At a Headquarters press conference Wednesday, several organizations provided correspondents with details on the plans to welcome and accommodate the thousands of citizens groups from around the world who would be attending the five-year review of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995), which will take place at Headquarters in June. The Beijing +5 Host Committee was an ad hoc group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in support of the Beijing platform who had come together to facilitate the five-year review, its co-Chair, Ellen Chesler, explained. The Committee was planning celebrations and forums to mark the progress and hold governments accountable for their Beijing commitments. Also, representatives from the federal, state and city governments were participating to ensure that parliamentarians and non-governmental organizations, as well as the many women from around the world who would attend, would be able to partake in the celebration.

She added that the United States Custom House in Battery Park City had been made available to provide a home for NGO activities, including a cyber-cafe for reaching out to women in the rest of the world, and facilities for group meetings. In about a week, a Web site would be available, updated weekly, at: http://www.beijingplus5hostcomm.com/

The Committee's three other co-Chairs are: Barbara Arnwine, Kavita Ramdas and Sister Dorothy Ann Kelly.  The Executive Director of the Conference on Non-Governmental Organizations (CONGO) in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations, Rebecca Nichols, explained that her group, an international association of NGOs from around the world, existed to facilitate NGO interaction with the United Nations and represent NGO interests at the United Nations at large. It sought to ensure that groups around the world who wished to participate in United Nations special events were kept informed.

Activities included:  providing information to NGOs around the world, daily briefings to such organizations in New York, providing official and unofficial supporting documents, and enabling NGOs to have parallel working sessions or caucuses alongside official negotiations. For the upcoming special session, CONGO's outreach and communications functions were going to be particularly important, given the limited number of NGOs that would be able to attend. 

CONGO was based in New York at 777 United Nations Plaza on the 8th floor. Sudha Acharaya, of the Non-Governmental Organization Coordinating Committee organized by CONGO, said last year at the forty-third session of the Commission on the Status of Women, NGOs had discussed preparations for the upcoming special session.

Three major decisions had been taken. First, it was decided that a NGO forum would not be held, and instead NGO would hold a working session prior to the special session. Second, they had decided that a global communication network would be established, so that NGOs around the world had access to information about the special session. Third, it was decided that NGOs at the national level would prepare alternative national reports. Those would then be put together at the regional level, and later become a global alternative report.

The Coordinating Committee had been meeting electronically, and on a daily basis since 26 February, to discuss preparations for the special session, she continued. The two-day working session was extremely important; it was a time to take stock and determine future steps. The communications network was called "Women Action". Its Web site was: . As for the alternative reports, 53 had been received so far. They would be made available during the working session.

Linda Tarr-Whelan, United States representative to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, said the number of people who would come to New York was one of the best kept secrets of all times. The estimate was between 5,000 and 20,000, including delegations and NGOs. The United States would be arranging for the General Assembly plenary sessions to be piped into the Customs House.

A correspondent asked what impact the NGOs expected to have on the conference, since it seemed to be structured in a way that did not allow for direct input from such groups.

Ms. Acharaya said that the organizations would be able to address the Committee of the Whole, and some would address the plenaries as well. Also, government delegations would be invited to meetings and caucuses. Ms. Chesler said 2,000 NGO representatives would be accredited to the United Nations and there was no shortage of opportunities to access the formal part of the negotiations. Because of the visibility of Beijing, however, and the vibrant regional meetings held since, it was likely that there would be considerable interest beyond accredited delegates. The host committee wanted to accommodate those who did not have access, but that did not mean there was no access.

Ms. Tarr-Whelan said that since the United States delegation had arrived three weeks ago, it had been constantly interacting with NGOs, holding daily briefings with them at 2 p.m. at the Church Center. Certainly for the United States delegation, these groups were having an increasing influence.

Ms. Nichols said that while the Host Committee was celebratory and informational in its orientation, CONGO -- the operational arm of the NGO Coordinating Committee -- was committed to helping NGOs participate in the official process. CONGO was committed to helping those organizations, whether here or in their home countries, be effective in the process. That meant also providing them with information to be effective with their governments before the special session. The NGO exercise had a longer life span than just one week in New York. The CONGO was committed to making sure that governments knew that NGOs were prepared and understood what was going on, and that when governments went home, they would be accountable.

Asked what "headliners" would be coming to the special session, Ms. Tarr-Whelan said the United States President and First Lady were considering attending, in addition to other high-level members of the Administration, including Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala. In talking with other delegations, she had the feeling that many heads of State and ministers would be making their decisions on whether or not to attend, based on whether there was a clear decision as to what was being reaffirmed at the special session. Ms. Chesler said that the United Nations was according this the highest attention. The Secretary-General had asked his cabinet to attend with him. Ms. Acharya said that the NGO Coordinating Committee was currently involved in efforts to get women leaders involved. She also drew attention to plans for an inter-generational, inter-cultural and inter-regional roundtable on the women's movement.

17 March 2000

Press Conference By Special Adviser To Secretary-General On Gender Issues And Advancement Of Women

Participants in the forty-fourth session of the Commission on the Status of Women and in the Preparatory Committee for the upcoming special Assembly session on the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women had reconfirmed that the Beijing Platform for Action and Declaration should not be renegotiated, the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing today.

Angela King was discussing the outcome of the meetings of the Commission on the Status of Women, which concluded on 2 March, and of the Preparatory Committee for the "Beijing + 5" special session scheduled to end today.

The special session, to be held from 5 to 9 June in New York, would follow up and analyse implementation of the outcome of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women (1985) and of the Fourth World Conference on Women convened in Beijing five years ago.

The Beijing Platform had been a consistent theme in all of the preparatory meetings, particularly during the current one being held at Headquarters, she continued. Also, the spirit of Beijing, which had energized women throughout the world, especially at the grass-roots level, and engendered many new non- governmental organizations (NGOs), was still evident in the Organization's corridors.

Expressing her satisfaction that the question of NGO participation had been resolved, she noted that the estimated 5,000 to 15,000 representatives of those organizations expected to attend the special session would pose a logistical challenge. To that end, the Customs House, located in downtown New York, would serve as an overflow point with access to plenary meetings and other special events through video services provided by the Department of Public Information (DPI).

She also hoped that the NGOs would be able to participate in other events being hosted by Columbia University and other institutions. The decision to allow NGOs in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council to speak in plenary, and in the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole, reflected the Organization's resolve to work in partnership with that community. The largest number ever _ 1,300 individual NGO representatives -- had participated in this session.

Delegations had agreed on the provisional agenda and organizational arrangements for the special session, but more progress still needed to be made, Ms. King said. Moreover, during the current deliberations, six signatories had been added to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women -- Argentina, Paraguay, Indonesia, Spain, Dominican Republic and Ghana. That instrument was one of the most visible outcomes of the follow-up to Beijing, and she was confident that it would enter into force before the end of this year.

Also present at the press briefing was the Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women, Dubravka Simonovic. She told correspondents that during its meetings there had been a substantial general debate on the follow-up to, and implementation and appraisal of, the Beijing Platform for Action, as well as the Declaration. Many had emphasized the need for the special session to give impetus to implementing the Beijing outcomes and an effective document, which would have specific measures to overcome obstacles. Many regretted that the goal for universal ratification of the Convention had not yet been reached. During panel discussions, it had been noted that women's economic empowerment was essential to achieving gender equality, she emphasized. The Commission had also concluded that policies governing part-time work should target both women and men.

Mrs. Simonovic said the Commission had adopted four resolutions, including one on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women, and another on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan. It had also decided on two themes for its next session -- "Women, the girl child and HIV/AIDS"; and "Gender and all forms of discrimination, in particular, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance". She mentioned that other issues, including women's rights, employment policies and violations against women, had been dealt with.

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 Preparatory Committee, Rose Odera. 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. The documents would try to bridge the gaps between those countries that had made progress in implementing the Platform for Action and those which had not. Clearly, no country had achieved full implementation.

She said that five years was a short period for governments to implement their development plans and domesticate some of the recommendations and proposals made. However, the review process would still be useful. Work had begun since 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 would also recognize the role and contribution of civil society, in particular NGOs and women's organizations, and would emphasize men's role in ensuring gender equality. She hoped that it would be adopted at this afternoon's meeting.

Another outcome document dealt with the achievements and obstacles confronted such as the impact on women of the structural adjustment programmes and the resulting decline in resources allocated to the social sector. It also dealt with challenges like globalization, which had cultural, political and social impacts resulting in increased inequality between women and men in wages and working conditions; and science and technology. Another part of the document addressed the HIV/AIDS pandemic and its devastating impact on women and girls and the increase of violence against women. The role of NGOs had also been emphasized in that document. What were the major significant issues still lacking from that document? a correspondent asked, noting that it was rather late to be working those out.

Ms. Odera said the work on the document had been divided among two parallel groups and efforts were being made to bridge the gaps between those who had made progress and those who had not been able to do so. Therefore, it would take further effort to gain common ground. They were currently studying achievements and obstacles in part 1, and actions in part 4. One of the challenges the groups had faced was acknowledgement of the hurdles they would have to cross to be able to make similar decisions.

The correspondent wondered whether part 4 would set specific targets like dates for achieving some goals of the Platform for Action. Ms. Odera said that it would. During the review, participants had realized that timed targets had been missing and that had posed difficulties in assessing progress. That was one reason for the delay in reaching agreement.

Another correspondent asked whether, considering its diversity, the "Group of 77" developing countries and China would be split into different groups.

Ms. King said the current regime for the negotiation process would have to discuss that. There were reports that one sub-group might make a statement to that effect in today's meeting of the Preparatory Committee. Ms. Odera said that the group was aware of those issues on which a common position was possible. That observation applied to many groups, she added, and there was strength in that diversity.

Now that full recognition of NGO partnership had been attained, would only an hour be given for them to make statements? a correspondent asked. Would those organizations at the Customs House be allowed interactive representation?

Mrs. Simonovic said she had mentioned full participation of NGOs during the sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women, not during those of the Preparatory Committee. It was important to note that during the regular session, while there were 45 members on the Commission, the bureau incorporated all Member States, as well as NGOs.

Ms. King said that, as with other special sessions, NGOs would have their own conference room. They were free to view the plenary web cast in that location, as well as to hold any other event.

Reports had been circulating that a number of financial commitments that had been made during the Beijing Conference had not been kept, a correspondent said. There had also been calls for a fifth world conference. How were those issues being addressed?

Both the political declaration and the second outcome document had addressed the issue of resource mobilization, Ms. Odera said. That was the purpose of the review -- to study why the Platform had not been implemented.