Round-up of Conference WOM/BEI/40 15 September 1995 FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN, BEIJING, 4 - 15 SEPTEMBER Declaration and Platform for Action Break New Ground In International Efforts for Advancement of Women to Year 2000 The "Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action", adopted today in China's capital city at the conclusion of the Fourth World Conference on Women, provide a strong, comprehensive plan for the international community to promote the status of women to the ultimate benefit of society as a whole. Confronting issues such as domestic and sexual abuse, forced pregnancy and the role of degrading or pornographic materials in generating violence against women, the Platform for Action in particular and the Beijing meeting as a whole have generated new international momentum to address previously taboo subjects. The Platform for Action reflects a review of progress since the 1985 international Conference on women, which adopted the "Nairobi Forward- looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women to the Year 2000". Building on accomplishments since then, it establishes a basic group of priority actions to be carried out over the next five years. Twelve critical areas of concern are dealt with in depth: poverty, education, health, violence against women, armed conflict, economic structures, power sharing and decision-making, mechanisms to promote the advancement of women, human rights, the media, the environment and the girl child. The Platform builds on the work of previous world meetings held as part of the "continuum of conferences" of the current decade. For example, while the World Conference on Human Rights (Vienna, 1993) laid the groundwork for the establishment of a Special Rapporteur on violence against women, the Beijing Conference has made specific recommendations to the Special Rapporteur, among which is a call for her urgently to address the use of women in international prostitution and trafficking networks. (more) - 2 - Press Release WOM/BEI/40 15 September 1995 Building on the General Assembly's 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Platform confronts the problems of domestic and sexual abuse, rape, forced pregnancy and sexual slavery. Going in further depth than the Declaration, the Platform explores the role of the media in "eliminating patterns of media presentation that generate violence" and calls for the establishment of professional guidelines and codes of conduct that address violent, degrading or pornographic media materials. The 1979 Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women -- the central and most comprehensive document addressing the human rights of women -- calls on States parties to accord men and women the same right to family benefits. While numerous countries have entered reservations to this clause of the Convention, the Beijing Conference, following intensive negotiations, agreed to urge elimination of the injustice and obstacles in relation to inheritance faced by girls, by the enacting and enforcing of legislation to guarantee equal right to succession and ensuring equal right to inherit, regardless of the sex of the child. In order to ensure an institutional follow-up to the Beijing recommendations, the Secretary-General is invited to establish a high-level post, using existing human and financial resources, to act as his advisor on gender issues and help ensure system-wide implementation of the Platform. The World Conference on Women marked the first time that an in-depth international discussion was held on the issue of discrimination based on sexual orientation. Long discussions on the matter did not result in agreement, and all references to sexual orientation were removed from the Platform for Action. Following the adoption of the Platform for Action and Beijing Declaration, several countries expressed reservations on certain provisions, notably those concerning health and human rights. The Fourth World Conference on Women has been described by Conference officials as the largest international meeting ever convened under United Nations auspices, with some 17,000 people registered, including 5,000 delegates from 189 States and the European Union; 4,000 representatives of non-governmental organizations and well over 3,200 representative of the world's media. The Conference was notable for the extensive participation of representatives of non-governmental organizations, which contributed to its outcome through their direct participation in the general debate and also through the work of a parallel, independent NGO Forum. Held from 30 August to 8 September in conjunction with the official Conference, the Forum attracted some 30,000 participants. In a message to the (more) - 3 - Press Release WOM/BEI/40 15 September 1995 Conference delivered by his special representative, United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali called this a demonstration of "the new partnership in international life which has been forged between governmental and non-governmental organizations" and of the "new legitimacy of the organizations of civil society as actors on the international scene". Said Conference Secretary-General Gertrude Mongella on the final day of the Beijing meetings, "The Fourth World Conference on Women is concluded, but the real work of transforming words into action is only now beginning. Let the spirit of organization and goal-setting which marked the preparatory phase of this Conference become the energy to propel implementation. Let the diversities of women now be channelled into making women indeed, 'the greatest multipliers of prosperity' rather than the 'greatest victims of poverty'." Beijing Declaration; Platform for Action The Beijing Declaration expresses the determination of Governments to intensify efforts and actions to achieve the goals of the Nairobi Forward- looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women by the end of this century. Governments assert their determination to promote women's economic independence, including employment, and promote "people-centred" sustainable development, including sustained economic development through the provision of basic education, life-long education, literacy and training and primary health care for girls and women. Governments express their determination to assure peace for women, and, recognizing the leading role that women have played in the peace movement, work towards general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control, and support negotiations on the conclusion, without delay, of a universal and multilaterally and effectively verifiable nuclear-test-ban treaty. The Declaration calls for elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls. Governments pledge to intensify efforts to ensure equal enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms for women and girls. They commit to implementing the Platform for Action, ensuring that a gender perspective is reflected in all their policies and programmes. They urge the United Nations system, regional and international financial institutions and all women and men to commit themselves fully to action as well. The Platform for Action seeks to hasten the removal of the remaining obstacles to women's full and equal participation in all spheres of life, to protect women's human rights and to integrate women's concerns into all aspects of sustainable development. It identifies strategic objectives and actions in 12 critical areas of concern. (more) - 4 - Press Release WOM/BEI/40 15 September 1995 Recommendations are addressed to various elements of the international community, particularly governments, international financial institutions, bilateral donors, the private sector, academic and research institutions, non-governmental organizations and the mass media. The text is comprised of six chapters, with the bulk of recommendations concentrated in chapter IV, on the "critical areas of concern". Chapter V concerns institutional arrangements, while chapter VI addresses financial arrangements. The first chapter of the Platform contains its "mission statement", which emphasizes that women and men share common concerns that can only be addressed by working together and in partnership towards the common goal of gender equality throughout the world. It quotes from the Copenhagen Declaration adopted last March by the World Summit for Social Development, to the effect that broad-based and sustainable economic growth is necessary to sustain social development and social justice. The Platform's second chapter, entitled "global framework", states that the Platform's implementation is "the sovereign responsibility of each State, in conformity with all human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the significance of and full respect for various religious and ethical values, cultural backgrounds and philosophical convictions of individuals and their communities should contribute to the full enjoyment by women of their human rights in order to achieve equality, development and peace". Structural adjustment programmes, which are beneficial in the long run, have led to a reduction in social expenditures, thereby adversely affecting women, according to the text. "This is exacerbated when responsibilities for basic social services have shifted from governments to women". The boundaries of the gender division of labour between productive and reproductive roles are gradually being crossed as women have started to enter formerly male-dominated areas of work and men have started to accept greater responsibilities for domestic tasks, including child care. However, changes in women's roles have been much greater and more rapid than changes in men's roles. Women are not adequately represented in decision-making structures, and represent an average of 10 per cent of all legislators worldwide, the chapter continues. "The United Nations", it adds, "is no exception". Fifty years after its creation, it continues "to deny itself the benefits of women's leadership by their underrepresentation at decision-making levels within the Secretariat and specialized agencies". Discussing problems facing women, including the HIV/AIDS pandemic, lack of equality and unbalanced distribution of remunerated and unremunerated labour, the Platform calls for special measures to ensure that young women have the life skills needed to participate in all levels of leadership. "Only a new era of international cooperation among governments and peoples, based on a spirit of partnership, an equitable international social and economic environment and a radical transformation of (more) - 5 - Press Release WOM/BEI/40 15 September 1995 the relationship between women and men to one of full and equal partnership will enable the world to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century." Excessive military expenditures and investments for arms production and acquisition have reduced the resources available for social development, the Platform declares. Many of the structural adjustment programmes undertaken by developing countries have been poorly designed and implemented, with resulting detrimental effects on social development. The Platform states that girls are often subjected to various forms of sexual and economic exploitation, pedophilia, forced prostitution and, possibly, the sale of their organs and tissues, violence and harmful practices such as female infanticide and prenatal sex selection, incest, female genital mutilation and early marriage, including child marriage. The role of religion in fulfilling moral, ethical and spiritual needs is recognized in the text, which also expresses the view that any form of extremism may have a negative impact on women and could lead to violence and discrimination. It acknowledges the social significance of motherhood and maternity, but states that maternity must not be a basis for discrimination nor restrict the full participation of women in society. The critical areas of concern are listed in chapter III of the Platform for action, as follows: the persistent and increasing burden of poverty on women; inequalities and inadequacies in and unequal access education and training; inequalities and inadequacies and unequal access to health care and related services; violence against women; the effects of armed or other kinds of conflict on women, including those living under foreign occupation; inequality in economic structures and policies, in all forms of productive activities and in access to resources; inequality between men and women in the sharing of power and decision-making at all levels; insufficient mechanisms at all levels to promote the advancement of women; lack of respect for and inadequate promotion and protection of the human rights of women; stereotyping of women and inequality in women's access to and participation in all communications systems, especially in the media; gender inequalities in the management of natural resources and in the safeguarding of the environment; the persistent discrimination against and violation of the rights of the girl child. Chapter IV contains strategic objectives in all critical areas of concern. The first deals with the persistent and increasing burden of poverty on women -- the "feminization of poverty". It states that sustainable development and economic growth are only possible through improving the economic, social, political, legal and cultural status of women. The Platform calls on governments, with the full and equal participation of women, to review and modify macroeconomic and social policies. They are also urged to pursue and implement sound and stable macroeconomic and sectoral policies, designed and (more) - 6 - Press Release WOM/BEI/40 15 September 1995 monitored with the full and equal participation of women, that encourage broad-based sustained economic growth. Governments are further called on to integrate women living in poverty and socially marginalized women into productive employment and the economic mainstream. Multilateral financial institutions are asked to seek durable solutions to problems of external debt. Non-governmental organizations and women's organizations are called on to organize pressure groups and establish monitoring mechanisms and other activities to ensure implementation of the recommendations on poverty. The second critical area of concern is education, which is described as an essential tool for achieving the goals of full equality, development and peace. Discrimination in girls' access to education persists in many areas, owing to customary attitudes, early marriages and pregnancies, inadequate and gender-biased teaching and educational materials, sexual harassment and lack of adequate schooling facilities. Governments are called on to commit themselves, by the year 2000, to universal access to basic education and completion of primary education by at least 80 per cent of primary school-age children; to closing the gender gap in primary and secondary school education by the year 2005; and to universal primary education in all countries before the year 2015. Multilateral development organizations, bilateral donors and foundations are urged to maintain or increase funding levels for education in structural adjustment and economic recovery programmes. Governments, educational institutions and communities are called on to provide support for child care and other services to enable mothers to continue their schooling. International organizations allocating assistance are asked to provide a substantial percentage of their resources to basic education for women and girls. The international community is urged to work to promote literacy, life skills, scientific and technological knowledge, and work towards the expansion of the definition of literacy, taking into account current targets and benchmarks. Governments are asked to ensure access to education for adult women with little education, for women with disabilities and for documented migrant, refugee and displaced women. Gender equality and cultural and religious and other diversity should be respected in educational institutions. Perhaps the most carefully negotiated of all critical areas of concern deals with health. It states that "the ability of women to control their own fertility forms an important basis for the enjoyment of other rights". The trend toward early sexual experience increases the risk of unwanted and too early pregnancy, HIV infection and other sexually- transmitted diseases, as well as unsafe abortion. Unsafe abortion threatens the lives of a large number of women, representing a grave public health problem. Most of the deaths and injuries are preventable through improved access to health care, including family planning. The right of women and men to be informed and to have access to family planning methods of their choice, "as well as other methods of their choice for regulation of fertility which are not against the law" is recognized in the text. (more) - 7 - Press Release WOM/BEI/40 15 September 1995 In that context, the Platform makes reference to the Cairo Programme of Action adopted at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. The Cairo agreement is also cited in the recommendation that governments deal with the health impact of unsafe abortion. The section deals extensively with the problems of HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases, stating that women often do not have the power to insist on safe and responsible sex practices. Among the recommendations to governments, the Platform calls for enacting legislation against socio-cultural practices which contribute to women's susceptibility to HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. Programmes should also be designed for men and male adolescents aimed at providing information on safe and responsible sexual and reproductive behaviour, including male methods for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases through, among others, abstinence and condom use. Governments are called on to allow women access to social security systems in equality with men and to provide more accessible and affordable quality health care services, including sexual and reproductive health care. Governments are also asked take measures to eliminate harmful, medically unnecessary or coercive medical interventions, as well as inappropriate medication of women. Youth non-governmental organizations are urged to receive assistance to address youth concerns in the areas of health, including sexual and reproductive health. The rights of the child to access to information, privacy, confidentiality, respect and informed consent should be taken into account, along with the responsibilities, rights and duties of parents to provide direction and guidance. In addition to dealing with sexual and reproductive health, the section addresses a wide range of health-related subjects, such as the health of older women; mental health services for victims of domestic violence or other forms of abuse; targets for reducing infant and child mortality; the benefits of breast-feeding; assistance to women substance- abusers and their families; and access to safe drinking water. Violence against women, the next critical area of concern, derives essentially from cultural patterns, particularly the harmful effects of certain traditional practices and all acts of extremism linked to race, sex, language or religion that perpetuate women's lower status, according to the Platform. Images in the media of violence against women, particularly those depicting rape or sexual slavery, as well as the use of women and girls as sex objects, including pornography, are factors which contribute to such violence. Governments are called on to adopt measures to modify patterns of conduct, and to eliminate cultural practices based on stereotyped roles for men and women. They are urged to provide well-funded shelters, legal aid and other services to girls and women subject to violence. Counselling and rehabilitation should also be provided to the perpetrators of violence, the Platform adds. (more) - 8 - Press Release WOM/BEI/40 15 September 1995 The impact of armed conflict on women is the next critical area, which calls for action to promote equal participation of women in all fora and peace activities at all levels, including in the Secretariat of the United Nations. Governments are urged to hasten the conversion of military resources to development and peaceful purposes. The Platform reaffirms that rape in armed conflict constitutes a war crime and, under certain circumstances, an act of genocide. All forms and manifestations of terrorism should be condemned. Measures are required to alleviate the negative impact of economic sanctions on women and children. Special protection is urged for women and children who migrate as family members from abuse and denial of their human rights. Another critical area of concern is devoted to economic structures. It states that insufficient attention to gender analysis has meant that women's contributions and concerns remain too often ignored in economic structures, such as financial and labour markets. To fully realize equality between women and men in their contribution to the economy, active efforts are required for recognizing the work, experience, knowledge and values of both women and men. Governments are asked to enact legislation to guarantee the rights of women and men to equal pay for equal work or work of equal value; to integrate a gender perspective into all economic restructuring and structural adjustment policies; and to pay special attention to women's needs when disseminating market, trade and resource information. Sexual harassment is described in the Platform as "an affront to a worker's dignity" that prevents women from making a contribution commensurate with their abilities. The lack of appropriate and affordable child care and inflexible working hours prevent women from achieving their full potential. While globalization has created some new employment opportunities, it has also exacerbated inequalities between women and men. More analysis needs to be done on the impact of globalization on women's economic status. The text calls attention to the economic contributions women migrant workers make to sending countries, through remittances, and to receiving countries, through their labour. Many experience higher levels of unemployment as compared to both non-migrant and male migrant workers. "The power relations that impeded women's attainment of fulfilling lives operate at many levels of society, from the most personal to the highly public", states the next area, power sharing and decision-making. States are asked to commit to the goal of gender balance in governmental bodies. Political parties are urged to consider examining party structures and procedures to remove all barriers that discriminate against women. Gender balance in the composition of delegations to the United Nations and other international forums is also called for, while the United Nations itself is called on to develop mechanisms to nominate women candidates for appointment to senior posts. The Platform states that "discrimination can start with unequal power relations between men and women within the family", and that "local, non-formal networks of decision-making that reflect a dominant male ethos restrict women's ability to participate equally". The (more) - 9 - Press Release WOM/BEI/40 15 September 1995 Platform calls on all Governments to encourage political parties to integrate women in public positions in the same proportion as men. They are also called on to recognize that shared work and parenting promote increased participation of women in public life. Another strategic objective concerns mechanisms to promote the advancement of women. It states that successive international conferences have underscored the need to take gender factors into account in policy and programme planning, but "in many instances this has not been done". Governments must ensure that responsibility for the advancement of women is invested at the highest possible level, which could in many cases be at the level of Cabinet Minister. Action should be taken to integrate gender perspectives in all policies and programmes so that, before decisions are taken, an analysis is made of the effects on women and men, respectively. Statistics related to individuals should be collected, compiled and analyzed and presented by sex and age and reflect problems, issues and questions related to women and men in society. The human rights of women are dealt with as another critical area of concern. The Platform recommends that governments ensure equality and non- discrimination under the law and achieve legal literacy. Action is requested to promote education on the human and legal rights of women and to undertake public campaigns on the equality of women and men in public and private life. Governments are urged to work actively towards ratification or accession to and implementation of human rights treaties. They are also asked to limit reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and withdraw reservations that are contrary to the purpose of the Convention. States parties are called on to review all national laws, policies, practices and procedures to ensure that they meet Convention obligations. The Platform states that factors affecting the flight of refugee women, other displaced women in need of international protection, and internally displaced women may be different from those affecting men. These women continue to be vulnerable to human rights abuses during and after flight. A separate section devoted to the role of the media states that the lack of gender sensitivity is evidenced by the gender-based stereotyping found in media organizations. Governments and international organizations, to the extent consistent with freedom of expression, should encourage gender-sensitive training for media professionals in order to encourage the creation and use of non-stereotyped, balanced and diverse images of women. The media are urged to encourage to refrain from presenting women as inferior beings and exploiting them as sexual objects and commodities, rather than presenting them as creative human beings. Negative and degrading images of women in the media must be changed. The media should develop, consistent with freedom of expression, forms of self-regulation to promote the presentation of non-stereotyped images of women. Guideline are called for to address violent degrading or pornographic materials. (more) - 10 - Press Release WOM/BEI/40 15 September 1995 The following strategic objective concerns women and the environment. Among the recommendations, governments are called on to integrate rural women's traditional knowledge and practices in the development of environmental management programmes and to develop a strategy for change to eliminate all obstacles to women's full and equal participation in sustainable development and equal access to and control over resources. International organizations, non-governmental organizations and private sector institutions are asked to support women's consumer initiatives by promoting the marketing of organic food and recycling facilities as well as product labelling, which should be clear to those who are illiterate. The final section addresses the situation of girls. The Platform calls for the enactment and strict enforcement of laws to ensure that marriage is only entered into with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. Governments and international and non-governmental organizations are asked to take measures aimed at abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children. Girls face female genital mutilation, female infanticide and prenatal sex selection, early marriage, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and discrimination against girls in food allocation, the Platform states. Girls have lower school enrolment rates than boys and are often not encouraged to pursue scientific and technological training. They are also less encouraged than boys to participate in and learn about the social, political and economic functioning of society. Girls are more vulnerable to violence, particularly sexual violence. A series of measures is elaborated in the text to protect and support girls in such areas as education; food allocation; vulnerability to sexually-transmitted diseases; traditional practices which are prejudicial to their health; work; and eradication of violence. In addition, the Section contains a provision calling on governments to eliminate the injustice and obstacles in relation to inheritance faced by girls, by enacting and enforcing legislation that guarantees equal right to succession and ensuring equal right to inherit, regardless of the sex of the child. Chapter V concerns institutional arrangements for follow-up to the World Conference. The Secretary-General is invited to establish a high- level post, using existing human and financial resources, to act as his advisor on gender issues and help ensure system-wide implementation of the Platform. Emphasis is placed on the role of the Commission on the Status of Women, which should have a clear mandate and necessary financial support to play a central role in monitoring the Platform's implementation. The Commission should receive monitoring reports from, among others, organizations and agencies of the United Nations system. Ultimately, the Commission should serve as the gender analysis arm of the Economic and Social Council. Governments are called on to develop strategies to implement the draft platform by the end of 1996, with time-bound targets, benchmarks for monitoring as well as proposals for allocating resources for implementation. Effective implementation of the Platform (more) - 11 - Press Release WOM/BEI/40 15 September 1995 will require changes in the internal dynamics of institutions. "Sexual harassment, including treatment of women as sex objects, should be eliminated". Chapter VI of the draft Platform, on financial arrangements, states that governing bodies within the United Nations system should give special consideration to the effective implementation of the Platform and to review their policies, programmes, budgets and activities in order to achieve the most effective and efficient use of funds to that end. The allocation of additional resources from within the United Nations regular budget in order to implement the Platform for Action will also be necessary. Resources provided by the international community for the United Nations programmes and funds needed to be sufficient and should be maintained at an adequate level. The outcome of the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen, March 1995) regarding debt management and reduction should be implemented in order to facilitate realization of the Platform's goals. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action were negotiated by the Conference's Main Committee, which was chaired by Patricia Licuanan (Philippines), who also chaired negotiations in the Commission on the Status of Women, the Conference's preparatory body. The Main Committee was then sub-divided into two working groups which, in turn, set up smaller contact groups to deal with particularly contentious issues. One of these groups dealt with the Platform's section on health and one was responsible for the Beijing Declaration. Conference of Commitments According to the Conference's agenda, governments were invited to make use of the general exchange of views to express their commitments to the advancement of women. The commitments made during the general exchange of views, along with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, constitute the major results of the Conference. According to the Secretariat, the Conference plenary heard statements by representatives of 186 Member States, three Associate Members, 16 intergovernmental organizations, 32 United Nations agencies and programmes, and 50 non-governmental organizations. A representative of the European Union and several other speakers also addressed the Conference plenary. The Conference was addressed by five Heads of State or Government. On the opening day, statements were made by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan; Vigdis Finnbogadottir, President of Iceland; and Begum Khaleda Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh. On the Conference's closing day, statements were made by Gro Harlem Bruntland, Prime Minister of Norway; and Alberto Fujimori, President of Peru. (more) - 12 - Press Release WOM/BEI/40 15 September 1995 Most of the commitments expressed dealt with three areas: reform of national policies; numerical targets for the year 2000; and frameworks for international development cooperation. Numerous developing countries placed emphasis on inequalities in access to education, and expressed their determination to increase primary school enrollment, improve literacy rates for girls and women, and develop gender-sensitive school curricula. Several indicated that they would implement programmes to combat poverty and marginalization of women and to provide them with food security. In the equally crucial area of health, a number of countries pledged to improve services to women, particularly pregnant women, with a view to lowering infant and maternal mortality rates. Other developing countries stressed their intention to involve women in political decision-making at the local and national levels. Many speakers announced measures that would be taken to improve family planning services and information on contraception and the prevention of sexually-transmitted diseases. In that respect, they reaffirmed their commitment to the principles adopted by the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. Countries also expressed their intention to take measures to promote shared responsibility between men and women to allow women to better reconcile their family and professional responsibilities. Measures would also be taken to improve working conditions for women. In addition, some governments said they would develop statistical indicators to measure women's unremunerated work, which would be computed in national accounts. A number of developed countries pledged to give priority to measures responding to the needs of women in their international development cooperation policies and programmes. They stated that investments in developing countries would be geared towards benefiting women and men alike. Countries which had not previously done so expressed their intention to reform laws which contained discriminatory provisions. They pledged to protect women and girls from domestic violence, including sexual abuse. Several States announced their intention to lift the reservations they had entered to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Many of the United Nations programmes and funds made commitments geared towards the advancement of women by refocusing their efforts and resources to meet the needs of women and girls. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), for example, decided to double its funding for basic education over the next 10 years, with particular emphasis on girls. It stated that it would work in cooperation with the United Nations (more) - 13 - Press Release WOM/BEI/40 15 September 1995 Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as well as the World Bank and others to promote education for all, especially girls. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights pledged to work for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women. The World Food Programme (WFP) announced its intention to devote 60 per cent of its food resources to women and girls in countries where there were great gender disparities in areas such as literacy and education. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) pledged to continue its work to enable women to enjoy their reproductive rights by providing reproductive health services without coercion. Background on Conference The Economic and Social Council, in 1991, recommended the convening of a world conference on women to be held in 1995 under the auspices of the United Nations. By its resolution 45/129, the General Assembly endorsed the recommendation and requested the Commission on the Status of Women to serve as the preparatory body. The Commission began negotiating the draft platform at its session held from 15 March to 7 April 1995. The draft was subsequently further negotiated during informal consultations held from 31 July to 4 August. Five regional-level preparatory meetings were organized by the United Nations regional commissions: in Jakarta, for Asia and the Pacific, 7-14 June 1994; in Mar del Plata, Argentina, for Latin America and the Caribbean, 25-29 September 1994; in Vienna, for Europe and North America, 17-21 October 1994; in Amman, for Arab countries, 6-10 November 1994; and in Dakar, for Africa, 16-23 November 1994. Officers; Participants Gertrude Mongella, a former cabinet minister and diplomat from the United Republic of Tanzania, has been serving as Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women since December 1992. The Conference elected as its President Chen Muhua, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People's Congress of China and President of the Executive Committee of the All-China Women's Federation. The Rapporteur-General was Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Namibia. Patricia B. Licuanan, Commissioner of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, of the Philippines, chaired the Conference's Main Committee. (more) - 14 - Press Release WOM/BEI/40 15 September 1995 Li Zhaoxing, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of China, served as Vice-President ex officio. The following 27 other States served as Vice- Presidents of the Conference: Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Greece, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Syria and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The following 189 States took part in the Conference, to which the European Union was also accredited: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy and Jamaica. Also, Japan, Jordan, Kazakstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia and Zimbabwe. * *** *