BEIJING FACTSHEET: The 1995 WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN

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Prepared by Status of Women Canada, September 1994
Downloaded from the computer conference women.wcw.canada, on the APC electronic network (Web, in Canada).

What: The Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace

Where: Beijing, China

When: September 4-15, 1995

Why: To place the improvement of women's status high on the global agenda.

Why another World Conference on Women?

The Third World Conference on Women, which took place in Nairobi,Kenya in 1985, marked the end of the United Nations Decade forWomen, a period which saw many gains made by women around theworld. Out of Nairobi came the Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women (FLS), a blueprint for action to improve the status of women through to the year 2000. However, United Nations reports have noted that despite the advances, in some countries womenare worse off than they were 10 or 15 years ago. So, among other things, the 1995 World Conference will be asking:

- What has happened since Nairobi?

- What still needs to be done?

- How can we re-capture the impetus of the UN Decade for Women?

This will be accomplished through the two main objectives of the 1995 World Conference:

- to report on the extent to which the recommendations of the 1985 Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women have been implemented both by individual countries and internationally, and

- to prepare and promote a Platform for Action for the remainder of the century, focusing on those areas where improvements are particularly needed if the objectives of the Forward-looking Strategies are to be achieved.

In addition to the Nairobi World Conference in 1985, there were two earlier World Conferences. As a result of the first conference (Mexico City, 1975), the United Nations declared the period 1976-1985 as the United Nations Decade for Women with the objectives of equality, development and peace. That conference also resulted in the adoption of the World Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Objectives of International Women's Year.

At the second world conference (Copenhagen, 1980), participants adopted a Programme of Action for the Second Half of the United Nations Decade for Women.

What will happen at the World Conference?

The World Conference itself will actually be the culmination of several years of preparatory activities at the international, regional and national levels. The UN Commission on the Status of Women, which meets every spring, is the international preparatory body for the World Conference. The Commission on the Status of Women has the responsibility of drafting the main document to be adopted at the Conference, the Platform for Action. The key issues to be covered by the Platform for Action include poverty, education, health, violence, effects of conflict, access to economic structures, power and decision-making, national machinery, human rights, media, and the environment.

At its 1993 meeting, the Commission on the Status of Women adopted the framework for the Platform for Action, and at its March 1994 meeting, the Commission undertook to further elaborate the Platform for Action. From now until 1995, the Commission will be working to identify the specific actions required to meet the goals of the Platform.

In addition to the draft Platform for Action, the World Conference will have a number of other documents to consider, including:

Documents for the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women will be:

- the results of the second review and appraisal of the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women to the Year 2000;

- "The World Survey on the Role of Women in Development" (1994);

- an updated edition of "The World's Women 1970-1990: Trends and Statistics";

- the outcome of regional preparatory meetings for the Fourth World Conference on Women;

- an updated compendium on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; and

- national reports prepared by governments as a basis for future national action

The World Conference on Women will also be accompanied by an informal meeting of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which will start prior to the Conference, August 30, and continue until September 8. This forum for NGOs, called NGO Forum on Women, Beijing '95, brings together thousands ofwomen from around the world to exchange information and ideas,celebrate women's achievements and contributions and draw attentionand develop solutions to the discrimination facing women world-wide.

What has happened so far?

Internationally

In December 1992, the Secretary-General of the United Nations appointed Gertrude Mongella of Tanzania as Secretary-General of the World Conference. At the time of her appointment, Mrs. Mongella was serving as her country's High Commissioner to India. Prior to that, she held several portfolios in the Tanzanian government, including Minister of State responsible for Women's Affairs. Over the past 10 years, Mrs. Mongella has represented her country at numerous international meetings and conferences, particularly on issues relating to women and to the environment. She headed her country's delegation to the 1985 World Conference on Women in Nairobi, and was one of the vice-presidents of the Conference. Mrs. Mongella works out of UN headquarters in New York.

Contact:

Regionally

The United Nations has asked each of its five Regional Economic Commissions to organize preparatory conferences to review the situation of women and the progress made on a regional basis, and to prepare a report for the World Conference. The Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) will hold a preparatory meeting for Europe and North America in Vienna, Austria, October 17-21, 1994.

A regional preparatory meeting for non-governmental organizations is also being planned for October 13 to 15, 1994 in Vienna.

Contact:

Nationally

To facilitate consultation, information-sharing and overall preparations for the World Conference, the federal government has established the Canadian Preparatory Committee (CPC). The CPC is chaired by Status of Women Canada and is composed of representatives of the federal government, non-governmental organizations and academic and research bodies. Among its activities, the Committee assisted in coordinating input to the Canadian national report for the World Conference, which was completed by Status of Women Canada in August 1994. Status of Women Canada also works in partnership with the provinces and territories.

Status of Women Canada has hosted meetings with national women's groups and other interested organizations following sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women to provide information about the World Conference and encourage NGO activities. For more information, or for a copy of Canada's National Report to the United Nations on the Status of Women in Canada, contact:

Canadian women's groups have established the Canadian Beijing Facilitating Committee (CBFC) to coordinate the input of non- governmental organizations into the World Conference and the NGO Forum on Women. The Canadian Beijing Facilitating Committee has been established through a country-wide election process aimed at ensuring representation from the full diversity of women in Canada.

The CBFC also organized a national consultation of NGOs (Winnipeg, August 19-21, 1994) in preparation for the Conference. For more information, contact:

What role will NGOs play in the World Conference?

The United Nations is stressing the importance of involvement of NGOs both in national preparatory activities and at the World Conference itself. Although the World Conference is intended primarily for representatives of governments and United Nations bodies, there are three ways NGOs can attend the Conference:

- as a member of a government delegation;

- as a representative of a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); or

- by meeting the special criteria developed by the Secretary-General of the World Conference. (A copy of the criteria is available from Status of Women Canada at the above address.) Groups meeting the criteria, and who participate in regional meetings or other preparatory activities, will be considered for participation at the World Conference. Deadline for applications is January 13, 1995.

What is the difference between the Conference and the NGO Forum on Women?

While the World Conference is an official United Nations meeting operating under strict rules of procedure, the NGO Forum on Women, Beijing '95 is a loosely structured series of workshops, films, displays and networking by non-governmental organizations. The Forum is open to all interested women and men.

The NGO Forum on Women will be held at the Beijing Sports Service Centre for Workers, August 30 - September 8, 1995. It is being organized by an NGO Committee established by CONGO -- the Conference of NGOs in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. NGO Planning Consultations for the Forum are held annually in conjunction with the meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

Supatra Masdit of Thailand has been appointed NGO Forum Convenor. Ms. Masdit was a Member of Parliament in Thailand for six terms. She is also President of the Centre for Asia and the Pacific Women in Politics which provides encouragement and training for women to run for public office. As the Convenor of the Forum, Ms. Masdit will be responsible for its overall coordination.

The registration fee for the NGO Forum is $50 US and the registration deadline is April 30, 1995. No registrations will be taken on-site. For more information about the NGO Forum on Women, or an application for registration, contact:

How can I keep informed about the Conference and Forum?

Status of Women Canada publishes information about the World Conference in its newsletter Perspectives, and in a special newsletter for the World Conference entitled Creating a World of Equality. For copies, contact:

The Association for Progressive Communications (APC), a worldwide non-profit association of computer networks, has been invited by the UN to coordinate NGO communications for the World Conference. The Canadian member of APC is NirvCentre, which operates the Web computer network.

For further information, contact:

The United Nations also publishes information about the World Conference. Contact:

The International Women's Tribune Centre, an international non- governmental women's organization based in New York, is undertaking extensive information activities in the lead up to the World Conference. For more information, contact:

Women Envision is a monthly publication (in English and Spanish) of ISIS International Manila. It is intended as a contribution to information dissemination to encourage greater participation in the World Conference and NGO Forum. Contact:

The ECE/NGO Newsletter is an occasional publication of the NGO Working Group for the ECE Region (Europe and North America). Contact:

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