NGLS Roundup, no. 56, July 2000

WOMEN 2000: GA SPECIAL SESSION 

INTRODUCTION
The General Assembly (GA) held its 23rd special session from 5-10 June 2000 at UN
headquarters in New York, entitled Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development And Peace
for the 21st Century. The session concluded with governments' reaffirmation of their
commitment to the goals and objectives contained in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action (PFA) adopted at the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women. The outcome
document of the session contains a Political Declaration and "Further actions and initiatives to
implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action." Delegates agreed that
although significant positive advances could be identified since 1995, many barriers remained.
They pledged to take further action to ensure full and accelerated implementation of the PFA.
The session was attended by 2,003 government delegates and 2,043 representatives of 1,036
non-governmental organizations. Many governments sent large delegations to the event. Some
5,000-10,000 NGOs were present in New York to attend related NGO events throughout the
city. 

The special session was very contentious, and required lengthy negotiations that ran late into
the nights toward the end. GA President Theo Ben-Gurirab (Namibia) concluded that there
had been "no backward movement on any of the Beijing language," and that the PFA remained
fully valid for national and international actions. He noted the new negotiated text updates the
PFA in the areas of violence against and trafficking in women; health; education; human rights;
poverty; debt relief; globalization; armed conflict; sovereignty; land and inheritance rights for
women; political participation; and decision making. 

The special session met in plenary to hear statements on both progress made and obstacles to
implementation of the PFA. One hundred and seventy-eight member states, three non-member
states, 16 observers, four heads of UN and specialized agencies, the chair of the Committee on
the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and five NGOs addressed the
plenary. These included two prime ministers and four vice-presidents, ministers, vice-ministers
and heads of delegations. An ad hoc committee of the whole, chaired by Christine Kapalata
(Tanzania), met throughout the week to negotiate the outcome document. The committee's
work was divided into two parallel working groups. Working Group I focused on the first
through third sections of the document on "Further actions and initiatives to implement the
Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action." Working Group II focused on section IV on
actions and initiatives for implementation of the PFA. Contact groups met to resolve the most
contentious issues including references to armed conflict, globalization, health, family,
diversity, the girl-child, and human rights. 


BACKGROUND
The 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing (China), was the largest
gathering of government and non-governmental representatives ever held with 17,000 persons
in attendance. It produced a path-breaking document for advancing women's equity and
equality, the Beijing Platform for Action. The platform is an agenda for empowering women
and furthering implementation of the 1985 Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies for the
Advancement of Women. The Platform for Action sets time-specific targets for governments
to eliminate discrimination in health, education, the workplace, decision making and the law,
among other areas. The PFA identifies 12 critical areas of concern: poverty; education; health
care; violence against women; women and armed conflict; women and the economy; women in
power and decision making; institutional mechanisms; human rights of women; women and the
media; women and the environment; and the girl-child. NGOs played an active role in the
Beijing negotiations and have been active in both national and international follow-up to the
conference. 

The goal of the special session was to produce a political declaration and an outcome
document that reviewed progress, identified challenges, and adopted new actions to be taken
for further implementation of the PFA. Text negotiations in the March 2000 preparatory
committee (PrepCom) were laborious, with marked differences within and between
governmental negotiating blocs (see NGLS Roundup 51). At the conclusion, most text was
still "bracketed," or in dispute. As a result, delegates at the PrepCom continued to work in
informal negotiations over five and a half weeks, right up until the beginning of the special
session.


KEY OUTCOMES
The Political Declaration reaffirms governments' commitments and recognizes their primary
responsibility in implementing the PFA, the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies, and the 12
critical areas of concern. It calls for continued international cooperation, including attainment
of the internationally-agreed target of 0.7% of gross domestic product (GDP) of industrialized
countries for official development assistance (ODA). It reaffirms the goal of universal
ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Discrimination Against Women and
commits to strengthening and safeguarding a national and international enabling environment,
including through the protection of human rights. Governments agreed to regularly assess PFA
implementation, with a view to meeting in 2005 to consider new initiatives. 

The document entitled "Further actions and initiatives to implement the Beijing Declaration
and the Platform for Action" is divided into (I) an introduction; (II) Achievements and
obstacles in the implementation of the 12 critical areas of the PFA; (III) Current challenges
affecting the full implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the PFA; and               (IV)
Actions and initiatives to overcome obstacles and to achieve the full and accelerated
implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. 

Paragraph 2 of the introduction states that "the full realization of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms is essential to the empowerment of women. While the significance of
national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds
must be borne in mind, it is the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and
cultural systems, to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms." PFA
implementation "is the sovereign responsibility of each State." It notes that the PFA "respects
and values the full diversity of women's situations and conditions and recognizes that some
women face particular barriers to their empowerment" due to such factors as "race, age,
language, ethnicity, culture, religion or disability, because they are indigenous women, or
because of other status." The introduction also notes barriers due to family status;
socio-economic status; living conditions in rural, isolated or impoverished areas; refugee and
displaced women; immigrant and migrant women; migrant workers and women affected by
environmental disasters, serious and infectious diseases, and various forms of violence against
women. 

The most debated issues concerned reproductive health, sexual rights, sexual orientation, the
right to freely carry out religious and cultural practices (versus the universality of human
rights), pornography, prostitution, the impact of globalization, official development assistance,
the impact of economic sanctions, and landmines. In the final days of negotiations and in an
effort to reach consensus, many qualifiers were added to the text such as "in some countries"
or "in many countries;" many proposed paragraphs were deleted; and many others reverted to
language drawn directly from the PFA. In some cases, language was taken directly from the
agreed text for the review of the World Summit for Social Development (WSSD+5). 

In Section II of the document the different positions expressed by industrialized and
developing countries on the impact of structural adjustment policies on women resulted in
compromise language referring to "inappropriate design and application of structural
adjustment programmes (SAPs)." In the area of "sexual and reproductive rights," this
language, as adopted in the five-year review of the 1994 International Conference on
Population and Development (ICPD+5), was rejected and replaced with "sexual and
reproductive health and reproductive rights of women." Violence against women, where
perpetrated or condoned by the state or its agents, is named as a human rights violation and
states are held accountable. This language was much-debated, and finally included. Regarding
forms of violence against women in Section II, female genital mutilation (FGM) was
mentioned as was marital rape, although a later sentence refers to domestic violence as a
private matter in some countries. 

In the section on women and armed conflict, references to child soldiers, abduction of girls,
and nuclear arsenals and landmines were deleted. Concerning women and the economy, there
was debate on women's equal access and rights to ownership of and control over land and
other forms of property and to inheritance, which is not recognized by national legislation in
some countries. The document affirms women's rights to own land and to inheritance. Under
human rights, one of the most disputed issues was language on legal measures taken by a
growing number of countries to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. This
reference to the issue was ultimately deleted. Language that was adopted refers to "insufficient
recognition of women's and girls' reproductive rights, as well as barriers to their full
enjoyment of those rights," which makes reference to paragraph 95 of the PFA. Regarding the
girl-child, a contact group negotiated language regarding "negative cultural practices against
girls," child labour and the transmission of HIV/AIDS. However references to harmful
traditional practices, including early sex outside marriage, multiple partners that may result
from traditional practice and forced marriage were deleted. 

In Section III, issues referred to contact groups were political will and commitment, sexual
and reproductive rights, reference to CEDAW, globalization, sanctions, and human rights.
Compromise language on the term "sexual rights" was agreed on as "empowering women to
have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality." Safe
sex was replaced with "curbing high-risk behaviour."

Regarding globalization, paragraphs 29 and 30 of the section were much debated, particularly
the linkage between globalization and SAPs and their negative impact on women. The final
text affirms this linkage, as well as some negative impacts. A reference to labour standards
was deleted as there are no universally-agreed standards. Language adopted refers to the high
cost of external debt servicing due to SAPs, and declining terms of international trade as a
set-back to development. 

In Section IV there was debate over reference to the Beijing Conference report, which
included reservations to the PFA. It was agreed that the report would be referenced once in
the introduction. Other debated issues included good governance, health care and services,
diversity, violence against women, and the right to development. In a listing on forms of
violence, members adopted the Group of 77 developing countries (G-77) proposal including
violence resulting from "racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, pornography, ethnic
cleansing and foreign occupation" rather than a simpler reference to all forms of violence.
Deleted paragraphs included a reference to discrimination based on sexual orientation, and
paragraphs on research on contraceptive drugs, prioritizing implementation of ICPD+5
outcomes, and a reference to meeting contraceptive needs. 

References to abortion were hotly contested. Some countries opposing the right to choose
abortion cited the "right to conscience" in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in
reference to potential abortion providers. There was discussion about using language from the
PFA, from ICPD+5, or both. Proponents of ICPD+5 language saw it as a post-Beijing gain,
just as the Beijing Conference had advanced language that emerged from the 1994 Cairo
ICPD. The special session document uses language from ICPD+5 and asks governments to
consider reviewing laws containing punitive measures against women who have undergone
illegal abortions. 

A failed effort was made to include "religious leaders" in a list of stakeholders at the national
level. A paragraph was added on the roles of women in contributing to the welfare of the
family in its various forms and acknowledging the social significance of maternity and
motherhood--the goal of a small but vocal group of NGOs and governments throughout the
review process. 

Paragraphs on armed conflict proved difficult. Paragraphs on the work of the international war
crimes tribunals, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and on strengthening participatory
poverty eradication strategies to reduce the feminization of poverty were deleted under
"international actions." Multiple references to state sovereignty were included. 

References to coercive measures, including sanctions and their effect on economic and social
development, were contested. The final document makes reference to alleviating the negative
impacts of economic sanctions on women and children. Deleted paragraphs included
references to solutions to external debt and debt-servicing problems of developing countries,
including debt relief; integration of developing countries in globalization and poverty
eradication; feminization of poverty; and "irregular" forms of work, including "non-standard"
work. While developing countries introduced language on poverty eradication, developing
country participation in international economic policy, debt cancellation and the negative
impacts of globalization, industrialized countries referred to the positive effects of
globalization and to the Cologne debt initiative for heavily indebted poor countries. The final
language refers to globalization's negative impacts; developing country participation in the
international economic policy decision-making process to address the challenges of
globalization; links between gender equality and poverty eradication; the option of ODA debt
cancellation; support for the Cologne initiative for debt reduction; and a call for increased
ODA. 

Several Southern countries affirmed national control over implementation by successfully
moving some paragraphs from the purview of international actors to national actors. Among
these were paragraphs regarding macro-economic policies and programmes, gender-awareness
campaigns, prosecuting perpetrators of violence, cooperation for non-discriminatory
legislation, and the Rome Statute of the ICC. 


THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS
The negotiating process during the special session was hampered by the fact that little
progress had been made on the text during the PrepCom and informal negotiations prior to the
event. This reflected strong differences between government negotiating blocs, as well as
within them. Initial negotiating blocs included JUSCANZ (Japan, United States, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand), the European Union (EU) and associated countries including
many from Central and Eastern Europe, and the G-77 and China. However, due to strong
differences on gender issues within the G-77/China as well as tensions concerning organization
of the group's work, it was increasingly unable to reach consensus and propose language to
the larger negotiating body. The G-77 countries began negotiating in smaller regional groups;
during the special session the G-77 made very few collective statements. Negotiating groups
that emerged included CARICOM (Caribbean Community), SLAC (Some Latin American
Countries including Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Mexico, Peru, Venezuela and sometimes Argentina) and SADC (Southern African
Development Community). A number of delegations--including Algeria, Egypt, Holy See,
Iran, Libya, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sudan--were very active in the
negotiations. 

Many differences in position reflected well-established North/South divides: industrialized
nations were reticent to make commitments regarding financial assistance, while developing
countries insisted that implementation depended on external development assistance.
Industrialized countries sought to include language about the positive impact of globalization,
and they often de-linked macro-economic policy from women's concerns. Developing
countries sought to critique the impact of globalization, debt and trade on women's lives, and
to put women's concerns in the context of development. Long-standing struggles over
sanctions, embargoes, foreign occupation, armed conflict and nuclear weapons continued to be
sticking points. Industrialized countries pushed hard to include language related to sexual
rights and non-discrimination based on sexual orientation, while some developing countries
expressed frustration that this became such a central issue, over and above women's economic
empowerment. SADC, SLAC and CARICOM took positions that bridged Southern concerns
about economic development with rights concerns regarding violence, sexuality and health.
Some delegates with divergent views within the G-77 welcomed the opportunity to negotiate
separately because this allowed countries to establish their positions on relevant issues. Others
worried what this would mean for future intergovernmental negotiations and to what extent it
allowed a few states to dominate the process.
 
NGOs that were very active throughout the preparatory process of the special session
continued their engagement despite heightened security and diminished access to delegates at
the session. Much negotiating took place in contact groups behind closed doors. NGOs were
divided in their assessment of the problems facing negotiations. Many felt that some delegates
had little concern about achieving a constructive outcome and were intentionally playing an
obstructionist role. They were also angry with what they described as the lack of a high
enough priority given to the session by many countries, and the very limited access for NGOs
in general.  

There was enormous frustration among most NGOs about the slowness of the negotiating
process, and by mid-week there were fears that deliberations might end in a stalemate, with no
outcome document at all. The Latin American and Caribbean NGO caucus issued an appeal to
their delegations on 7 June to strengthen the commitments signed in Beijing, with sufficient
resources to carry them out. NGOs mobilized in other caucus groups and sent several
declarations to both the UN secretariat and delegates, insisting on a strong, forward-looking
outcome document. They expressed concern about what they described as member state
intransigence and a lack of leadership on the part of the UN secretariat in making the process a
priority and moving it along. While some NGOs and delegates placed blame on "the tyranny of
the minority," particularly a small group of conservative Southern governments and the
observer Holy See, others pointed out that Northern states were equally intransigent on issues
of globalization and macro-economic policy. As negotiations moved into the final days (and
long nights), NGOs in support of the PFA stayed through the night in large numbers. They
wore bright yellow t-shirts to let delegates know they were watching. On 8 June UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a statement urging member states to "work together in a
spirit of cooperation to ensure that the gains made by women in Beijing are consolidated,
protected and advanced further." An all-night session on 9 June finally produced a consensus
document. 


REFLECTIONS ON THE OUTCOME OF BEIJING+5
After the session Angela King, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Gender
Issues and the Advancement of Women, said she was "very happy that the dire predictions
that there would be a roll-back have proved false. We were determined to get a strong
document that did not in any way diminish the gains women had achieved in Beijing. We were
also determined to go beyond Beijing, and we did, despite the efforts of countries that made
the process such an arduous one." She added, "the issues of the Social Summit, such as
employment, poverty and marginalization, are also issues of concern to women and are
included as critical concerns in the Beijing process."

Some NGOs, while enthusiastic about specific new language, felt there was little overall
progress and much was merely a restatement of the PFA. The Linkage Caucus' final
statement, which expressed disappointment about failure to agree to a stronger document, was
widely circulated in the press. "We regret that there was not enough political will on the part
of some governments and the UN system," it said, "to agree on a stronger document with
more concrete benchmarks, numerical goals, time-bound targets, indicators and resources
aimed at implementing the Beijing platform." Nonetheless, it pointed to some areas where it
said there were perceived gains: in the area of health, maternal mortality was cited as a
priority, the goals of ICPD+5 were affirmed, the impact of economic reforms on women's
access to health services was noted, and the gender aspects of diseases such as malaria was
noted. Regarding violence, so-called honour killings and forced marriage were addressed for
the first time in an international consensus document; governments were called on to take
measures to eliminate dowry-related violence. Stronger mechanisms were called for to address
all forms of violence, including marital rape. 

There is a recognition of the negative impacts of globalization on women; a call to ensure
equal access to social protection and to participation in macro-economic decision making. The
right to housing, inheritance and property rights for women was affirmed. There was an
affirmation of the need for "gender budgeting," or accounting for women's differential needs
in all aspects of national budgets; and the ILO declaration on women's rights at work was
affirmed. There was a call to ratify the optional protocol to CEDAW, an increased recognition
of the specific needs and rights of indigenous women, and affirmation of the right to
gender-related asylum. Quotas and other measures to increase women's participation in
political parties and parliaments were endorsed.
 
The Linkage Caucus said that the reports emerging from regional preparatory meetings could
be used as additional tools for NGO organizing, and it emphasized that women's organizations
would "work to hold governments accountable to CEDAW, the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, and all other human rights treaties and standards." Unlike the PFA, these
instruments entail binding obligations on government signatories.

African NGOs, through the Africa Caucus, issued a report expressing disappointment "that we
have been made to feel like intruders. We seem to have gone back on free participation." They
said improvements for the girl-child in Africa had "fallen through the cracks" and noted that
"the SADC countries had put up a good fight in the negotiations," but on the whole, Africa
was conspicuous by its absence. They felt that no ground had been won on the critical gender
concerns highlighted as vital for African women.
 
At a press conference Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of the United Nations
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), reflected on lessons learned from the review
process. She said there needed to be a better understanding and guidelines for what the review
process is about and a need for more integrated follow-up. The work done in different
conference review processes should reflect each other, so that the same issues don't need to
be re-negotiated with each process. In addition, the consensus built at regional preparatory
meetings needed to shape international discussions. She said there should be a "right of
reservation" to let the majority move on rather than pull the whole process down, and work
should be based on the "highest human aspiration rather than the lowest common
denominator." Ms. Heyzer also noted that if commitments are made and renewed, they need
to be turned into action. Governments must re-prioritize their budgets rather than wait for
extra resources, while international financial institutions and the private sector should also be
accountable. 

Ms. Kapalata listed in a press briefing four themes that emerged from the document. They
were globalization, economic empowerment, resources and the feminization of poverty; the
HIV/AIDS pandemic, which she noted was now understood to be an economic issue for
developing countries and not just a health issue; access to information technology and the
growing gap between developed and developing nations; and the critical involvement of
women in peacekeeping and conflict resolution. However she observed that there was still no
uniform understanding of human rights.

Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed "concern that certain
delegations have negotiated in such a way so as to try and trade fundamental human rights,"
and insisted that the application of human rights must be universal. She said that the Beijing
review should take place within the legal framework of international human rights standards.
"I am only too well aware that justifications which lie in such terminology [as national,
cultural, religious and historical considerations] impact mainly against the human rights of
women," she added. She noted that some states refuse to recognize marital rape, so-called
honour killings and domestic violence as rights violations. In addition she said, "it is clear that
globalization, structural adjustment policies and the impact of armed conflict has led to the
increased feminization of poverty."

Mr. Ben-Gurirab stressed the linkage between Beijing+5 and the review of the World Summit
for Social Development, following in June in Geneva. "These special sessions, with one
coming right after another, can help launch a full frontal attack on poverty and inequality, and
the forces that exclude people from playing a part in the decisions that affect their lives," he
said. He noted the two sessions call for the need for equality, social justice, resources for
development, and human rights. 


GENERAL ASSEMBLY PLENARY DISCUSSION
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who addressed the opening plenary on 5 June, said that
"much remains to be done." He noted women still earn less, have higher unemployment rates,
are more often unemployed and generally poorer than men, and that most countries have yet
to pass laws in favour of women's rights to own land and other property. New challenges
included HIV/AIDS, particularly in southern Africa "where 40% of pregnant women are HIV
positive and more than one child in ten has lost its mother to AIDS." He also noted the
"world-wide plague" of trafficking of women and children. Mr. Annan cited as progress the
growing illegality of violence against women; mobilization against harmful traditional practices
such as so-called honour killings; new health strategies and improved access to family
planning; a record number of women leaders and decision makers; and most importantly, the
understanding that women's equality is a prerequisite for development. He also highlighted the
importance of education for women as a key to development. He said that implementation of
the Beijing PFA will be crucial in achieving all the Millennium goals he has asked world
leaders to adopt on behalf of all the world's peoples. 

Mr. Ben-Gurirab praised the participation of NGOs in the deliberations leading to the special
session and acknowledged the submission by NGOs of their own report, entitled Alternative
Global Report, for consideration by member states. 

In the final plenary session, statements in explanation of position were made by many states,
primarily with a view to either placing reservations on new text or reaffirming reservations
made to the Beijing PFA.

Nigeria, on behalf of the G-77/China, called on the international community, industrialized
countries and the multilateral financial institutions to support developing countries with
concrete financial assistance. It said this was the only way developing countries would be able
to implement commitments. The US representative noted that her country had never accepted
the "agreed target" for foreign assistance. 

The representatives of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan,
Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Oman, Mauritania, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Syria and
Bahrain affirmed their commitment to implement the document in a manner that did not
contradict religious and national laws (as provided in paragraph 2 of the document). The
representatives of Honduras, Poland, Nicaragua, Malta, El Salvador and Kenya expressed
reservations on language related to abortion, noting that it is illegal in their countries. 

Nicaragua said that wherever the word commitment was used in the document, it was
understood that UN conferences are not binding. The US concurred, stating that any
commitments referred to in the final document attributed to states are not legally binding. The
US emphasized that only states Parties are obliged to implement treaties mentioned in the final
document. 
 
The representative of South Africa said her delegation wanted to see the assembly take the
platform even further. All human rights of all human beings in South Africa are protected by
the constitution. The US representative said her government affirmed non-discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation and considered that omission of this position in the final
document in no way justifies such discrimination in any country. Colombia said its region
wants all women, adolescents and children to fully enjoy human rights, including women's
right to health. The representative of Canada observed that no gains had been made in the area
of women's right to make decisions regarding their reproductive rights. The representative
censured the practice of trafficking in women and girls, including through the Internet.
Canada, Norway and New Zealand expressed concern that the document does not refer to
discrimination based on sexual orientation. Norway also mentioned sexual rights of women
and decriminalization of abortion as language that should have been in the final document.
Canada and New Zealand said that discrimination based on sexual orientation is a violation of
human rights and that they would interpret the reference to "other status" in paragraph 2 as
encompassing sexual orientation.

The US disassociated itself from paragraphs 29, 30, and 135(i) dealing with globalization and
economic issues. The paragraphs characterize globalization and debt as significant obstacles to
achieving gender equality. According to the US representative, national governments have
primary responsibility for social and economic development and for ensuring the equality of
women; most aspects of equality for women had no direct link to international economic and
financial issues.
 
The Rwandan delegate expressed disappointment that paragraph 51 of the outcome document
did not make reference to crimes of genocide. The omission sent a message that these crimes
were not taken seriously by several members. The US representative disassociated the country
from paragraph 133 m.bis on disarmament, saying that member states, not the UN, set
priorities for disarmament and delinking resources made available from disarmament from
allocations for social programmes to benefit women and girls. Canada and Norway expressed
concern that the document did not refer to the prevalence of landmines.

In closing remarks, Mr. Ben-Gurirab called on UN organizations, Bretton Woods Institutions,
the World Trade Organization, other international and regional intergovernmental bodies,
parliaments and civil society (including the private sector and NGOs) to support government
efforts and develop complementary programmes to achieve the goals of the PFA. He said the
outcome document acknowledges the role NGOs must continue to play in the promotion of
gender equality, development and peace. He noted that 77% of the plenary statements were
made by women.


NGO PLENARY INTERVENTIONS
Five NGOs addressed the plenary on 9 June. They were selected by the NGO Co-ordinating
Committee after consultation with regional NGO caucuses, and represented each of the five
UN regions. The NGO interventions reflected issues raised in the regional preparatory
meetings. Gladys Mutkwa of Women in Law and Development in Africa expressed concern
over the deteriorating situation of women on the continent. She said that in spite of efforts
made by civil society, governments and other actors, the situation of women continued to
deteriorate in all sectors of development. She said that the African regional preparatory
conference had set five regional priorities: women in decision making; women's human rights;
globalization; HIV/AIDS; and conflict. 

Pam Rajput, chair of Asian-Pacific Women's Watch and member of Mahila Dakshata Samiti,
said that challenges for the Asia-Pacific region included the negative impact of globalization,
the Asian financial crisis, and the intensification of armed and other forms of violent conflict.
The region has seen an increase in the number of women living in poverty as well as
unemployment, and deteriorating wages and working conditions, food security, and affordable
quality health care. There was an increased culture of violence, trafficking, forced prostitution,
so-called honour killings and violation of women's rights. Ms. Rajput called for codes of
ethics to respect human rights and gender balance.

Fran‡oise David of the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women
(CRIAW) spoke on behalf of women of North America, Eastern and Western Europe. She
said the diversity of the region could also be a source of discrimination and inequity between
women. She noted the increasing poverty of women in the region, especially in Eastern
Europe where economic liberalization has caused a brutal downward spiral of living
conditions. She called for jobs for all, a social safety net, salaries that allow a decent standard
of living, state support for women's enterprises, and protection of labour laws. Ms. David
called on states to take measures to end the trafficking in women and girls and called for
recognition of women's inalienable right to make choices about their lives and their sexual and
reproductive health. 

"We demand concrete actions, indicators and deadlines," she said. "We demand another
gathering in 2005, a fifth world conference on women. We are determined and we are strongly
committed to fighting until the rights of all women are acknowledged." She noted that in
October tens of thousands of women would be marching in cities and villages to demand an
end to poverty and violence against women, culminating at the UN in New York on 17
October. She added that "we hope to meet with you again in October and work together
toward a world based on equality between the sexes, social justice and the redistribution of
wealth." 

Virginia Vargas of the Centro de la Mujer Peruana, Flora Tristan expressed concern about the
Beijing+5 negotiating process, fearing that arguments over words could nullify the work of the
Beijing Conference. 

Hoda Badran of the Alliance for Arab Women said that efforts were still needed to ensure
freedom of NGOs and provide support for their work; to review and change existing
legislation including family laws; and change existing textbooks and media messages to
eliminate all forms of discrimination against women. Ms. Badran said Arab women were
calling for more democracy--socially, economically and politically--to allow women to
participate effectively in all public decisions.

"We need protection for women activists and intellectuals," she said, "against violence and
reactionary campaigns and against intimidation of free-thinking." She noted the impact of
Israeli occupation on Palestinian and Syrian women, and the impact of economic sanctions and
embargoes on women in Iraq, Sudan and Libya. "We demand," she added, "the honouring of
UN resolutions and real, just peace, and lifting of sanctions and freeing of prisoners from
Israeli and Arab prisons."


NGO PARTICIPATION IN UNGASS
NGOs were present in large numbers, both within the UN and in parallel activities throughout
New York. The UN secretariat limited official accreditation to three representatives per
organization, with only two allowed access to the UN at any one time due to tight security.
These restrictions were relaxed later in the week, when all accredited NGOs were allowed
access. Parallel activities took place throughout the UN, in the Church Centre for the UN and
in other buildings, and some 50 city blocks away at the US Customs House. There the United
States Host Committee organized a week-long programme of meetings, film, music and
reflection groups for NGOs. Women met in caucuses by region, and some issue caucuses. The
Coalition in Support of the Beijing Platform for Action, led by the Women's Environment and
Development Organization (WEDO), Centre for Women's Global Leadership, and the
International Women's Health Coalition led a daily Linkage Caucus. This became an effective
space for sharing information and coordinating strategies. A caucus led by European women
discussed plans for a Fifth World Conference on Women in 2005. Over 60 indigenous women
met prior to the special session to network, train newcomers in the UN system, and strategize
on their participation in the special session. 

On 5 June the Beijing+5 Host Committee held an opening ceremony for NGOs in Dag
Hammarskjold Plaza across from the UN. Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed the
NGOs, saying that "we need your energy, expertise and extraordinary spirit to move it [the
PFA] forward, to demonstrate that empowering women not only means better lives for
women, it means better lives for everyone on the planet." 

NGO activities related to the official meetings were organized by an NGO Steering
Committee, hosted by the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative
Relationship with the United Nations (CONGO). The steering committee included CONGO,
the NGO Commission on the Status of Women, regional representatives, and representatives
of global networks. The committee organized a day-long NGO Forum, which heard regional
NGO "shadow reports" and released a composite of all NGO shadow report efforts to review
national progress on the PFA.

WomenAction, a coalition of women's media NGOs from around the world, issued a daily
newspaper and website reports during the special session and ran a media centre and Internet
cafe. A team of African women issued Flame, a daily NGO paper from an African perspective.
The Feminist International Radio Encounter (FIRE), based in Costa Rica, hosted a radio
series, broadcast live over the Internet.


CONTACTS

Koh Miyaoi 
NGO Focal Point 
Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) 
Room DC2-1204 
United Nations 
New York NY 10017, United States 
telephone +1-212/963 8034 
fax +1-212/963 3463
e-mail <miyaoi@un.org> 
website (www.un.org/womenwatch)

UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) 
304 East 45th Street, 15th Floor 
New York NY 10017, United States 
telephone +1-212/906 6400 
fax +1-212/906 6705 
website (www.unifem.undp.org) 

International Research and Training Institute 
     for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW)
Cesar Nicolas Penson 102-A 
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 
telephone +1-809/685 2111 
fax +1-809/685 2117 
e-mail <instraw.hq.sd@codetel.net.do> 
website (www.un.org/instraw)

Beijing+5 Websites 
WomenAction 2000 (www.womenaction.org) 
CONGO (www.conferenceofngos.org) 
Beijing+5 Host Committee (www.beijingplus5hostcomm.com)
NGO Committee on the Status of Women
     (www.womenact.org)
For plenary speeches, see (www.un.org/ga/webcast/stat.htm)
For the outcome document, see 
     (www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/followup/finaloutcome.pdf)
FIRE webcast coverage of Beijing+5 (www.fire.or.cr)


This edition of NGLS Roundup was prepared by the United Nations Non-Governmental
Liaison Service (NGLS). The NGLS Roundup is produced for NGOs and others interested in
the institutions, policies and activities of the UN system and is not an official record.