************************************************************************** This document has been posted online by the United Nations Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (DPCSD). 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. ************************************************************************** II. ATTENDANCE AND ORGANIZATION OF WORK .................. 138 A. Date and place of the Conference ................. 138 B. Pre-Conference consultations ..................... 138 C. Attendance ....................................... 138 D. Opening of the Conference and election of the President ....................................... 141 E. Messages from Heads of State or Government ....... 142 F. Adoption of the rules of procedure ............... 142 G. Adoption of the agenda ........................... 142 H. Election of officers other than the President .... 143 I. Organization of work, including the establishment of the Main Committee of the Conference ...................... 144 J. Appointment of the members of the Credentials Committee .................................... 144 III. GENERAL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS ............................ 145 IV. REPORT OF THE MAIN COMMITTEE ......................... 149 A. Organization of work ............................. 149 B. Consideration of the draft platform for action ... 150 C. Consideration of the draft declaration ............ 156 Chapter II ATTENDANCE AND ORGANIZATION OF WORK A. Date and place of the Conference 1. The Fourth World Conference on Women was held at Beijing from 4 to 15 September 1995 in conformity with General Assembly resolutions 45/129 and 46/98. During that period the Conference held 16 plenary meetings. B. Pre-Conference consultations 2. Pre-Conference consultations open to all States invited to participate in the Conference were held at Beijing on 2 and 3 September 1995 to consider a number of procedural and organizational matters. These and other informal consultations were conducted under the chairmanship of His Excellency Mr. Li Zhaoxing, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. The report on the consultations (A/CONF.177/L.4) was submitted to the Conference and the recommendations contained in it were accepted as the basis for the organization of the Conference's work. C. Attendance 3. The following States and regional economic integration organization were represented at the Conference: 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 China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Co^te 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 European Community Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia (Federated States of) 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 South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan Thailand The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland United Republic of Tanzania United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Yemen Zaire Zambia Zimbabwe 4. The observer for Palestine attended the Conference. 5. The following associate members of the regional commissions were represented by observers: American Samoa Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Guam Macau Netherlands Antilles Puerto Rico 6. The secretariats of the following regional commissions were represented: Economic Commission for Africa Economic Commission for Europe Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia 7. The following United Nations bodies and programmes were represented: United Nations Children's Fund United Nations Conference on Trade and Development United Nations Development Fund for Women United Nations Development Programme United Nations Environment Programme United Nations Population Fund United Nations University World Food Programme United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Office of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women United Nations Research Institute for Social Development International Trade Centre Joint Inspection Unit Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women 8. The following specialized agencies and related organizations were represented: International Labour Organization Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Health Organization World Bank International Monetary Fund World Meteorological Organization International Maritime Organization World Intellectual Property Organization International Fund for Agricultural Development United Nations Industrial Development Organization International Atomic Energy Agency 9. The following intergovernmental organizations were represented: African Development Bank African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation Asian Development Bank Caribbean Community Commission of the European Communities Commonwealth of Independent States Commonwealth Secretariat Council of Europe Eastern and Southern African Management Institute Inter-American Development Bank International Committee of the Red Cross International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies International Organization for Migration Latin American Economic System Latin American Parliament League of Arab States Nordic Council Nordic Council of Ministers Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Organization of African Unity Organization of American States Organization of the Islamic Conference Preparatory Commission for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons South Pacific Commission South Pacific Forum 10. A large number of non-governmental organizations were accredited to the Conference by the Commission on the Status of Women in decision 39/2 and the Economic and Social Council in decision 1995/229. D. Opening of the Conference and election of the President 11. The Conference was declared open by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who read out the address of the Secretary-General. 12. At the 1st plenary meeting, on 4 September, the Conference elected, by acclamation, as President of the Conference, Her Excellency Madame Chen Muhua, Vice-Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China. 13. The Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Mrs. Gertrude Mongella, addressed the Conference. 14. Opening statements were made by Her Excellency Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan; Her Excellency Mrs. Vigdis Finnbogadottir, President of Iceland; Her Excellency Begum Khaleda Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh; Her Excellency Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe, Vice-President and Minister of Gender and Community Development of Uganda; and Her Excellency Madame Nguyen Thi Binh, Vice-President of Viet Nam. E. Messages from Heads of State or Government 15. The Conference received messages wishing it success from His Excellency Mr. Heydor Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan; His Excellency Mr. Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia; His Excellency Flight Lieutenant J. J. Rawlings, President of Ghana; His Excellency Mr. Fidel V. Ramos, President of the Philippines; His Excellency Mr. Boris Yeltsin, President of the Russian Federation; His Excellency Mr. Abdou Diouf, President of Senegal; and Her Excellency Professor Tansu Ciller, Prime Minister of Turkey. F. Adoption of the rules of procedure 16. At the 1st plenary meeting, on 4 September, the Conference adopted the provisional rules of procedure (A/CONF.177/2) as approved by the Commission on the Status of Women at its thirty-ninth session, acting as the preparatory body for the Conference, and by the General Assembly in its decision 49/482 of 21 April 1995. G. Adoption of the agenda 17. At the 1st plenary meeting, on 4 September, the Conference adopted as its agenda the provisional agenda (A/CONF.177/1) recommended by the Commission on the Status of Women, acting as the preparatory body for the Conference, in annex I of its resolution 39/1. The agenda as adopted was as follows: 1. Opening of the Conference. 2. Election of the President. 3. Adoption of the rules of procedure. 4. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters. 5. Election of officers other than the President. 6. Organization of work, including the establishment of the Main Committee. 7. Credentials of representatives to the Conference: (a) Appointment of the members of the Credentials Committee; (b) Report of the Credentials Committee. 8. General exchange of views: (a) Second review and appraisal of the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women to the year 2000; (b) Main conclusions and recommendations of regional preparatory conferences; (c) National priorities and commitments. 9. Platform for Action. 10. Adoption of the Declaration and the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women. 11. Adoption of the report of the Conference. H. Election of officers other than the President 18. At the 1st plenary meeting, on 4 September, the Conference endorsed the recommendations concerning the composition of the General Committee and the distribution of posts as set out in paragraph 4 of document A/CONF.177/3. 19. At the same meeting, the Conference elected Vice-Presidents from the following regional groups: African States (7 Vice-Presidents): Botswana, Congo, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan; Asian States (6 Vice-Presidents): Bangladesh, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Pakistan and the Syrian Arab Republic; Eastern European States (3 Vice-Presidents): Azerbaijan, Romania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Latin American and Caribbean States (5 Vice-Presidents): Bahamas, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba and Panama; Western European and other States (6 Vice-Presidents): Australia, Greece, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. 20. At the same meeting, the Conference elected an ex officio Vice-President from the host country, His Excellency Mr. Li Zhaoxing, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. 21. At the same meeting, the Conference elected Mrs. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (Namibia) Rapporteur-General of the Conference. 22. Also at the same meeting, the Conference elected Ms. Patricia B. Licuanan (Philippines) Chairperson of the Main Committee. I. Organization of work, including the establishment of the Main Committee of the Conference 23. At the 1st plenary meeting, on 4 September, the Conference, in accordance with the recommendations of the pre-Conference consultations contained in paragraphs 15 to 18 of document A/CONF.177/L.4, approved its organization of work. J. Appointment of the members of the Credentials Committee 24. At the 1st plenary meeting, on 4 September, in conformity with rule 4 of the rules of procedure of the Conference and the recommendation of the pre-Conference consultations contained in paragraph 19 of document A/CONF.177/L.4, the Conference established a Credentials Committee composed of China, Fiji, Honduras, Namibia, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Suriname, Togo and the United States of America, on the understanding that, if one of those States did not participate in the Conference, it would be replaced by another State from the same regional group. Chapter III GENERAL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS 1. The Conference held a general exchange of views on (a) the second review and appraisal of the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women to the Year 2000; (b) the main conclusions and recommendations of regional preparatory conferences; and (c) national priorities and commitments (item 8) at the 2nd to 15th plenary meetings, from 5 to 15 September 1995. Representatives of States, observers, specialized agencies, United Nations bodies, programmes and offices, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations and observers for associate members of the regional commissions addressed the Conference. All speakers expressed their appreciation of the efforts made by the host Government and the secretariat in preparing for the Conference. 2. At the 2nd plenary meeting, on 5 September, the Conference heard statements by the First Ladies of Panama and Brazil and the representatives of the Philippines, Spain, Turkey, Indonesia, Japan, Italy, New Zealand, Belgium, Mexico and Sri Lanka. 3. At the 3rd plenary meeting, on 5 September, the Conference heard statements by the First Ladies of the Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Ghana and Benin, Her Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Talal of Jordan and the representatives of Ukraine, Namibia, China, Iceland, India, Thailand, the United Republic of Tanzania, Senegal, Chile, Portugal, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Antigua and Barbuda, Tunisia, the Holy See and Nepal. 4. At the same meeting, statements were made by the Directors-General of the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Statements were also made by the Deputy United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Executive Directors of the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her Majesty Queen Fabiola of Belgium, the representative of the International Steering Committee on the Economic Advancement of Rural Women, made a statement. Statements were also made by the representatives of the following non-governmental organizations: NGO Forum in Beijing, National Organization of Arab/American Women and Committee for Asian Women. 5. At the 4th plenary meeting, on 6 September, statements were made by the First Lady of Egypt, His Royal Highness Prince Sobandla Dlamini of Swaziland and the representatives of Ireland, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Germany, Zimbabwe, Malta, Morocco, Gabon, Peru and Algeria. 6. At the same meeting, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme made a statement. A statement was also made by the representative of the Commission of the European Communities. 7. At the 5th plenary meeting, on 6 September, the Conference heard statements by the First Ladies of El Salvador, Suriname, Djibouti and Equatorial Guinea, Her Royal Highness Princess Norodom Marie Ranariddh of Cambodia and the representatives of the United States of America, Australia, Denmark, South Africa, Guinea, Lithuania, Canada, Zambia, Fiji, Finland, Malaysia, Luxembourg, Sweden, Poland, Mongolia, Guyana, Singapore, Pakistan, Mozambique and Togo. 8. At the same meeting, a statement was made by the Deputy Director-General of the International Labour Organization. The Executive Director of the World Food Programme, an Inspector of the Joint Inspection Unit, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme and the Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific made statements. The representatives of the International Organization for Migration and the Commonwealth Secretariat, intergovernmental organizations, made statements. Statements were also made by the following non-governmental organizations: International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, Family Life Counselling and All India Women's Conference. 9. At the 6th plenary meeting, on 7 September, the Conference heard a statement by the First Lady of Lebanon and the representatives of Austria, Hungary, Argentina, Slovakia, Latvia, the United Arab Emirates, Norway, France and Saint Lucia. 10. At the same meeting, the Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization made a statement. A statement was also made by the Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. 11. At the 7th plenary meeting, on 7 September, the Conference heard statements by Her Majesty Queen Halaevalu Mata'aho of Tonga and the representatives of Greece, Nicaragua, Co^te d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Venezuela, Cameroon, Trinidad and Tobago, Rwanda, Paraguay, the Central African Republic, Vanuatu, the Czech Republic, Niger, Bahrain and Georgia. The observer for Macau made a statement. The observer for Palestine also made a statement. 12. At the same meeting, the Rector of the United Nations University, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe and the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements and Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) made statements. Statements were also made by the representatives of the League of Arab States, the Council of Europe and the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation. Statements were also made by the representatives of the following non-governmental organizations: International Cooperative Alliance, International Coalition on Women and Credit, Accio'n Familiar, Women's International Democratic Federation, International Right to Life Federation, Network for Women in Development: Europe, and World Muslim Congress. 13. At the 8th meeting, on 8 September, statements were made by the First Lady of Burundi and the representatives of Kenya, Liechtenstein, Cuba, Estonia, Croatia, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Belize, Romania and Viet Nam. 14. At the same meeting, statements were made by the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The Director of the Division of Economic Cooperation among Developing Countries and Special Programmes of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development also made a statement. 15. At the 9th plenary meeting, on 8 September, the Conference heard statements by the First Ladies of Nigeria and Bolivia, Her Royal Highness Princess Sonam Chodron Wangchuck of Bhutan and the representatives of Honduras, Angola, Oman, Mauritania, the Russian Federation, the Netherlands, Israel, Dominica, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Guinea-Bissau. The observer for the Netherlands Antilles made a statement. 16. At the same meeting, a statement was made by the representative of the World Meteorological Organization. Statements were also made by the Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, the Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers, the Under-Secretary-General for Development Support and Management Services of the United Nations Secretariat, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa and the Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women. The representatives of the following intergovernmental organizations made statements: Organization of the Islamic Conference and Asian Development Bank. Statements were also made by the representatives of the following non-governmental organizations: International Planned Parenthood Federation, Inter-Parliamentary Union, Muslim World League, National Council of Negro Women, Disabled Peoples International and Centre for International Cooperation. 17. At the 10th plenary meeting, on 11 September, the Conference heard statements by the representatives of Colombia, Maldives, Liberia, Barbados, the Republic of Moldova, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Burkina Faso and Uruguay. 18. At the same meeting, statements were made by the representative of the International Monetary Fund and the representative of the World Health Organization, on behalf of the Joint and Co-sponsored United Nations Programme on Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus. The Acting Director of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women made a statement. A statement was also made by the representative of the Inter-American Development Bank, an intergovernmental organization. 19. At the 11th plenary meeting, on 11 September, statements were made by the representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Malawi, the Congo, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Belarus, Tuvalu, the Sudan, Guatemala, Iraq, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Armenia, San Marino, Myanmar, the Comoros, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Qatar and Cape Verde. 20. At the same meeting, a statement was made by the representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Statements were also made by the representatives of the following intergovernmental organizations: Organization of American States, International Committee of the Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Organization of African Unity, African Development Bank and Nordic Council. The representative of the Global Commission on Women's Health also made a statement. Statements were made by the representatives of the following non-governmental organizations: International Federation of Agricultural Producers, Commission on Global Governance, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Grassroots Organizations Operating Together in Sisterhood and Women and Fisheries Network. 21. At the 12th plenary meeting, on 12 September, the Conference heard statements by the First Ladies of the Gambia and Kazakstan, the representatives of Sao Tome and Principe, Bangladesh, Turkmenistan, Haiti, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, Samoa, Lesotho and Madagascar and the observer for Guam. 22. At the same meeting, a statement was made by the representative of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. 23. At the 13th plenary meeting, on 12 September, statements were made by the representatives of Botswana, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Dominican Republic, Mali, Azerbaijan, the Marshall Islands, Zaire, the Federated States of Micronesia, Yemen, Ethiopia, Chad, Costa Rica, Brunei Darussalam, Slovenia, Uzbekistan, Albania, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Cook Islands, Kiribati and Kuwait. 24. At the same meeting, a statement was made by the representative of the International Maritime Organization. A statement was also made by the representative of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The President of the Comite' ministe'riel de coordination "femmes et de'veloppement" made a statement. The representative of the Latin American Parliament, an intergovernmental organization, also made a statement. Statements were made by the representatives of the following non-governmental organizations: Agence de recherches d'information et formation pour les femmes, Women's Environment and Development Organization, Somali Women's Trust, Association pour le progre`s et la de'fense des droits des femmes maliennes and Forum of African Women Educationalists. 25. At the 14th plenary meeting, on 13 September, the Conference heard a statement by the representative of Palau. 26. At the same meeting, the representative of the Office of Human Resources Management of the United Nations Secretariat made a statement. Statements were also made by the representatives of the following non-governmental organizations: Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era, Interaction: American Council for Voluntary International Action, Flora Tristan, Coordinating Board of Jewish Organizations, African Caucus of Femnet, Housewives in Dialogue, Global Network Women and Politics, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, Older Women's Network Australia, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, Network of African Rural Women's Associations, Polish Federation for Women and Family Planning, International Human Rights Law Group, Centre for Women's Global Leadership, Fe'de'ration europe'enne des femmes actives au foyer, Anglican Communion, Arab Organization for Human Rights, Education International, World Federation of United Nations Associations, World Federation of Trade Unions, Choisir and International Federation of University Women. 27. At the 15th plenary meeting, on 15 September, the President of Peru made a statement. 28. At the same meeting, the Conference heard a statement by the President of the World Bank. A statement was also made by the representative of the Coalition of Youth Non-Governmental Organizations accredited to the Fourth World Conference on Women. Chapter IV REPORT OF THE MAIN COMMITTEE A. Organization of work 1. At its 1st plenary meeting, on 4 September 1995, the Conference approved the organization of its work, as set out in document A/CONF.177/3, and decided to allocate agenda item 9 (Platform for Action) to the Main Committee, which was to submit its recommendations to the Conference. 2. The Main Committee held six meetings, from 5 to 14 September 1995. It also held a number of informal meetings. 3. The Main Committee had before it the following documents: (a) Note by the Secretariat on proposals for consideration in the preparation of a draft declaration and on the draft platform for action (A/CONF.177/L.1); (b) Note by the Secretariat transmitting the report of the informal contact group on gender (A/CONF.177/L.2); (c) Note by the Secretary-General containing 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 (A/CONF.177/L.3). 4. The Chairperson of the Main Committee was Patricia B. Licuanan (Philippines), who was elected by acclamation at the 1st plenary meeting of the Conference, on 4 September. 5. The Main Committee, at its 1st meeting, on 5 September, elected the following officers by acclamation: Vice-Chairpersons: Zelmira Regazolli (Argentina) Irene Freudenschuss-Reichl (Austria) Natalia Drozd (Belarus) Rapporteur: Selma Ashipala (Namibia) 6. Also at its 1st meeting, the Main Committee established two working groups and designated Amma Yeboaa (Ghana) Chairperson of Working Group I and Irene Freudenschuss-Reichl (Austria) Chairperson of Working Group II. 7. At the 2nd meeting, on 11 September, statements were made by the representatives of Mauritius, Spain, France, Benin, Mauritania, Tunisia, Paraguay, Latvia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Holy See, Iraq, Guatemala, Canada and Chile. The Chairperson of the Committee and the Secretary of the Conference also made statements. 8. At the 3rd meeting, on 12 September, statements were made by the representatives of Egypt, Peru, the Syrian Arab Republic, Bahrain, Malta, Paraguay, Kuwait, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Mauritania. B. Consideration of the draft platform for action 9. At the 3rd to 6th meetings, on 12 and 14 September, the Main Committee considered amendments and corrections to the draft platform for action (A/CONF.177/L.1 and A/CONF.177/L.3) that had been agreed upon by Working Groups I and II and during informal consultations. Strategic objectives and actions: women and armed conflict* 10. At the 3rd meeting, on 12 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text for chapter IV (Strategic objectives and actions), section E (Women and armed conflict) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of Argentina, Norway, Benin, Canada, Nigeria, the Philippines (on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77), Spain, Guatemala, Cameroon, Indonesia, the Holy See, Jamaica, Bolivia, Ecuador, the Sudan, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the United States of America, Malta, Algeria, Australia, Peru, the Syrian Arab Republic, Namibia, Chile, Kuwait, Belize, Equatorial Guinea and Liberia. The Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Freudenschuss-Reichl, also made a statement. 11. At the 5th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved corrections to chapter IV, section E, and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended and corrected (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.9 and Corr.1). Statements were made by the representatives of Malta, Cyprus, the Holy See, Spain (on behalf of the European Community), Fiji, India, the Syrian Arab Republic and Cuba. The Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Freudenschuss-Reichl, also made a statement. Strategic objectives and actions: women in power and decision-making* 12. At the 3rd meeting, on 12 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text for chapter IV, section G (Women in power and decision-making) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of Benin, Algeria, Nigeria, Spain (on behalf of the European Community), Peru, Mauritania and Argentina. The Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Freudenschuss-Reichl, also made a statement. 13. At the 5th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved corrections to chapter IV, section G, and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended and corrected (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.11 and Corr.1). The representative of Japan made a statement. Strategic objectives and actions: women and poverty* 14. At the 3rd meeting, on 12 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text for chapter IV, section A (Women and poverty) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of Argentina, Pakistan, Benin, the United States of America, Algeria and the Philippines. The Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Freudenschuss-Reichl, also made a statement. 15. At the 4th and 5th meetings, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved corrections to chapter IV, section A. 16. At the 6th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved oral revisions to chapter IV, section A, and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended, corrected and orally revised (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.5 and Corr.1 and A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.21). Strategic objectives and actions: women and the media* 17. At the 3rd meeting, on 12 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text for chapter IV, section J (Women and the media) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of Paraguay, Argentina, Peru, Mauritius and the United States of America. The Chairperson of Working Group I, Ms. Yeboaa, also made a statement. 18. At the 5th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved corrections to chapter IV, section J, and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended and corrected (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.14 and Corr.1). Institutional arrangements 19. At the 3rd meeting, on 12 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text for chapter V (Institutional arrangements) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of Spain (on behalf of the European Community), Kuwait and the United States of America. 20. At the 5th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved corrections to chapter V. Statements were made by the representatives of the United States of America and Spain. 21. At the 6th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved oral revisions to chapter V and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended, corrected and orally revised (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.17 and Corr.1 and A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.21). Statements were made by the representatives of the Holy See, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Philippines (on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77 and China), Spain (on behalf of the European Community), Egypt, Kuwait, Canada, Namibia, Nigeria, Malta, Bahrain, Norway, Yemen, Switzerland, Oman, Australia, Suriname, Botswana, Cuba, South Africa, Benin, Belize, Estonia, Morocco, Bolivia, Israel, Jordan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Jamaica, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mauritania, Chile, Senegal and the Sudan. The Secretary-General of the Conference and the Chairperson of the Committee also made statements. Financial arrangements 22. At the 3rd meeting, on 12 September, the Main Committee considered an amended and corrected text for chapter VI (Financial arrangements) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of the United States of America, Spain (on behalf of the European Community), Nigeria and Tunisia. 23. At the 4th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved the text of chapter VI and recommended it to the Conference for adoption as amended and corrected (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.18). _________________ * At the 5th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved amendments and corrections to the section titles and strategic objectives contained in chapter IV of the draft platform for action (see para. 48 below). Mission statement 24. At the 4th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee considered an amended text for chapter I (Mission statement) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of the Philippines (on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77), Latvia (on behalf of the Eastern European States), China, Colombia, Benin, Spain (on behalf of the European Community), the United States of America, Algeria, Cuba, Ecuador, Bolivia and India. The Chairperson of the Committee also made a statement. 25. At the 6th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee, after accepting an oral revision to chapter I, approved the text and recommended it to the Conference for adoption as amended and orally revised (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.1). Statements were made by the representatives of the Philippines (on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77 and China), the Sudan, the United States of America, Norway, Spain (on behalf of the European Community) and Japan. Global framework 26. At the 4th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text and corrections to chapter II (Global framework) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of Guatemala, the Holy See, Bulgaria, the Russian Federation, India, Pakistan, the United States of America, Canada, the Sudan, Malta, Spain (on behalf of the European Community), Malaysia, Mauritania and Israel. The Chairperson of Working Group I, Ms. Yeboaa, also made a statement. 27. At the 6th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved oral revisions to chapter II and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended, corrected and orally revised (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.2 and Corr.1). Critical areas of concern* 28. At the 4th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text for chapter III (Critical areas of concern) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of Pakistan, the United States of America, Bulgaria and the Russian Federation. 29. At the 6th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved oral revisions to chapter III and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended and orally revised (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.3 and A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.21). Statements were made by the representatives of the Holy See, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Philippines (on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77 and China), Spain (on behalf of the European Community), Egypt, Kuwait, Canada, Namibia, Nigeria, Malta, Bahrain, Norway, Yemen, Switzerland, Oman, Australia, Suriname, Botswana, Cuba, South Africa, Benin, Belize, Estonia, Morocco, Bolivia, Israel, Jordan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Jamaica, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mauritania, Chile, Senegal and the Sudan. The Secretary-General of the Conference and the Chairperson of the Committee also made statements. ______________________ * At the 5th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved amendments and corrections to the critical areas of concern listed in chapter III of the draft platform for action (see para. 48 below). Strategic objectives and actions: education and training of women* 30. At the 4th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text and corrections to chapter IV, section B (Education and training of women) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of the Sudan, Benin, China, the Russian Federation, Spain (on behalf of the European Community), Yemen and the Syrian Arab Republic. The Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Freudenschuss-Reichl, also made a statement. 31. At the 5th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved further corrections to chapter IV, section B, and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended and corrected (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.6 and Corr.1). Statements were made by the representatives of Spain, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Benin and the United States of America. The Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Freudenschuss-Reichl, also made a statement. Strategic objectives and actions: women and health* 32. At the 4th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text for chapter IV, section C (Women and health) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of Barbados, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Malta, Mauritania, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the Sudan, Honduras, the Holy See, Morocco, Yemen, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Kuwait, Benin, the Syrian Arab Republic, Jordan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tunisia, Oman, Bahrain, Japan, Senegal, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Belize. The Secretary-General of the Conference and the Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Freudenschuss-Reichl, also made statements. 33. At the 6th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved corrections to chapter IV, section C, and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended and corrected (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.7 and A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.21). Strategic objectives and actions: violence against women* 34. At the 4th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text for chapter IV, section D (Violence against women) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of Jamaica, Haiti and the Russian Federation. 35. At the 5th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved corrections to chapter IV, section D, and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended and corrected (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.8 and Corr.1). Statements were made by the representatives of Spain (on behalf of the European Community), the Russian Federation, the Philippines (on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77 and China), Argentina and Azerbaijan. The Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Freudenschuss-Reichl, also made a statement. Strategic objectives and actions: human rights of women* 36. At the 4th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text for chapter IV, section I (Human rights of women) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representative of Spain and the Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Freudenschuss-Reichl. 37. At the 5th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved corrections to chapter IV, section I. 38. At the 6th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved oral revisions to chapter IV, section I, and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended, corrected and orally revised (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.13 and Corr.1 and A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.21). Statements were made by the representatives of the Sudan and Canada. Strategic objectives and actions: women and the economy* 39. At the 4th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text for chapter IV, section F (Women and the economy) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of Yemen, Spain, the United States of America, Benin and Vanuatu. The Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Freudenschuss-Reichl, also made a statement. 40. At the 6th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved oral revisions to chapter IV, section F, and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended and orally revised (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.10 and A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.21). Strategic objectives and actions: women and the environment* 41. At the 4th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text for chapter IV, section K (Women and the environment) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of Belize, the Syrian Arab Republic, the United States of America, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. 42. At the 5th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved corrections to chapter IV, section K, and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended and corrected (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.15 and Corr.1). Statements were made by the representatives of India, Australia, Spain (on behalf of the European Community), the Philippines (on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77 and China), the United States of America and the Russian Federation. 43. At the 6th meeting, on 14 September, the representative of the United States of America and the Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Freudenschuss-Reichl, made statements. Strategic objectives and actions: the girl child* 44. At the 4th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text for chapter IV, section L (The girl child) of the draft platform for action and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.16). Statements were made by the representatives of the United States of America, Spain (on behalf of the European Community), the Sudan, the Holy See, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the United Arab Emirates, Mauritania, the Syrian Arab Republic, Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Morocco and Yemen. The Chairperson of Working Group I, Ms. Yeboaa, also made a statement. Strategic objectives and actions: institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women* 45. At the 4th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved an amended text for chapter IV, section H (Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women) of the draft platform for action. Statements were made by the representatives of Spain (on behalf of the European Community), the United States of America and Nepal. The Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Freudenschuss-Reichl, also made a statement. 46. At the 5th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved corrections to chapter IV, section H. 47. At the 6th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved oral revisions to chapter IV, section H, and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption as amended, corrected and orally revised (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.12 and Corr.1 and A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.21). Statements were made by the representatives of the Holy See, the Philippines (on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77 and China) and Spain (on behalf of the European Community). Critical areas of concern listed in chapter III and section titles and strategic objectives in chapter IV 48. At the 5th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved amendments and corrections to the critical areas of concern listed in chapter III of the draft platform for action and the section titles and strategic objectives contained in chapter IV and recommended them to the Conference for adoption as amended and corrected (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.19). Statements were made by the representatives of the United States of America, Jamaica, Spain, the Philippines, the Holy See, the Russian Federation, the Syrian Arab Republic and Malta. Strategic objectives and actions: introduction 49. At the 6th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved an amended and orally revised text for the introductory paragraphs of chapter IV (Strategic objectives and actions) of the draft platform for action and recommended the text to the Conference for adoption (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.4). Statements were made by the representatives of Canada, Benin, Egypt, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Spain, Ecuador, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, New Zealand, Israel, Switzerland, the Syrian Arab Republic, Jordan, Uganda, Belize, South Africa, Kuwait, Senegal, Slovenia, Ghana, Australia, Bangladesh, Cuba, Co^te d'Ivoire, Algeria, the Sudan, the United States of America, Nigeria, Guatemala, Barbados, Chile, Latvia, the United Arab Emirates, Jamaica, Brazil, Colombia, Yemen, Bolivia, Norway, Venezuela and the Cook Islands. ______________________ * At the 5th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved amendments and corrections to the section titles and strategic objectives contained in chapter IV of the draft platform for action (see para. 48 below). C. Consideration of the draft declaration 50. At the 6th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved the text of the draft declaration as orally revised on the basis of informal consultations and recommended it to the Conference for adoption (see A/CONF.177/L.5/Add.20). Statements were made by the representatives of Yemen, the Philippines (on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77), Paraguay, Tunisia, Colombia and China. * * * 51. After the Main Committee approved the draft declaration and draft platform for action, statements were made by the representatives of Paraguay, Uruguay, the United States of America, Morocco, Jordan, Lithuania (also on behalf of Estonia and Latvia), Mauritania, Slovenia, the Sudan, Iraq, the Syrian Arab Republic, Oman, Tunisia, Yemen, Ghana, India, Benin, the Philippines (on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77 and China) and Spain (on behalf of the European Community). The Chairperson of the Committee made a concluding statement. * At the 5th meeting, on 14 September, the Main Committee approved amendments and corrections to the section titles and strategic objectives contained in chapter IV of the draft platform for action (see para. 48 below).