BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN OPENS SIXTEENTH SESSION

23 February 1996

Press Release
WOM/900

BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN OPENS SIXTEENTH SESSION

19960223 Speakers Stress Need to Strengthen INSTRAW in Post-Beijing Period

SANTO DOMINGO, 23 February (INSTRAW) -- The Board of Trustees of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women opened its sixteenth session in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Monday, 19 February.

The Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World conference on Women held in Beijing in September 1995 calls for specific actions to achieve equality between women and men. The Beijing Conference and subsequently the General Assembly, have recognized that in order to properly address the strategic objectives of the Platform, there must be close coordination between the entities of the United Nations dealing with the advancement of women.

That was the common theme of the opening addresses to the Board's session. Attending the session were: Els Postel-Coster, President of the INSTRAW Board of Trustees; Angela King, Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women as representative of Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary-General of the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, special representative of the Secretary-General; Gloria Milan Lugo, Under-Secretary- General for Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, representing the Foreign Minister; Jacqueline Malagon, ex- officio member and representative of the Host Country; and Martha Duenas-Loza, Acting Director of the Institute.

In her statement, the President of the Institute's Board of Trustees, Mr. Postel-Coster, informed the Board that Under-Secretary-General Nitin Desai, special representative of the Secretary-General, was unable to attend the sixteenth session due to financial measures which have limited travel of United Nations personnel. The President then conveyed a message from Rosario Green, Special Political Adviser to the Secretary-General and his adviser on gender issues, who was also unable to attend the session. She continued by highlighting the important work achieved by INSTRAW for the Fourth World Conference on Women, despite numerous vacancies and difficult circumstances of contracts and finances.

Ms. King, Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women and representative of Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary-General of the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, touched on that issue in relation to the special role for the advancement of women entrusted to the Division, INSTRAW and the United Nations Development Fund for Women by the General Assembly. That role was to ensure the mainstreaming of gender issues through policy analysis, research, training, advocacy and operational activities. She pointed out that "individually these are neither large nor well-endowed entities, particularly given the magnitude of the task. Taken together, however, and building on their respective cooperative advantages, the three institutions can constitute an effective catalytic force for implementing the Platform for Action".

Ms. King also commended the role of the Institute through the Acting Director and staff for their work prior to and during the Fourth World Conference on Women and called upon the Board to "do all in its power to bring the staffing component of the Institute up to par so that the important work to make the goals of Beijing as regards training and research may become a reality".

The representative of the Foreign Minister of the Dominican Republic, Gloria Milan Lugo, highlighted the important function of INSTRAW as the only institute in the United Nations system exclusively dedicated to research and training for women. She expressed the Dominican Republic's conviction that INSTRAW through its work contributed to the building of structures that would allow in the twenty-first century a just society of women and men free of discrimination, violence and inequality which would undoubtedly promote and strengthen respect, peace and prosperity throughout the world. She concluded by assuring her Government's continuing support to INSTRAW and expressed its pride in hosting the headquarters of INSTRAW since 1983.

Ms. Malagon, ex-officio member of the Board and representative of the Host Country, expressed regret for the absence of the special representative of the Secretary-General and expressed her trust that his absence would not be detrimental for the existence and autonomy of INSTRAW, nor deter it from its mandate. Referring to the designation of Under-Secretary-General Rosario Green as special adviser on gender issues, she expressed the Host Country's recommendation that the INSTRAW Board of Trustees and the Acting Director establish a mechanism of close cooperation with Ms. Green.

She conveyed special thanks to the President of the Board for her efforts to strengthen and revitalize INSTRAW over the past three years. She also expressed gratitude to the Government of the Netherlands for its active and continual support to the work programme of the Institute. Recognition was also given to the incessant work and dedication of the Alternate Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations, Julia Tavares de Alvarez. In continuation, great appreciation for the work of the Acting

- 3 - Press Release WOM/900 23 February 1996

Director and staff were expressed.

Another recommendation expressed by Ms. Malagon concerned the reporting of INSTRAW to the Second Committee of the General Assembly in addition to the Third, thereby constituting "a significant contribution that will undoubtedly promote the advancement of women". However, she cautioned that the new responsibility will require adequate human and financial resources. Moreover, the limited financial resources of the Institute together with vacancies in professional posts jeopardized "the full compliance with the mandates of INSTRAW",

Concluding, she expressed her Government's interest in knowing what measures had been taken to implement recommendations from the fifteenth session of the INSTRAW Board of Trustees, namely the appointment of Director of the Institute, recruitment of Chief of Research and Training, Chief of Information, Communication and Documentation, and Chief of Administration, and the application of the National Officer scale for INSTRAW staff.

In her statement, the Acting Director of INSTRAW, Ms. Duenas-Loza, pointed out that leap years, such as 1996, tended to be remarkable in producing unique events. The unique event of 1996 was that 1996 was the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of General Assembly resolution 31/135 of 16 December 1976 which endorsed the establishment of INSTRAW. She also referred to the resolution adopted by the Economic and Social Council on 12 May 1976 addressing the same issue and which demonstrated the clear understanding and the visionary certitude of Member States who envisaged the contribution that an institution such as INSTRAW could contribute to the advancement of women.

Twenty years of hard work have produced fruitful results, she said. Moreover, the vision has not weakened, but now represents an even greater challenge. The important contributions of the United Nations world conferences since 1992 have focused on the situation of major problems faced by the human society. However, the magnitude of those problems committed all researchers and practitioners to seek viable solutions that would allow all social groups to have dignity, equity and peace.

Ms. Duenas concluded her remarks by pointing out that the experience gained by INSTRAW from conducting its work placed the Institute in a comparatively advantageous position to comply with its mandate. She added that it had been a difficult task made possible through the intervention of many devoted and visionary persons. Along those lines, she gratefully acknowledged the support and friendship of Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Development Support and Management Services Ji Chaozhu, and former Executive Officers of INSTRAW Guido Bertucci and Hanifa Mezoui.

* *** *