****************************************************************************** This document has been made available in electronic format by the United Nations. Reproduction and dissemination of the document - in electronic and/or printed format - is encouraged, provided acknowledgement is made of the role of the United Nations in making it available. ****************************************************************************** UNITED NATIONS FOURTH WORLD Distr. CONFERENCE ON WOMEN LIMITED A/CONF.177/L.3 18 August 1995 Beijing, China 4-15 September 1995 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH REPORT ON THE INFORMAL CONSULTATIONS CONVENED BY THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN Note by the Secretary-General 1. The Economic and Social Council, in its decision 1995/225 of 1 June 1995, authorized the Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women, the preparatory body for the Fourth World Conference on Women, to conduct open-ended informal consultations from 31 July to 4 August 1995 to further consider the draft platform for action of the Fourth World Conference on Women, specifically those portions of the text of the draft platform for action that remained within brackets. The Council further decided that the results of such consultations would be transmitted in the form of a non-paper to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing for its pre-Conference consultations. 2. The open-ended informal consultations were conducted by Ms. Patricia Licuanan, Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women, at United Nations Headquarters from 31 July to 4 August 1995. The results of the consultations are reflected in the annex to this note. ANNEX Amendments to the text of the draft platform for action agreed upon at the informal consultations convened by the Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women from 31 July to 4 August 1995 Paragraph 16. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "In this context, the social dimension of development should be emphasized. Accelerated economic growth, although necessary for social development, does not by itself improve the quality of life of the population. In some cases, conditions can arise which can aggravate social inequality and marginalization. Hence, it is indispensable to search for new alternatives that ensure that all members of society benefit from economic growth based on a holistic approach to all aspects of development: growth, equality between women and men, social justice, conservation and protection of the environment, sustainability, solidarity, participation, peace and respect for human rights." Paragraph 18, fifth sentence. Remove the brackets around the word "many". Paragraph 19, last sentence. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Therefore, 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 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." Paragraph 37, first sentence. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Poverty and environmental degradation are closely interrelated. While poverty results in certain kinds of environmental stress, the major cause of the continued deterioration of the global environment is the unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, particularly in industrialized countries, which are a matter of grave concern and aggravate poverty and imbalances." Paragraph 41. Revise the text to read: "The girl child of today is the woman of tomorrow. The skills, ideas and energy of the girl child are vital for full attainment of the goals of equality, development and peace. For the girl child to develop her full potential she needs to be nurtured in an enabling environment, where he [spiritual as well as material] [spiritual, intellectual and material] needs for survival, protection and development are met and her equal rights safeguarded. If women are to be equal partners with men in every aspect of life and development, now is the time to recognize the human dignity and worth of the girl child and to ensure the full enjoyment of her human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the rights assured by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, universal ratification of which is strongly urged. Yet there exists world-wide evidence of discrimination and violence against girls [that begins even before they are born [from conception] and continues unabated throughout their lives.] They often have less access to nutrition, physical and mental health care and education and enjoy fewer rights, opportunities and benefits of childhood and adolescence than do boys. [They are often subjected to [various forms of] sexual and economic exploitation, [paedophilia, prostitution, forced prostitution and trafficking in human organs and tissues], violence and harmful practices such as [prenatal sex selection foeticide] infanticide, incest, female genital mutilation and [forced] early marriage.]" Paragraph 44, last sentence. Remove the brackets around the words "[failure to protect ... right to development]" and revise the text to read: "... failure to protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms of all women and their civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, including the right to development, ...". Paragraph 49 Fourth sentence. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "The globalization of the world's economy and the deepening interdependence among nations present challenges and opportunities for sustained economic growth and development, as well as risks and uncertainties for the future of the world economy. The uncertain global economic climate has been accompanied by economic restructuring as well as, in a certain number of countries, persistent, unmanageable levels of external debt and structural adjustment programmes." Fifth sentence. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "In addition, all types of conflict, displacement of people and environmental degradation have undermined the capacity of Governments to meet the basic needs of their populations." Ninth sentence. Delete "[Full text on unemployment and underemployment to come.]". Fifteenth sentence. Remove the brackets. Paragraph 59. Remove the brackets. Paragraph 60 (a). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 60 (b). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 60 (c). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Pursue and implement sound and stable macroeconomic and sectoral policies that are designed and monitored with the full and equal participation of women, encourage broad-based sustained economic growth, address the structural causes of poverty and are geared towards eradicating poverty and reducing gender-based inequality within the overall framework of achieving people-centred sustainable development." Paragraph 60 (d). Delete the bracketed text. Paragraph 60 (h). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 61 (c) New alternative text 1 "Find effective development-oriented and durable solutions to external debt problems in order to help them to finance programmes and projects targeted at development, including the advancement of women, through the immediate implementation of the terms of debt forgiveness agreed upon in the Paris Club in December 1994, which encompassed debt reduction, including cancellation or other debt relief measures and develop techniques of debt conversion applied to social development programmes and projects in conformity with Platform priorities." New alternative text 2 "Continue efforts to alleviate the debt service burden or convert the debt service of developing countries, in particular the highly indebted, low-income countries, in order to help them to finance programmes and projects targeted at development, including the advancement of women, and to achieve sustained economic growth and sustainable development." Paragraph 63 (b). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 73, first sentence. Remove the brackets. Paragraph 80. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Resources allocated to education, particularly for girls and women, are in many countries insufficient and in some cases have been further diminished, including in the context of adjustment policies and programmes. Such insufficient resource allocations have a long-term adverse effect on human development, particularly on the development of women." Paragraph 87 (a) New alternative text 1 "Be invited to mobilize additional funds to assist in meeting the costs of education for all girls and women, with a particular emphasis on under-served populations." New alternative text 2 "To mobilize additional funds to assist in meeting the costs of education and in promoting gender equality for all girls and women, with a particular emphasis on under-served populations." Paragraph 88 (b) New alternative text "Work with recipient Governments to ensure that funding for women's education is maintained or increased in structural adjustment and economic recovery programmes, including lending and stabilization programmes." Paragraph 89 (d). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Allocate a substantial percentage of their resources to basic education for women and girls." Paragraph 93, first sentence. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "In many countries, especially in developing countries, in particular the least developed countries, a decrease in public health spending and, in some cases, structural adjustment, contribute to the deterioration of public health systems. In addition, privatization of health-care systems without appropriate guarantees of universal access to affordable health care, further reduces health-care availability." Paragraph 105, first sentence. Remove the brackets around the words "and other relevant variables" and delete the words "among others". Paragraph 108 (c). Delete the word "[adequate]". Paragraph 111, chapeau. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "By Governments at all levels and, where appropriate, in cooperation with non-governmental organizations, especially women's and youth organizations". Paragraph 111 (b). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Develop innovative approaches to funding health services through promoting community participation and local financing; increase, where necessary, budgetary allocations for community health centres and community-based programmes and services that address women's specific health needs". Paragraph 111 (e). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Establish, as appropriate, ministerial and interministerial mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of women's health policy and programme reforms and establish, as appropriate, high-level focal points in national planning authorities responsible for monitoring to ensure that women's health concerns are mainstreamed in all relevant government agencies and programmes". Paragraph 112 (a). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Formulate policies favourable to investment in women's health and, where appropriate, increase allocations for such investment". Paragraph 112 (c). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 117. Delete the word "[Internally]". Paragraph 122, first sentence. Revise the text to read: "[Refugee women, other displaced women in need of international protection, and internally displaced women and migrant girls and women, including .... Paragraph 123, fourth sentence. Remove the brackets around the words "who has explored ... fundamental freedoms of women and girls". Paragraph 125 (f). Delete the bracketed text. Paragraph 125 (n). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Create, improve or develop, as appropriate, and fund training programmes for judicial, legal, medical, social, educational, police and immigration personnel, in order to avoid the abuse of power leading to violence against women and sensitize such personnel to the nature of gender-based acts and threats of violence so that fair treatment of female victims can be assured". Paragraph 125 (s). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 126 (g). Remove the brackets around the words "and fund". Paragraph 126 (i). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Provide, fund and encourage counselling and rehabilitation programmes for the perpetrators of violence and promote research to further efforts concerning such counselling and rehabilitation so as to prevent the recurrence of such violence". Paragraph 128. Remove the brackets. Paragraph 130 (a). Delete the bracketed text. Paragraph 131 (b). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "... other forms of commercialized sex, ...". Paragraph 131 (c). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "... national, regional and international ...". Paragraph 131 (d). Revise the text to read: "[Allocate resources to provide comprehensive programmes designed to heal and rehabilitate into society victims of trafficking, including ...]. Paragraph 133, first sentence. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 1949, and the Additional Protocols of 1977 provide that ...". Paragraph 134, fourth sentence. Revise the text to read: "These practices have created, inter alia, a mass flow of refugees and other displaced persons in need of international protection and internally displaced persons, the majority of whom are women, adolescent girls and children." Paragraph 136 First sentence. Remove the bracket at the beginning of the sentence and replace the words "[sex/gender]" with the word "sex". Second sentence. Insert a bracket at the beginning of the sentence. Paragraph 137 First sentence. Remove the brackets around the word "[internally]". Second sentence. Delete the word "[basic]". Fourth and fifth sentences. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Women may also be forced to flee as a result of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons enumerated in the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol, including persecution through sexual violence or other gender-related persecution, and they continue to be vulnerable to violence and exploitation while in flight, in countries of asylum and resettlement and during and after repatriation. Women often experience difficulty in some countries of asylum in being recognized as refugees when the claim is based on such persecution." Paragraph 145 (b). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 147 (f). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "... undertake full investigations of all acts of violence against women committed during war, including rape, in particular systematic rape, forced prostitution and other forms of indecent assault, and sexual slavery ...". Paragraph 147 (i). Delete the word "[international]". Paragraph 148 (b). Revise the text to read: "In reviewing the implementation ..." and move the paragraph to chapter IV, section I. Paragraph 149, chapeau. Revise the text to read: "... providing protection, assistance and training to refugee women, other displaced women in need of international protection and internally displaced women, including ...". Paragraph 149 (a). Revise the text to read: "... providing assistance to refugee women, other displaced women in need of international protection and internally displaced women, including ...". Paragraph 149 (c). Revise the text to read: "... safety and physical integrity of refugee women, other displaced women in need of international protection and internally displaced women during ...". Paragraph 149 (f) Second sentence. New alternative text 1 "Extend adequate international support to countries of asylum to meet the basic needs of refugees and to assist in the search for durable solutions. In providing emergency relief and long-term assistance to refugee populations, give special attention to the specific needs of refugee and displaced women and children. Provide refugee and displaced women and children with access to adequate accommodation, education, health services, including family planning, and other necessary social services." Second sentence. New alternative text 2 "Ensure that the international ... to the Governments concerned in order to provide ... services." Paragraph 149 (h). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "... principle of non-refoulement through, inter alia, bringing national immigration regulations into conformity with relevant international instruments, and consider recognizing as refugees those women whose claims to refugee status is based upon the well-founded fear of persecution for reasons enumerated in the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol, including persecution through sexual violence or other gender-related persecutions, and provide access to specially trained officers, including female officials, to interview women regarding sensitive or painful experiences, such as sexual assault". Paragraph 149 (j). Revise the text to read: "... capacities of refugee women, other displaced women in need of international protection and internally displaced women and provide ...". Paragraph 149 (o). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Develop awareness of the human rights of women and provide ...". Paragraph 153. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "In many regions, women's participation in remunerated work in the formal and non-formal labour market has increased significantly and has changed during the past decade. While women continue to work in agriculture and fisheries, they have also become increasingly involved in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and, in some regions, have become more dominant in the expanding informal sector. Due to, inter alia, difficult economic situations and a lack of bargaining power resulting from gender inequality, many women have been forced to accept low pay and poor working conditions and thus have often become preferred workers. On the other hand, women have entered the workforce increasingly by choice when they have become aware of and have demanded their rights. Some have succeeded in entering and advancing in the workplace and improving their pay and working conditions. However, women have been particularly affected by the economic situation and restructuring processes, which have changed the nature of employment and, in some cases, have led to a loss of jobs, even for professional and skilled women. In addition, many women have entered the informal sector due to the lack of other opportunities. Women's participation and gender concerns are still largely absent from and should be integrated in the policy formulation process of the multilateral institutions that define the terms and, in cooperation with Governments, set the goals of structural adjustment programmes, loans and grants." Paragraph 154, second sentence. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "... in some regions, restrict the access of women and girls to education ...". Paragraph 159 First sentence. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Although some new employment opportunities have been created for women as a result of the globalization of the economy, there are also trends that have exacerbated inequalities between women and men." Second sentence. New alternative text "At the same time, globalization, including economic integration, can create pressures to adjust to new circumstances and to find new sources of employment as patterns of trade change." Third sentence. New alternative text "In some regions, the gender-based division of labour has often reinforced the segregation of women into a limited number of occupations. More analysis needs to be done of the impact of globalization on women's economic status." Paragraph 161. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "In countries that are undergoing fundamental political, economic and social transformation, the skills of women, if better utilized, could constitute a major contribution to the economic life of their respective countries. Their input should continue to be developed and supported and their potential further realized." Paragraph 162 Second sentence. Revise the text to read: "In some countries, women take on more unpaid work, such as the care of children and those who are ill or elderly, compensating for lost household income, particularly when public services are not available." Third sentence. Brackets are pending. To be checked against the "Review and appraisal". Paragraph 164. Remove the brackets. Paragraph 167 (m). Revise the text to read: "[Ensure] that all corporations, including transnational corporations, comply with national laws and codes, social security regulations, applicable international agreements, instruments and conventions, including those related to the environment, and other relevant laws." Paragraph 167 (q). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 171 (a). Revise the text to read: "Review, where necessary reformulate, and implement policies, programmes and projects, to ensure that a higher proportion of resources reach women in rural and remote areas [without attendant conditions that could place women under pressure to act against their ethical and religious values]". Paragraph 171 (c). Delete the word "[development]". Suggestion for further negotiation. After the words "enterprise sector" add the words "in order to enhance the opportunities for women to participate fully and equally". Paragraph 175, chapeau. Remove the brackets around the words "in cooperation with non-governmental organizations and the private sector". Paragraph 175 (d). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Create non-discriminatory support services, including investment funds for women's businesses, and target women, particularly low-income women, in trade promotion programmes". Paragraph 177 (b). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Integrate a gender perspective into all economic restructuring and structural adjustment policies and design programmes for women who are affected by economic restructuring, including structural adjustment programmes, and for women who work in the informal sector." Paragraph 179. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "By the private sector, including transnational and national corporations".* * The Group recommended revising and conforming the style of the chapeaux to paragraphs in the Platform for Action. Paragraph 180 (a). Delete the words "in export processing zones". Paragraph 188, last sentence. Remove the brackets. Paragraph 194 (b). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Create or strengthen, as appropriate, mechanisms to monitor women's access to senior levels of decision-making." Paragraph 195 (a). Remove the brackets at the beginning and end of the paragraph and revise the text to read: "Implement existing and adopt new employment policies and measures in order to achieve overall gender [parity], particularly at the Professional level, by the year 2000, with due regard to the importance of recruiting staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible, in conformity with Article 101, paragraph 3 of the Charter of the United Nations." Paragraph 198, first sentence. Remove the brackets. Paragraph 201 New alternative text "While international machinery, such as the Commission on the Status of Women and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, have not been sufficiently strengthened, regional bodies concerned with the advancement of women have yet to be developed and/or strengthened. The limited resources available continue to impede full implementation of their mandates." Paragraph 203 (a). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 203 (b). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 205 (b). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 206. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Regional and international organizations, in particular development institutions, especially the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and bilateral donors, should provide financial and advisory assistance to national machinery in order to increase its ability to gather information, develop networks and carry out its mandate, in addition to strengthening international mechanisms to promote the advancement of women through their respective mandates, in cooperation with Governments." Insert the above paragraph in chapter V as paragraph 299 bis. Paragraph 207 (b). Replace the first version with the alternative version, revising the text to read: "Regularly review national policies, programmes and projects, as well as their implementation, evaluating the impact of employment and income policies in order to guarantee that women are direct beneficiaries of development [and that their contribution is considered in national accounts]". Paragraph 209 (j). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 211 (a). Delete the word "[statistical]" and replace the remaining bracketed text with the words "for use by all relevant United Nations bodies". Paragraph 211 (e) New alternative text "Ensure that the relevant reports, data and publications of the Statistical Division of the United Nations Secretariat and INSTRAW on progress at the national and international levels are transmitted to the Commission on the Status of Women on a regular basis and in a coordinated fashion." Paragraph 213, last sentence. Revise the text to read: "[The full and equal enjoyment of all [universal] human rights and fundamental freedoms by women and girls is a priority for Governments and the United Nations and is essential for the advancement of women.]" Paragraph 214, last sentence. Remove the brackets and delete the text after the words "upon which States may not discriminate". Paragraph 215. Delete the bracketed text. Paragraph 216. Remove the brackets and delete the last two sentences. Paragraph 218, first sentence. Remove the brackets and replace the words "contrary to international treaty law" with the words "incompatible with international treaty law". Paragraph 219, second and third sentences. Revise the text to read: "[Women's full enjoyment of equal rights is undermined by the discrepancies between some national legislation and international law and international instruments on human rights. Overly complex administrative procedures, lack of awareness within the judicial process and inadequate monitoring of the violation of the human rights of all women, coupled with the underrepresentation of women in justice systems, insufficient information on existing rights and persistent attitudes and practices, perpetuate women's de facto inequality.] De facto inequality is also perpetuated by the lack of enforcement of, inter alia, family, civil, penal, labour and commercial laws or codes, or administrative rules and regulations intended to ensure women's full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms." Paragraph 220. Delete the last sentence. Paragraph 221 First sentence. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "The human rights of all women and the girl child must form an integral part of United Nations human rights activities." Second sentence. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Cooperation is also needed to strengthen, rationalize and streamline the United Nations human rights system and to promote its effectiveness and efficiency, taking into account the need to avoid unnecessary duplication and overlapping of mandates and tasks." Paragraph 222. Remove the brackets and revise the second sentence to read: "If the goal of full realization of human rights for all is to be achieved, international human rights instruments must be applied in such a way as to take more clearly into consideration the systematic and systemic nature of discrimination against women that gender analysis has clearly indicated." Paragraph 224. Delete. Paragraph 225. Remove the brackets at the beginning and end of the paragraph. Third sentence. Revise the text to read: "[All forms of gender-based violence, including those resulting from all forms of sexual harassment, prostitution, pornography, sexual slavery and exploitation, including those violations resulting from cultural prejudice, racism and racial discrimination, xenophobia, ethnic cleansing, religious and anti-religious extremism and international trafficking in women and children, are incompatible with the dignity and worth of the human person and must be eliminated.]" Fifth sentence. Insert brackets around the sentence. First alternative. Delete. Second alternative. Delete. Paragraph 226. Replace the first version with the alternative version, revising the text to read: "Many women face additional barriers in the enjoyment of their human rights because of such factors as their race, language, ethnicity, culture, religion, [sexual orientation,] disability or socio-economic class or because they are indigenous people, migrants, including women migrant workers, displaced women or refugees. They may also be disadvantaged and marginalized by a general lack of knowledge and recognition of their human rights as well as by the obstacles they meet in gaining access to information and recourse mechanisms in cases of violation of their rights." Paragraph 226 bis. Insert the following new paragraph: "The factors that cause 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 abuses of their human rights during and after their flight." Paragraph 230 (b). Remove the brackets around the word "ensure". Paragraph 230 (k). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Enable the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women fully to discharge its mandate by allowing for adequate meeting time through broad ratification of the revision adopted by the States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women on 22 May 1995 relative to article 20, paragraph 1, and by promoting efficient working methods." Paragraph 230 (m). Revise the text to read: "Take urgent measures to achieve universal ratification of or accession to the Convention on the Rights of the Child before the end of 1995 and ensure full implementation of the Convention to ensure equal rights for girls and boys ...". Paragraph 230 (n). Remove the brackets around the words "and their organs". Paragraph 231, chapeau. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "By relevant organs, bodies and agencies of the United Nations system, all human rights bodies in the United Nations system, as well as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, ...". Paragraph 232 (d). Revise the text to read: "[Consider] reviewing national laws including [customary laws and] legal practices in the areas of family, civil, penal, labour and commercial law in order to ensure the implementation of the principles and procedures of all relevant international human rights instruments by means of national legislation, and [consider] revoking any remaining laws that discriminate on the basis of sex and remove gender bias in the administration of justice". Paragraph 232 (g). Remove the brackets at the beginning and end of the paragraph. Delete the words "[religious, anti-religious, or secular]" and the words "[They are also urged]". Insert the remainder of the paragraph as paragraph 232 (g) bis. Paragraph 232 (j). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 233 (d). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 233 (g). Remove the brackets at the beginning and end of the paragraph. Insert brackets around the words "in the most widely used languages of the country". Paragraph 237, third sentence. Delete the bracketed text. Paragraph 241 (d). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Encourage the participation of women in the development of professional guidelines and codes of conduct or other appropriate self-regulatory mechanisms to promote balanced and non-stereotyped portrayals of women by the media". Paragraph 243 (c). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Encourage gender-sensitive training for media professionals, including media owners and managers, to encourage the creation and use of non-stereotyped, balanced and diverse images of women in the media". Paragraph 245 (a). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 245 (c). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Promote extensive campaigns making use of public and private educational programmes to disseminate information about and increase awareness of the human rights of women". Paragraph 246. Remove the brackets around the first two sentences and leave the sentences in place. Paragraph 247, second sentence. Remove the brackets. Paragraph 248. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Through their management and use of natural resources, women provide sustenance to their families and communities. As consumers and producers, caretakers of their families and educators, women play an important role in promoting sustainable development through their concern for the quality and sustainability of life for present and future generations. Governments have expressed their commitment to creating a new development paradigm that integrates environmental sustainability with gender equality and justice within and between generations as contained in chapter 24 of Agenda 21". Paragraph 253 (e). Delete the bracketed text. Paragraph 253 (f). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Take measures to empower women as producers and consumers so that they can take effective environmental actions, along with men, in their homes, communities and workplaces". Paragraph 256 (a). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Integrate women, including indigenous women, their perspectives and knowledge, on an equal basis with men, in decision-making regarding sustainable resource management and the development of policies and programmes for sustainable development, including in particular those designed to address and prevent environmental degradation of the land". Paragraph 256 (d). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 256 (g). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 257 (c). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "... and product labelling, including labelling of toxic chemical and pesticide containers with language and symbols that are understood by consumers, regardless of age or level of literacy". Paragraph 258 (b). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 258 (d). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "... by, inter alia, requesting the Commission on Sustainable Development, through the Economic and Social Council, to seek input from the Commission on the Status of Women when reviewing the implementation of Agenda 21 with regard to women and the environment". Paragraph 259, second sentence. Delete. Paragraph 274 (a). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "By States that have not signed or ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, take urgent measures towards signing and ratifying the Convention, bearing in mind the strong exhortation made at the World Conference on Human Rights to sign it before the end of 1995, and by States that have signed and ratified the Convention, ensure its full implementation through the adoption of all necessary legislative, administrative and other measures and by fostering an enabling environment that encourages full respect for the rights of children". Paragraph 274 (e). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "... that marriage is only entered into with the free and full consent of the intending spouses". Paragraph 277 (d). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 278 (b). Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "... under all international human rights instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child ...". Paragraph 281 (i). Remove the brackets. Paragraph 290. Revise the text to read: "Effective implementation of the Platform will also require changes in the internal dynamics of institutions and organizations, including values, behaviour, rules and procedures that are inimical to the advancement of women. [Sexual harassment, including treatment of women as sex objects, should be eliminated.]" Paragraph 299. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Governments should commit themselves to gender balance, inter alia, through the creation of special mechanisms, in all government-appointed committees, boards and other relevant official bodies, as appropriate, as well as in all international bodies, institutions and organizations, notably by presenting and promoting women candidates". Paragraph 299 bis. Insert paragraph 206 as revised. Paragraph 300, second sentence. Remove the brackets around the word "close". Paragraph 308, second and third sentences. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "This would include reviewing and strengthening the strategies and working methods of different United Nations mechanisms for the advancement of women with a view to rationalizing and, as appropriate, strengthening their advisory, catalytic and monitoring functions in relation to mainstream bodies and agencies. Women/gender units are important for effective mainstreaming, but strategies must be further developed to prevent inadvertent marginalization as opposed to mainstreaming of the gender dimension throughout all operations". Paragraph 312. Delete the bracketed text. Paragraph 325. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "The ability of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to monitor implementation of the Convention should be strengthened through the provision of human and financial resources within the regular budget of the United Nations, including expert legal assistance and, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 49/164 and the decision made at the meeting of the States parties to the Convention held in May 1995, sufficient meeting time for the Committee. The Committee should increase its coordination with other human rights treaty bodies, taking into account the recommendations in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action." Paragraph 328, last sentence. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "The Secretary-General is requested to ensure more effective functioning of the Division by, inter alia, providing sufficient human and financial resources within the regular budget of the United Nations." Paragraph 335. Replace the first version with the alternative version, revising the text to read: "The International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) has a mandate to promote research and training on women's situation and development. In the light of the Platform for Action, INSTRAW should review its work programme and develop a programme for implementing those aspects of the Platform for Action that fall within its mandate. It should identify those types of research and research methodologies to be given priority, strengthen national capacities to carry out women's studies and gender research, including that on the status of the girl child, and develop networks of research institutions that can be mobilized for that purpose. It should also identify those types of education and training that can be effectively supported and promoted by the Institute." Paragraph 336. Replace the first version with the alternative version, revising the text to read: "The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) has the mandate to increase options and opportunities for women's economic and social development in developing countries by providing technical and financial assistance to incorporate the women's dimension into development at all levels. Therefore, UNIFEM should review and strengthen, as appropriate, its work programme in the light of the Platform for Action, focusing on women's political and economic empowerment. Its advocacy role should concentrate on fostering a multilateral policy dialogue on women's empowerment. Adequate resources for carrying out its functions should be made available." Alternative to paragraphs 335 and 336. Delete. Paragraph 344. Remove the brackets. Paragraph 345. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "International non-governmental organizations have an important role to play in implementing the Platform for Action. Consideration should be given to establishing a mechanism for collaborating with non-governmental organizations to promote the implementation of the Platform at various levels." Paragraph 346. Remove the brackets. Paragraph 353. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "The subregional and regional organizations and the United Nations regional commissions should, where appropriate and within their existing mandates, assist in the mobilization of funds for the implementation of the Platform for Action." Paragraph 360. Remove the brackets and revise the text to read: "Development funds and programmes of the United Nations system should undertake an immediate analysis of the extent to which their programmes and projects are directed to implementing the Platform for Action and, for the next programming cycle, should ensure the adequacy of resources targeted towards eliminating disparities between women and men in their technical assistance and funding activities." -----