*************************************************************************** The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women Secretariat. *************************************************************************** AS WRITTEN STATEMENT BY MS. VICTORIA OKU DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION AND CONFERENCES DEPT ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN, BEIJING MADAME CHAIRPERSON, DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES, LADIES & GENTLEMEN; THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY JOINS EARLIER SPEAKERS IN PAYING GLOWING TRIBUTE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA FOR THE EXCELLENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN AND FOR THE WARM HOSPITALITY. WE WISH ALSO TO COMMEND MRS. GERTRUDE MONGELLA AND HER TEAM FOR THEIR UNTIRING EFFORTS IN ORGANIZING THIS IMPORTANT GLOBAL CONFERENCE. WE CONVEY SPECIAL THANKS TO THE UNITED NATIONS FOR BRINGING WOMEN ISSUES TO THE FORE DURING THE PAST TWO DECADES AND FOR FOCUSING ON THE KEY ISSUES OF EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE AS THE THEME OF THIS CONFERENCE. THE THEME DRAWS ATTENTION ONCE AGAIN TO THE CONTINUING UNSATISFACTORY SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL STATUS OF WOMEN PARTICULARLY IN AFRICA, INSPITE OF THE FACT THAT EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE HAVE FEATURED AS THE CORE OF THE GLOBAL AGENDA FOR THE PAST TWO DECADES. THE CALL FOR COMMITMENT AT THIS CONFERENCE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE RELEVANT. THERE IS URGENT NEED TO TRANSLATE ALL THE EXPRESSIONS OF GOODWILL INTO ACHIEVABLE GOALS THAT WILL AFFECT THE LOT OF WOMEN IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY. MADAM CHAIRPERSON, DESPITE THEIR INDISPENSABLE ROLES IN THE REPRODUCTION AND SUSTENANCE OF LIFE, WOMEN ARE NOT SEEN AS EQUAL PARTNERS OF MEN. RATHER, ONLY THEIR ROLE AS WIVES AND MOTHERS IS EMPHASIZED AS OPPOSED TO THEIR CAPABILITIES AND CONTRIBUTION. THERE AMPLE EVIDENCE THAT AFRICAN WOMEN ARE MARGINALIZED SOCIALLY, ECONOMICALLY AND POLITICALLY. CONSEQUENTLY, THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO BE HARSH. THUS THE CRITICAL AREAS OF CONCERN ENUMERATED IN THE AFRICA PLATFORM FOR Action ARE OF --' PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE TO US IN AFRICA. THE 31ST OAU SUMMIT HELD IN ADDIS ABABA IN JUNE 1995 ENDORSED THE AFRICAN PLATFORM FOR ACTION AS AFRICA’S COMMON POSITION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN, AFRICAN LEADERS THEREBY ACCEPTED INTERALIA, TO CREATE THE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLATFORM. THIS COMMITMENT RECOGNIZES THE NEED, AMONG OTHERS, FOR: 1. STRONG POLITICAL WILL 2. LOCATING CORE STRUCTURES FOR EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGIES AND PLANS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF DECISION MAKING; 3. PROVIDING CORE STRUCTURES WITH HIGH TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES AND ADEQUATE RESOURCES; 4. GIVING CORE STRUCTURES THE MANDATE FOR ADVOCACY AND FOR ENSURING THE MAINSTREAMING OF GENDER CONCERNS IN ALL SECTORS AND PROGRAMS, AT LEVELS; 5. ENSURING THE. MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF IMPLEMENTATION; AND ACCOUNTABILITY AT ALL LEVELS MADAM CHAIRPERSON, DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES, THE PLIGHT OF WOMEN IN AFRICA HAS BEEN A MAJOR SOURCE OF CONCERN TO THE OAU. AT REGIONAL LEVEL, THE OAU, IN COLLABORATION WITH UNECA AND` ADB ARE COMMITTED TO THE CAUSE OF WOMEN. ACCORDINGLY, A NUMBER OF COLLECTIVE STRATEGIES HAVE BEEN ADOPTED TO IMPROVE THE STATUS OF WOMEN AND INCREASE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES PURSUANT TO THE PRINCIPALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DECADE FOR WOMEN. THESE INCLUDE, INTERALIA, THE ABUJA DECLARATION ON PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN AFRICA IN THE t 1990S AND, MORE RECENTLY, THE TREATY ESTABLISHING THE AFRICAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY(1991). ON ITS PART, THE OAU HAS ESTABLISHED A WOMEN'S UNIT TO PROMOTE WOMEN'S ISSUES AND TO ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST OAU MEMBER STATES TO ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES AIMED AT THE ACHIEVEMENT OF GENDER EQUALITY. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AFRICAN POPULATION COMMISSION IN 1994 CAME TO SUPPORT THE GENDER-ORIENTED ACTIVITIES. WOMEN ISSUES HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN VARIOUS DECLARATIONS OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENTS AND RESOLUTIONS OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS. FOR EXAMPLE, BOTH THE TUNIS DECLARATION OF JUNE 1994 AND THE CAIRO AGENDA OF APRIL 1995 REFLECT THE COMMITMENT OF AFRICAN HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS WOMEN'S ISSUES. THEY AGREED THAT SPECIAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID TO THE FULL INVOLVEMENT OF WOMEN IN THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. THEY ALSO RECOGNIZED THAT HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT ENTAILS THE ELIMINATION OF GENDER BASED DISCRIMINATION THE NEED FOR THE ENACTMENT OF LEGISLATION TO DEAL WITH SUCH DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES, AND TO PROVIDE PROTECTION TO THE GIRLCHILD AND WOMEN IN AFRICA, BY EXTENDING TO THEM EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE AREAS OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND OTHER CIVIC RIGHTS. MADAM CHAIRPERSON, FOR MANY YEARS, AFRICAN COUNTRIES HAVE INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY ADOPTED AT THE NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS MANY PLANS, STRATEGIES AND PROGRAMS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONTINENT, UNFORTUNATELY, THESE PLANS WERE NOT ADEQUATELY IMPLEMENTED BY MOST MEMBER STATES ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE FACE OF DIFFICULT SOCIO-ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES AND DWINDLING RESOURCES. THE OAU THEREFORE RECOGNIZES THAT DEMOCRACY, GOOD GOVERNANCE, PEACE, SECURITY, STABILITY AND JUSTICE ARE AMONG THE ESSENTIAL FACTORS IN AFRICA'S SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WITHOUT DEMOCRACY AND PEACE, DEVELOPMENT IS NOT POSSIBLE; AND, WITHOUT DEVELOPMENT, THERE CAN BE NO LASTING PEACE. MADAM CHAIRPERSON, NO SINGLE INTERNAL FACTOR HAS CONTRIBUTED MORE TO THE PRESENT SOCIO- ECONOMIC PROBLEMS IN THE CONTINENT OF AFRICA THAN THE SOURCES OF CONFLICTS WITHIN AND BETWEEN OUR COUNTRIES. THEY HAVE BROUGHT ABOUT DEATH AND UNTOLD HUMAN SUFFERING, ENGENDERED HATRED AND DIVIDED NATIONS AND FAMILIES. CONFLICTS HAVE FORCED MILLION OF OUR PEOPLE, (MAINLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN) INTO A DRIFTING LIFE AS REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS, DEPRIVED OF THEIR MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD, HUMAN DIGNITY AND HOPE. WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MECHANISM FOR CONFLICT PREVENTION, MANAGEMENT AND RESOLUTION, THE OAU IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES HAVE TAKEN CONCRETE STEPS TO BRING PEACE AND STABILITY, AND TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS OF REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS. HOWEVER, GREATER EFFORTS NEED TO BE MADE TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN RELIEF AND REHABILITATION IN POST-CONFLICT SOCIETIES. THE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY IS THUS INDISPENSABLE FOR A MEANINGFUL SOLUTION TO THE REFUGEE AND CONFLICT SITUATIONS IN AFRICA. MADAM CHAIRPERSON, FOR THE FUTURE, THE OAU WILL COMMIT ITSELF, INTER ALIA, TO MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLATFORM OF ACTION AND OTHER PLANS OF ACTION BY ENSURING THAT THE ISSUES ARE KEPT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE SESSIONS OF THE OAU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS AND SUMMIT. THIS WAY, THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN WILL BE HIGHLIGHTED AS A CONSTANT REMINDER TO IMPLEMENTORS TO CONTINUE WITH REQUIRED ACTION. THE OAU RECOGNIZES THE IMMENSE CONTRIBUTION OF WOMEN IN SUSTAINING THE FAMILY EVEN DURING TIMES OF ARMED CONFLICT AND FURTHERMORE RECOGNIZES THE INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS WOMEN CAN MAKE TO THE PEACE PROCESS. THE OAU WILL CONTINUE TO INVOLVE MORE WOMEN IN THE PEACE PROCESS. THE OAU WISHES TO ACKNOWLEDGE WITH GRATITUDE THE SUPPORT OF DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS WHICH CONTINUE TO MAKE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO AFRICA. WE ALSO THANK NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NGOS WHICH ASSIST THROUGH PROJECT EXECUTION TO ALLEVIATE THE DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE WOMEN OF AFRICA. WE CALL FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT TO IMPLEMENT THE PLATFORM AND PLANS OF ACTION IN THE VARIOUS SECTORS MENTIONED. WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT AFRICA'S PARTNERS HAVE INDICATED THEIR WILLINGNESS TO EXAMINE THEIR RESPECTIVE ROLES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AFRICAN PLATFORM FOR ACTION AS A MEANS TO FACILITATING ACTION AFTER BEIJING. IN CONCLUSION MADAM CHAIRPERSON, THE OAU IS CONFIDENT THAT THIS CONFERENCE WILL BRING NEW HOPE TO THE MARGINALISED AND SUFFERING WOMEN THE WORLD OVER FOR AMORE EQUITABLE SYSTEM IN WHICH WOMEN CAN MAKE THEIR CONTRIBUTION AS PARTNERS OF MEN. I THANK YOU.