disposal to make the Conference run smoothly. I wish, therefore, to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Government of the People's Republic of China. China is a key member and a major supporter of the United Nations. At the close of the Second World War, the people of China were among the first to agree that there would be a United Nations. Today, China is a super-Power, with a major role to (more)_________ * Revised to include final text of Secretary-General's statement, as delivered by Under-Secretary-General Kittani - 2 - Press Release WOM/BEI/9/Rev.1 4 September 1995 play in the elaboration of the post-cold-war international order. This great country has enjoyed significant and impressive social, economic and cultural achievements which have had many positive influences on States worldwide. Visitors to the United Nations in New York are greeted by a remarkable sculpture. That sculpture was gifted to the United Nations by the People's Republic of China. It depicts the Chengtu-Kunming Railway. To all who see it, it brings to mind a range of images. The pride of craftsmanship. A pride shared by sculptor and railroad worker. The dignity of labour. The equality of all human beings, women and men, in common cause. The harmony that is possible between technology and nature. And that the key to development lies in human -- women's and men's -- hands. Each of those images is evident in Beijing today. You are hosts to a Conference that seeks to unite, not divide. You have invested in it great care for detail. You have invited the world to your capital. And the world is grateful. To be in the Great Hall of the People is a noble experience. It is people who confirm the dignity of our roots, whether as governments, organizations or institutions. It is people who affirm the strengths we can summon to the tasks we must address. It is people, women and men, who affirm the support upon which we can count for the realization of the goals we have set. It is people who affirm the importance of popular mandate and expectation. And it is people, women and men, who affirm the greatness of the resources we can draw upon. For centuries, the world has given its women less than their due. Those empowered by nature to create life itself have had their own lives impoverished. Those who have proven their skills at raising children have been considered unfit to participate in popular governance on equal terms. Those who have built homes upon foundations of trust and affection have been denied the shelter of society's concern and care. Yet much has changed. Struggle has brought its reward. But much remains unfinished, even undone. And it is entirely fitting that the world's largest nation should host a Conference dedicated to so large and vital a part of human society. Permanent membership of the Security Council has placed upon China particular responsibilities. It has exercised these with care and discretion. The international situation has placed heavy demands upon the world community. United Nations peace-keeping operations have been provided by your country at short notice. China has participated in missions in Africa, in the Middle East and in the Gulf. Its contribution to the political settlement in Cambodia has been of particular importance (more) - 3 - Press Release WOM/BEI/9/Rev.1 4 September 1995 Your citizens have enriched the activities of the United Nations Secretariat in diverse fields. Your judges have brought their wisdom and sense of fairness to theInternational Court of Justice. Today the United Nations aspires to the active prevention of conflict. It is no less important than peace-keeping; it can render the effort and expense of such operations unnecessary. This conflict prevention requires patience, tenacity and tact. And these are qualities innate to Chinese character and history. As Secretary-General, it is my hope that China will continue to use its standing and wise advice in this cause. For what, after all, is the United Nations about? Upon what determination was it created? In a single word, peace. In a single phrase, the dignity of the human person. There is no way this can be realized where conflict persists. There is no way this can be realized when the limited resources of our earth are wasted. There is no way this can be realized when the weak are made weaker in order that the strong become stronger. The world has begun to be aware of this. The leaders of nations have met and deliberated upon the most pressing issues of our times. The earth and its environment. The rights innate and assured to each human being, women and men. The harmony that must be preserved between growth in population and the progress of nations. The imperative of equitable social development. These may not be issues of war and peace. But they compromise the security of nations by inhibiting the security of peoples, women and men. It is that awareness, that recognition that brings us to Beijing today. And, like the workers at Chengtu-Kunming, we shall work to build bridges where none had been thought possible. We shall work to breath hope into causes we cherish and hold dear. * *** *