Activities and Initiatives of Women Worldwide

By Anne S. Walker

March 26, 2000

OUTCOMES FROM THE PREPCOM FOR THE SPECIAL SESSION ON BEIJING PLUS FIVE IN JUNE

CONFIRMATION AND AFFIRMATION OF THE PFA AND BEIJING DECLARATION: Participants in the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the upcoming Special Session of the General Assembly on the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women reconfirmed that the Beijing Platform for Action and Declaration should not be renegotiated. There was also strong affirmation of these documents as fundamental to the underpinning and guiding of governments' and the international community's efforts to ensure gender equality. (With an estimated 350 fundamentalists from less than 10 organizations participating, this reconfirmation and affirmation was particularly important to NGOs who have supported the progress and implementation of the PFA since its very beginnings. Also supporting the PFA were a large number of young women from Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.)

LARGEST NUMBER OF NGOs EVER TO PARTICIPATE IN CSW/PREPCOM:
The Spirit of Beijing, which has energized women throughout the world, -especially at the grass-roots level-, as well as empowered and engendered many new non- governmental organizations (NGOs), was still evident in the corridors of the UN, said Ms. Angela King, UN Assistant Secretary General and Special Adviser on Gender Issues, at a press conference on the final day of the PrepCom. The largest number ever - 1,300 individual NGO representatives - had participated, and the question of NGO participation had been essentially resolved. But Ms. King cautioned that the estimated 5,000 to 15,000 representatives of those organizations expected to attend the Special Session would pose a logistical challenge.

SIX SIGNATORIES ADDED TO OPTIONAL PROTOCOL OF CEDAW:
During the CSW/PrepCom, six signatories were added to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) -- Argentina, Paraguay, Indonesia, Spain, Dominican Republic and Ghana. The Optional Protocol to CEDAW is one of the most visible outcomes of the follow-up to Beijing, said Ms. King, and she is confident that it would enter into force before the end of this year.

IDENTIFICATION OF FUTURE ACTIONS AND PRIORITIES IN FINAL OUTCOME DOCUMENTS:
The negotiation of substantial issues, particularly regarding the identification of future actions and priorities to be reflected in the outcome documents for adoption by the special session, had gotten off to a slow start, said the Chairperson of the PrepCom, Ms. Rose Odera (Kenya). More time was needed for additional informal meetings, but so far only five and a half days had been allocated to the Committee for those consultations. (Dates for these inter-sessional meetings were given as April 20, May 8, 9, 11, and May 30 - June 2, 2000.) Further negotiations will try to bridge the gaps between those countries that have made progress in implementing the Platform for Action and those that have not. Clearly, no country has achieved full implementation. It was noted that five years was a short period for governments to implement their development plans and to domesticate some of the recommendations and proposals made. Documents still under negotiation are:

1. POLITICAL DECLARATION:
Work was begun last year on a draft political declaration in which governments would reaffirm their commitment to the goals and objectives of the Beijing Platform for Action and to the implementation of the 12 critical areas of concern. The declaration will recognize the role and contribution of civil society, in particular NGOs and women's organizations, and will emphasize men's role in ensuring gender equality.

2. SECOND OUTCOME DOCUMENT/ACHIEVEMENTS AND OBSTACLES CONFRONTED:
Achievements: A number of delegations reported on the impact of affirmative action and other special measures put in place to assist in the process of building gender equality and ending discrimination. Some delegations also welcomed new information and communications technologies, while noting that the gains of these technologies are, in some cases, accompanied by new forms of exclusion. The important role of NGOs was emphasized.

Obstacles noted include: a) the need for more resources to support implementation, particularly for national machineries for the advancement of women; b) the impact on women of the structural adjustment programmes and the resulting decline in resources allocated to the social sector; c) globalization, which has cultural, political and social impacts resulting in increased inequality between women and men in wages and working conditions; d) science and technology and the need for more women to be involved; e) the devastating consequences of armed conflict and internal displacement; f) the increased recognition of the extent and consequences of violence against women; g) the HIV/AIDS pandemic and its devastating impact on women and girls. Work was divided at the PrepCom between two parallel groups, and efforts are being made to bridge the gaps between those countries who have made progress and those who have not. It was recognized that it will take considerable effort to achieve common ground.

SPECIFIC TARGETS SET:
Specific targets, such as dates for achieving some of the specific objectives of the Platform for Action will be set during negotiations, Ms. Odera said. During the review, participants had realized that timed targets had been missing from the Platform for Action, and that had posed difficulties in assessing progress.

FUTURE OF THE CSW:
A number of delegations noted that the five-year review of the Platform for Action might also include a review of the Commission itself, including its functioning and mandate, bearing in mind the need for an integrated and coordinated follow up to all of the major UN World Conferences and Summits of the 1990s.

NGO INPUT AT THE PREPCOM:
A number of NGOs spoke at the PrepCom, and some of the common themes included: a) The negative consequences of armed conflict on women and children, and the urgent need for support to be given to women peace -makers and-builders, and to the inclusion of women in all peace negotiations; b) the negative consequences of globalization on women and the urgent need for adequate responses; c) a call for more concerted political will, including through the commitment of resources for the implementation of the Platform for Action, and the protection of women's human rights; d) greater attention to particular issues of the girl-child and adolescent women, including their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

NGO PARTICIPATION AT THE SPECIAL SESSION:
With regard to NGO participation at the Special Session, it was again noted that while there were 45 UN Members on the CSW/PrepCom, the Special Session incorporated all 189 UN Member and Observer States. This poses severe logistical problems, and no more than 50 NGOs will be able to observe a plenary session at any one time. NGOs however will have the use of a UN conference room throughout the Special Session, and will be able to view closed circuit TV coverage of all plenary meetings from there, as well as from other locations in New York, e.g. the Federal Customs House. No final word was given as to whether NGOs will be able to speak at plenary sessions of the Special Session.

WHAT ABOUT A FIFTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN?
When asked about this at the press conference, Angela King noted that a fifth world conference would be a welcome event. However, she went of to say that it was the opinion of most Member States that a 10-year span between World Conferences and Special Sessions would be more effective for measuring the impact of their outcomes. It should be noted that this is not the feeling of many NGOs, who held a special meeting during the PrepCom to discuss strategies for advocating a Fifth World Conference on Women in 2005.

More information will be given on this as it becomes available.

IWTC Women's GlobalNet is a production of: International Women's Tribune Centre