BEIJING REPORT                     Number 5 - 18 September 1995


WOMEN'S CONFERENCE BREAKS NEW GROUND.  The "Beijing Declaration
and Platform for Action" adopted at the end of the Women's
Conference in China's Capital city can be considered a Bill of
Rights for Women.  The two documents capture the gains made by
women over the past 20 years and highlight critical areas of
concern that need to be addressed.  Most of the recommendations
of the Human Development Report 1995 were reflected in the
Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action.
        The Conference broke new ground by addressing previously
taboo subjects and generated new international momentum.  The
platform for Action confronted such issues as domestic and sexual
abuse and forced pregnancy.  Poverty tops all twelve areas listed
by the Platform for Action requiring priority action for the next
five years.  The 150-page document states that over one billion
people in today's world, the great majority of them women, live
in unacceptable poverty conditions.  It adds that sustainable
development and economic growth are only possible through
improving the economic, social, political, legal and cultural
status of women.
        Other areas of priority concern include education, health,
violence against women, armed conflicts, economic structures,
power-sharing and decision-making, human rights, the environment
and the girl child.  The delegates failed to agree on the issue
of discrimination based upon sexual orientation and all such
references were therefore removed from the Platform.  The
Conference urged elimination of the injustices and obstacles in
relation to inheritance faced by girls and stated national laws
should guarantee equal right to succession and inheritance.
        In order to ensure institutional follow-up to the Beijing
recommendations, the Secretary-General was invited to appoint a
high-level advisor on gender issues. 
        The Platform refers to the Resident Coordination system at
the country level as a means to improve coordination of United
Nations operational activities for development.                           
        Following the adoption of the two documents, over 40
countries voiced reservations on certain provisions, notably
those on health and human rights.
        During the closing session, Norwegian Prime Minister Gro
Harlem Brundtland made extensive references to the themes of the
Human Development Report 1995, including the need to support a
genderized 20/20 concept.
        The Plenary session over the two-week period heard
statements by representatives of 189 countries, 32 United Nations
agencies and programmes, 16 intergovernmental organizations and
50 nongovernmental organizations.  Government representatives
expressed commitments in three areas: reform of national
policies, numerical targets for the year 2000 and a framework for
international development cooperation.
        Further documents and details on the follow-up to Beijing
Conference will be issued soon by GIDP/BPPS and other
Headquarters Units.

THE NGO CAUCUS AT THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN
established a special "Caucus on Implementation and Follow-up"
which will examine ways NGOs can continue to bring pressure on
Governments and multilateral organizations to meet the
commitments set forth in the Platform for Action.  As a first
step, they invited representatives of the United Nations
Secretariat Division on Women, UNDP, UNIFEM and INSTRAW to meet
with them Wednesday, 13 September to share their plans for
follow-up action and to discuss ways they can collaborate with
NGOs in these activities.  The meeting started off with a
description by each UN unit of their mandate and roles in follow-
up and clarification of their complementary strengths.  
Representing UNDP, Sally Timpson focused particularly on UNDP's
responsibility for operational support to follow-up on the
national level through its Resident Representatives, who in most
cases also serve as Resident Coordinators.  She pointed out
UNDP's support at this and other conferences for participation of
NGOs in preparatory activities at the country level and in some
cases NGO attendance at the Conference itself.  Ms. Timpson also
noted UNDP circulation of documents and Government speeches on
the Internet which will allow NGOs to use them to monitor follow-
up.  She said it was expected that the dialogue between UNDP and
NGOs at the national level would be continued as Resident
Representatives work to identify priority areas for follow-up
action appropriate to each country.

ELSEWHERE AT THE CONFERENCE .....

UNITED NATIONS VOLUNTEERS PROGRAMME DIRECTOR BRENDA McSWEENEY
called "volunteering a powerhouse for change in society" in
address to conference plenary.  She said, "UNV stands ready to
transform the Platform for Action into reality through increased
focus on women's needs in its grassroots programmes and stepped-
up recruitment of women volunteers in the organization." 

AFRICAN WOMEN LEADERS GAVE TIPS TO YOUNG WOMEN on how to succeed
in traditionally-male dominated careers in a panel discussion. 
"Identify and champion issues of greatest concern to women," says
Winnie Byanyima, member of Uganda's Constituent Assembly.  The
panel was moderated by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Director, Regional
Bureau for Africa (RBA) and organized by Viola Morgan, RBA Gender
in Development focal point.


This is the final issue of BEIJING REPORT published from Beijing
during the Fourth World Conference on Women:  4-15 September
1995.

Editor: Hilda Paqui
Director, Division of Public Affairs: Djibril Diallo