REPUBLIC OF NAURU

PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS

REGIONAL STATEMENT BY

H.E. VINCI N. CLODUMAR

PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE

OF THE PERMANENT MISSION OF NAURU

ON BEHALF OF THE SOPAC MEMBER STATES

XXII SPECIAL SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:

WOMEN 2000 (BEIJING +5):

"GENDER EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE FOR THE 21^ST CENTURY"

9 JUNE, 2000

Mr. President

Ladies and gentleman,

I have the honour to speak today on behalf of the SOPAC Member States of Australia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu, as well as the Observer States of the Pacific that are present at this meeting - Tuvalu and the Cook Islands.

Our governments welcome this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform far Action and the national commitments we made at Beijing.

The South Pacific region, and women in the region, face unique challenges in achieving the goals of Beijing. The particular economic and environmental vulnerability of the island nations in the region influence strategies for achieving gender equality, peace and development.

It is also a region of remarkable diversity of culture, history, language and geography. The challenge of responding to the needs of women and girls in diverse, dispersed and often isolated communities require innovative policies and programmes.

Health and education of women and girls are of particular importance for the Pacific.

Within the region there has long been recognition of the connection between the health and well-being of women and the overall economic and social growth and development of countries. Improving women's participation in in-house promotion, access to quality health care, and reproductive and sexual health services continues to be -a priority area for action in the region.

Of particular concern are continued high rates of non-communicable diseases, maternal deaths and related illnesses among women in most island countries. Basic health needs of women must be addressed if they are to contribute their maximum potential at all levels, from the family to the region and beyond.

Since the Fourth World Conference for Women in Beijing, one of the most alarming and devastating new trends has been the global aids epidemic. Urgent strategies, including enhancing international cooperation must be taken immediately to combat this growing epidemic. Education and recognition of the specific situation of women and girls must farm an essential part of these strategies.

A key achievement in the implementation of the Platform has been the growing recognition of violence against women as both a health, and a human rights, issue. The problem of domestic violence is one that many countries from our region have taken steps to address, particularly through education and public awareness to change attitudes surrounding domestic violence. It is also an area in which opportunities exist for countries in our region to network solutions and best practices that are culturally appropriate. There are also a number of successful community based ODA projects addressing domestic violence, including many where services are delivered by NGQs.

Men and women must be equal partners in contributing to, and benefiting from, sustainable people-centred development. Minimum requirements to achieve this are equal access to basic needs, resources, services, education and training, taking into account the diverse circumstances of women, such as women with disabilities.

The importance of education of women and girls far all societies cannot be overstated. Not only does education ensure that women and girls can fully participate in all aspects of the economic, social and political life of their countries, it provides women with options and enables them to make choices.

While the last five years have seen significant improvements in girl's access to formal education in the Pacific, the range of subjects of study available to girls remains limited. A particular challenge for the small island developing states of the Pacific is meeting the needs and aspirations of its young women as they seek further tertiary training and eventually employment.

Mr. President,

The environmental vulnerability of Small Island developing states, as well as their contribution to global sustainability makes women's involvement in this area particularly important. Further strategies must be adopted to ensure women participate fully in policy and decision-making on matters relating to their environment.

There is a chronic lack of access to new and emerging technologies in the Pacific and this is felt even more acutely by women. Since Beijing new technologies like the Internet have been identified as a potentially powerful tool for empowering women. But unless the growing `technology gap' between men and women in their use of and access to this technology is addressed, this potential will not be realised.

This is not just an issue of education and awareness, the Internet provides a powerful tool for women entrepreneurs in isolated areas like the Pacific to access hitherto unattainable markets for their products. There are already examples of this including the export of coconut oils and soaps produced by a group of women in Samoa.

The entrepreneurial skills of Pacific women are a key resource for the region. In particular, strategies that provide women entrepreneurs with credit and support have been particularly successful and highlighted the positive impact of women's full participation in economic life across a range of communities, as well as enabling them to harness the benefits of globalisation.

Since Beijing there has been increased attention paid to the impact of armed conflict on women and girls. Conflict impedes progress toward full implementation of the Platform and places women and girls at particular risk of violations of their human rights. Increased participation of women and adherence to democratic principles are essential to conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction.

If we are to achieve our objective of gender equality then we must put in place supportive domestic environments which protect the rights of women. Adherence to the principles of accountability, transparency and the rule of law, promote good governance when defining the interests of citizens and groups in society, including women. Effective and targeted development assistance can support the development of strong institutional frameworks necessary for good governance. Respect for democratic institutions is a value shared by the countries in our group and lies at the heart of this.

Mr. President,

Since 1995 the Platform has been used by countries in the Pacific to guide national action toward empowering women and achieving their equality. Many countries have produced National Action Plans and developed national machineries for women, including establishing government Ministries dealing with women's affairs. The countries of the region recognise the need for cooperation at the regional level to assist governments to implement and monitor the Platform as well as National Action Plans.

Gender mainstreaming has been an effective strategy for Pacific Island countries in making progress since Beijing and must be supported. Further capacity building at all levels, including in partnership with NG4s and UN agencies working in the region, is essential for implementing the Platform. In measuring progress for women in the region, the need for assistance and technical cooperation has been particularly highlighted. Sex-disaggregated data across all areas of society must be collected to ensure that policies and programmes are designed to address the specific needs of women within their families and communities.

Finally, our governments also wish to acknowledge the significant contribution of NGQs as partners in implementation of the Platform. This spirit of partnership and teamwork, and our support for their participation in this review process, is evidenced by the significant number of non-governmental members on South Pacific delegations to this Special Session.

Thank you.