WUNRN
Beijing
at 20: ECOSOC Launches Review on Progress on Women's Rights
Geneva
- 24 July 2013 - The
United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has kick-started
Beijing+20, a process to assess how far Member States and other stakeholders
have come in implementing the commitments made at the Fourth World
Conference on Women in Beijing, China, in 1995. This action was part of a
resolution on the future organization and methods of work proposed by the Commission on the Status of Women
which ECOSOC adopted today.
Participants
at the Non-Governmental Organizations Forum meeting held in Huairou, China, as
part of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing,
China on 4-15 September 1995. Photo: UN Photo/Milton Grant
Since 1995, the Commission on the Status of
Women has played a central role in monitoring, reviewing and appraising
progress achieved and problems encountered in implementing the Beijing Declaration
and Platform for Action – the most comprehensive global policy framework to
achieve the goals of gender equality, development and peace, which world leaders
committed to in 12 critical areas of concern.
At its annual sessions, the Commission has
focused on particular priority themes in an effort to accelerate
implementation. It led the first five-year review
in 2000, when the 23rd special session of the General Assembly adopted a
political declaration and further actions and initiatives to implement the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The Commission also conducted
comprehensive reviews in 2005 and 2010, which both resulted in declarations on
the occasion of the 10- and 15-year anniversaries of the Beijing Conference.
The review and appraisal process launched
today by ECOSOC will include: comprehensive national-level reviews to be
undertaken by all States of the progress made and challenges encountered;
regional reviews to be undertaken by the five UN regional commissions; and a
review and appraisal at global level, to be undertaken by the Commission on the
Status of Women at its 59th session in March 2015. At that time, the Commission
will also assess opportunities for strengthening gender equality and the
empowerment of women in the post-2015 development agenda, currently under
consideration by UN Member States.
ECOSOC strongly encouraged Governments to
continue to support the role and contribution of civil society, in particular
non-governmental organizations and women’s organizations, in implementing the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the 23rd
special session of the General Assembly. In this regard, it called upon
Governments to collaborate with relevant stakeholders at all levels in their
preparations for the 2015 review.
“This comprehensive review and appraisal
process is critical for ensuring accountability by Member States for
commitments made to the world’s women and girls nearly 20 years ago in
Beijing,” said Acting Head of UN Women Lakshmi Puri. “While much progress has
been made, in no country in the world has true equality for women and girls
been achieved.”
Ms. Puri stressed the timeliness of the
review process, which coincides with the target date for achieving the
Millennium Development Goals. As Member States, the UN system and other
stakeholders redouble their efforts during the 1,000 Days of
Action drive, targets directly related to women’s well-being lag behind
many of the others.
“The Beijing+20 review is not only an
opportunity to critically assess progress as well as remaining gaps and
challenges,” said Ms. Puri. “Even more importantly, we must turn it into a
galvanizing process for implementing the norms, policies and measures
identified in the Platform for Action, for reaffirming and strengthening political
commitment, mobilizing all stakeholders, and making the investments needed at
all levels to achieve gender equality, women’s rights and women’s empowerment.
UN-Women will be a strong and committed partner to Member States, the UN
system and civil society as we work towards this common goal.”
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