The Commission on the Status of Women acting as the preparatory committee for the special session of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century" recommends to the Assembly the adoption of the following draft decisions:

  The General Assembly adopts the following provisional agenda for its twenty-third special session:

1. Opening of the session by the Chairman of the delegation of Namibia.

2. Minute of silent prayer or meditation.

3. Credentials of representatives to the special session of the General Assembly:

(a) Appointment of the members of the Credentials Committee;

(b) Report of the Credentials Committee.

4. Election of the President.

5. Report of the Commission on the Status of Women acting as the preparatory committee for the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century".

6. Organization of the session.

7. Adoption of the agenda.

8. Review and appraisal of progress made in the implementation of the twelve critical areas of concern in the Beijing Platform for Action.

9. Further actions and initiatives for overcoming obstacles to the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.

10. Adoption of the final document(s).

The General Assembly adopts the following organizational arrangements for its twenty-third special session, to be held at Headquarters from 5 to 9 June 2000.

1. The special session should take place under the presidency of the President of the fifty-fourth regular session of the General Assembly.

2. The Vice-Presidents of the special session should be the same as those of the fifty-fourth regular session of the General Assembly.

3. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 54/142 of 17 December 1999, the General Assembly shall establish an Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole of the Twenty-Third Special Session.

4. The Bureau of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole should consist of one Chairperson and nine Vice-Chairpersons, one of whom will serve as Rapporteur. The Bureau of the preparatory committee should serve as the Bureau of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole.

5. The Credentials Committee of the special session should have the same membership as the Credentials Committee of the fifty-fourth regular session of the General Assembly.

6. The General Committee of the special session should consist of the President and the 21 Vice-Presidents of the special session, the Chairpersons of the six Main Committees of the fifty-fourth regular session of the General Assembly and the Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole.

7. The rules of procedure of the General Assembly should apply at the special session.

8. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 54/142, participation in the special session should be at a high political level.

9. Statements in the debate in plenary should not exceed seven minutes.

10. The list of speakers for the debate in plenary should be established by a drawing of lots. Heads of State, Vice-Presidents, Crown Princes or Princesses and Heads of Government should be given precedence in the establishment of the list of speakers and in the speaking order and should have equal standing as regards the list of speakers. They should be followed by Ministers/Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, Chairpersons of Delegation/Vice-Ministers and Chairpersons of Delegation.

11. All items of the draft provisional agenda should be allocated to the plenary, and items 8 and 9 should also be allocated to the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole.

12. Observers may make statements in the debate in the plenary.

13. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 54/142, States members of specialized agencies that are not members of the United Nations may participate in the special session in the capacity of observers.

14. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 54/142, associate members of the regional commissions may participate in the special session, subject to the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, in the same capacity of observer that applied to their participation in the Fourth World Conference on Women.

15. Heads of United Nations programmes, specialized agencies and other entities in the United Nations system may make statements in the debate in plenary. Representatives of the United Nations system may also make statements in the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole. These arrangements will in no way create a precedent for other special sessions of the General Assembly.

16. In accordance with General Assembly decision 54/ of __ March 2000, given the availability of time, a limited number of non-governmental organizations that are in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council may also make statements in the debate in plenary. Representatives of non-governmental organizations may also make statements in the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole. These arrangements will in no way create a precedent for other special sessions of the General Assembly.

17. Pursuant to chapter 5 of the Beijing Platform for Action, and in view of the role of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in contributing to the implementation of the Platform, the Chairperson of that Committee will be invited to participate in the debate in plenary. This invitation will in no way create a precedent for other special sessions of the General Assembly.

18. Ten plenary meetings will be held over the five-day period, with two meetings per day as follows: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.