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UNITED
NATIONS



FOURTH WORLD                                  Distr.
CONFERENCE ON WOMEN                           GENERAL

                                              A/CONF.177/20
Beijing, China                                17 October 1995
4-15 September 1995                           ENGLISH
                                              ORIGINAL: ARABIC/ENGLISH/
                                                        FRENCH/RUSSIAN/
                                                        SPANISH


                REPORT OF THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN*

                        (Beijing, 4-15 September 1995)


     *   The present document is a preliminary version of the report of the
Fourth World Conference on Women.  Annexes I to IV will appear in an addendum
to the present document.  The complete report will be issued as a United
Nations sales publication.


                                   CONTENTS

Chapter                                                      Page

 I.   RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE ...............    4

      1. Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action ......    4

         [see supplementary table of contents below]

      2. Expression of thanks to the people and Government of
         the People's Republic of China ....................  136

      3. Credentials of representatives to the Fourth World
         Conference on Women .............................    137

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

 V.   ADOPTION OF THE BEIJING DECLARATION AND PLATFORM FOR ACTION
       .....................................................  157

      Reservations and interpretative statements on the Beijing
      Declaration and Platform for Action...................  157

VI.   REPORT OF THE CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE ..................  177

VII.  ADOPTION OF THE REPORT OF THE CONFERENCE   ...........  179

VIII. CLOSURE OF THE CONFERENCE   ..........................  180

                                   Annexes*


 I.   LIST OF DOCUMENTS

II.   OPENING STATEMENTS

III.  CLOSING STATEMENTS

IV.   STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE CONFERENCE ON THE COMMONLY UNDERSTOOD
      MEANING OF THE TERM "GENDER"

     *   To be issued as an addendum to the present document.



          RESOLUTION 1 - BEIJING DECLARATION AND PLATFORM FOR ACTION

                     Annex I -  BEIJING DECLARATION

                     Annex II - PLATFORM FOR ACTION

                                 CONTENTS

Chapter                                                       Paragraphs Page

 I.   MISSION STATEMENT ....................................    1 - 5      10

II.   GLOBAL FRAMEWORK .....................................    6 - 40     11

III.  CRITICAL AREAS OF CONCERN ............................   41 - 44     19

IV.   STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS .....................   45 - 285    21

      A. Women and poverty ................................    47 - 68     21

      B. Education and training of women ..................    69 - 88     29

      C. Women and health .................................    89 - 111    37

      D. Violence against women ...........................   112 - 130    51

      E. Women and armed conflict .........................   131 - 149    59

      F. Women and the economy ............................   150 - 180    68

      G. Women in power and decision-making ...............   181 - 195    82

      H. Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of
         women ............................................   196 - 209    87

      I. Human rights of women ............................   210 - 233    92

      J. Women and the media ..............................   234 - 245   102

      K. Women and the environment ........................   246 - 258   106

      L. The girl child ...................................   259 - 285   112

 V.   INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS ...........................  286 - 344   122

      A. National level ...................................   293 - 300   123

      B. Subregional/regional level .......................   301 - 305   124

      C. International level ..............................   306 - 344   125

VI.   FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS ...............................  345 - 361   131

      A. National level ...................................   346 - 350   131

      B. Regional level ...................................   351 - 352   132

      C. International level ..............................   353 - 361   132