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Mercy Global Concern - 2004
Action on Texts
The representative of Angola, on behalf of the Southern African
Development Community (SADC), introduced new elements in the revised
draft resolution "Women, the girl child and HIV/AIDS" (E/CN.6/2004/L.4/Rev.1).
It was announced that Azerbaijan, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Iceland,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, United Kingdom,
Venezuela, Morocco, Bolivia, Liechtenstein, Japan, Switzerland,
Ethiopia, Mexico, Slovakia, Mali, Ecuador, China, Croatia, Burkina
Faso, Republic of Korea, Nigeria and Nicaragua had joined as
co-sponsors.
The draft resolution was then approved without a vote.
After adoption, the representative of India said during negotiations,
her country had put forward proposals to the use of the terminology "HIV/AIDS" to "HIV
and/or AIDS" to express the reality on the ground in India.
It had not insisted on the proposal due to time constraints, but
reserved the right to address the issue in the future.
Regarding the draft resolution on "Mainstreaming a gender
perspective into all policies and programmes of the United Nations
system" (document E.CN.6/2004/L.6) the representative of Bangladesh,
also on behalf of the United Kingdom as main sponsors, said Bangladesh
had joined the United Kingdom as main sponsor to show that mainstreaming
was as much an issue in developing as in developed countries. The
focus of the resolution was on the process of mainstreaming a gender
perspective in the policies and programmes of the United Nations.
It must be supported to achieve the goal of gender balance on all
levels, with full respect to the principles of equitable geographical
distribution. It must also take into account the underrepresentation
of women from southern countries.
It was announced that Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Belize,
Bolivia, Botswana, Cyprus, Egypt, Guinea, Jamaica, Jordan, Malaysia,
Morocco, Serbia and Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, San Marino, South Africa, Ukraine, Venezuela, Turkey,
Viet Nam, Suriname, Namibia, Malawi, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Congo,
Romania and Ecuador had joined as co-sponsors.
In a general statement before approval, the representative of
Tunisia, speaking on behalf of the African Group, said he was gratified
the resolution welcomed ongoing activities made by United Nations
entities to promote gender mainstreaming. That policy should include
ensuring that more women were in decision-making positions. It
was regrettable that the reference to equitable geographical distribution
had not been taken on board.
The draft resolution, as revised, was approved without a vote.
CARMEN-ROSA ARIAS (Peru), Vice-Chairperson of the Commission,
introduced a draft resolution on "Preparations for the forty-ninth
session of the Commission" (document E/CN.6/2004/L.12), which
was approved without a vote as orally revised.
Next, the Commission, without a vote, approved a draft text on "Working
methods of the Commission on the Status of Women" (document
E.CN.6/2004/L.13), also introduced by Ms. ARIAS (Peru).
BEATRICE MAILLE (Canada), Vice-Chairperson of the Commission
and facilitator of the draft agreed conclusions on the role of
men and boys in achieving gender equality, thanked all delegations
for their efforts to understand each other's differences to reach
consensus. The Commission heard last week about the need to work
in partnership to achieve gender equality. She hoped the agreed
conclusions could serve as a guide for everyone.
The Commission adopted the agreed conclusions as contained in
the informal paper.
The representative of Ireland, speaking on behalf of the European
Union, thanked the facilitator for her hard work over the last
two weeks to reach a positive conclusion.
TEBATSO BALESENG (Botswana), Vice-Chairperson and facilitator
for the draft agreed conclusions on women's equal participation
in conflict prevention, management and conflict resolution and
in post-conflict peace-building, introduced that text, which was
also contained in an informal paper. She thanked all delegations
for their cooperation and noted that sub-paragraph h of paragraph
6 should be deleted and the last sentence of paragraph 6 amended.
The Commission adopted the draft agreed conclusions.
The representative of Argentina said that she was pleased that
the Commission had reached agreement on the two priority themes
of the session. She headed an organization of women, who, as mothers
and grandmothers, set out to look for the victims of the period
of the military government, and called for peace and justice. With
the current Government, there were signs that justice would be
achieved. Today, the State declared that the unjust external debt
would not be paid at the expense of people starving. She paid tribute
to Argentine women for their efforts to strengthen democracy. In
the discussions on women and conflict, the Commission had looked
at the crucial relationship of the participation of women and the
attainment of sustainable peace.
The representative of Qatar, speaking on behalf of the "Group
of 77" developing countries and China, thanked the facilitator
and other delegations for their efforts to arrive at a successful
conclusion.
The representative of Ireland, speaking on behalf of the European
Union, congratulated all those who took part in the negotiations,
particularly the facilitator. She welcomed the adoption of the
agreed conclusions, which would serve as an important tool to accelerate
the achievement of the commitments made in Beijing and the Assembly's
twenty-third special session. The Beijing Platform for Action and
the outcome of the twenty-third special session were the cornerstones
for the achievement of the advancement of women. She deeply regretted that
the Commission could not reaffirm the importance of those two documents,
especially in light of the upcoming review next year.
The Commission also requested the Economic and Social Council
to endorse the agreed conclusions just adopted.
The Commission decided to include in its report the Co-Chairpersons'
(Kyung-wha Kang, Republic of Korea, and Katherine K. Wallman, United
States) summary of the high-level round table, as contained in
document E/CN.6/2004/CRP.11.
The Commission then took note of the reports of the Secretary-General
on the review of the methods of work of the Commission in the context
of integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to
the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits
in the economic and social fields; on the release of women taken
hostage, including those subsequently imprisoned, in armed conflicts;
on the joint work plan of the Division for the Advancement of Women
and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights; and on the role of men and boys in achieving gender equality.
It
also took note of a note by the Secretary-General transmitting
the report of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
on the elimination of violence against women, as well as a note
by the Secretary-General on proposals for the strategic framework
for the biennium 2006-2007.
The representative of the Sudan said that it was her understanding
that taking note of a report did not mean any approval.
The representatives of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia associated themselves
with the Sudan's position.
The Commission then adopted by consensus
an oral decision proposed by the chair to the effect that the
Commission on the Status of Women decides to postpone further consideration
of the future work of the Working Group on Communications on the
Status of Women, the report of the Secretary-General and different
views and proposals put forth by delegations until its fiftieth
session.
The representative of the Netherlands said he would have
preferred to see a decision this year. The item had been on the
agenda since 1993. He called on all delegations to finally take
a decision at the Commission's fiftieth session and not postpone
a decision again.
The representative of Tunisia, said the countries of the African
Group and others were strengthened in their belief and assessment
of the situation regarding the future work of the Working Group.
He reiterated that the initial request for postponement was justified
by the need for more time to better grasp the question at the regional
and national levels and to reduce the differences of opinion.
The Rapporteur of the Commission, LALA IBRAHIMOVA (Azerbaijan),
introduced the Report of the Commission on the Status of the Women
as contained in document E/CN.6/2004/L.9, which was adopted without
a vote. The Commission agreed to entrust the Bureau with finalizing
the report by reflecting the proceedings of today's meeting.
Closing Remarks
The Commission Chairperson, KYUNG-WHA KANG (Republic of Korea)
thanked members of the Bureau for their hard work, the many "wonderful
people" of the Secretariat and all Member States who had been
strong and articulate in expressing their views. She was appreciative
of the fact that in the end delegates were able to rise above the
differences and mobilize maximum flexibility, so that the Commission
could conclude its business successfully. In particular, she thanked
Angela King and expressed sadness she would not be present for
the forty-ninth session.
In her closing statement, the Assistant Secretary-General and
Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, ANGELA
E.V. KING, said, unfortunately, the Commission's achievements today
had been overshadowed by the tragedy in Spain. Delegates had managed
to overcome many complexities in order to adopt the conclusions
and the report. The session had accomplished a great deal regarding
gender mainstreaming in the United Nations system. It had also
broadened interactive debates with members of other commissions
and had chartered the way forward, particularly on the role of
women in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Gender issues
must not be forgotten in the review of the goals next year. Other
goals must not be seen as competition, but as an opportunity to
ensure that gender perspectives were totally included in all discussions
and decisions.
As there was no longer a report on gender balance in the United
Nations system, she appealed to delegations not to lessen their
efforts in that regard, noting that in 1997 the Commission had
also called for equal representation in delegations. She announced
that the Secretary-General had assured her that the post of Special
Adviser for gender-equality would be continued. In conclusion, she said a lot
remained to be done, but the Commission had a strong vision for the future.
The representatives of El Salvador, on behalf of the Latin American
and Caribbean Group, Ireland, on behalf of the European Union,
United States, Qatar on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing
countries and China, Tunisia on behalf of the African Group, Japan
on behalf of the Asian Group and JUSCANZ, made congratulatory remarks.
Highlights of Session
During its forty-eighth session, the Commission convened a high-level
dialogue round table, which provided an opportunity for the users
and producers of statistics to share national experiences, good
practices and lessons learned in measuring progress in the implementation
of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third
special session of the General Assembly, and for identifying gaps and challenges
and possible solutions.
Speakers stressed that statistics were a vital tool
in achieving the gender goals laid down in the Beijing Platform for Action,
and in monitoring the effectiveness of gender based policies and
programmes. They also underscored the value of statistics in
improving the socio-economic situation of women, enhancing their participation
in politics, and highlighting unequal resources between the sexes.
The role
of men and boys in achieving gender equality, as well as women's equal
participation in conflict prevention, management and conflict resolution
and in post-conflict peace-building were the focus of two panel
discussions held by the Commission. It was agreed that the involvement
of men and boys in promoting gender equality was critical to reaching
gender balance in a number of areas. Real
change would come only when stereotypical attitudes, which inhibited women's
advancement and impeded efforts for gender equality, were once and for
all removed.
Regarding women and conflict, speakers stressed how essential
focusing on the gender dimension by all actors was to ensure that
full advantage was taken of the window of opportunity presented
by a peace process, the resulting peace agreement and its implementation.
They also highlighted the need to institutionalize women's
participation in peace processes, and train women in peace-building, negotiation
and prevention.
Background on Commission
The Commission was established as a functional commission of
the Economic and Social Council in 1946 to prepare recommendations
and reports to the Council on promoting women's rights in political,
economic, civil, social and educational fields. The Commission
also makes recommendations to the Council on urgent problems requiring
immediate action in the field of women's rights.
With the objective of promoting the implementation of equal rights
for men and women, the Commission's mandate was expanded in 1987.
Following the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, the Commission
began integrating a follow-up process to the Conference into its
work programme, playing a catalytic role and regularly
reviewing critical areas of concern in the Beijing Platform for Action.
Membership
The Commission began with 15 members and now consists of 45,
elected by the Council for four-year terms. Members are appointed
by governments and are elected on the following basis: 13 from
African States, 11 from Asian States, four from Eastern European
States, nine from Latin American and Caribbean States, and eight
from Western European and other States. The Commission meets annually
for a period of 10 working days.
The 2004 membership of the Commission
is as follows: Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium,
Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile,
China, Congo, Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Gabon,
Germany, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kyrgyzstan,
Malawi, Malaysia,
Netherlands, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Republic of
Korea, Russian Federation, South Africa, Sudan, Thailand, Tunisia,
Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of
Tanzania and United States.
The Bureau of the Commission for the current session consists
of Kyung-wha Khang (Republic of Korea), Chairperson; Lala Ibrahimova
(Azerbaijan), Vice-Chairperson and Rapporteur; Tebatso Future Baleseng
(Botswana), Vice-Chairperson; Beatrice Maille (Canada), Vice-Chairperson;
and Carmen-Rosa Arias (Peru), Vice-Chairperson.
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