'NO TURNING BACK' FROM MILESTONE OF 1995 BEIJING WOMEN'S CONFERENCE DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS PREPARATORY COMMITTEE

Press Release
DSG/SM/87/Rev.1*
WOM/1188/Rev.1*

'NO TURNING BACK' FROM MILESTONE OF 1995 BEIJING WOMEN'S CONFERENCE DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS PREPARATORY COMMITTEE

Following are the remarks of Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette at the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the General Assembly Special Session entitled "Women 2000 : Gender, Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-first Century":

It is a pleasure for me to be here with you today, and an honour to address this third session of your Preparatory Committee. Let me tell you from the outset how much importance I attach to the work you will be doing over the next two weeks, and to the whole follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women.

In recent months, I have had the opportunity to speak with various delegations concerning preparations for the special session to be held in June. A number of them expressed concern about the relatively limited progress achieved in the implementation of the Platform for Action. I understand and share these concerns. All of us, women and men, would have liked to see things change more rapidly, and on a deeper level. That is, in fact, the raison d'etre of the special session: it is supposed to help us determine how to progress along the path we have laid out, which should lead to genuine equality between men and women in societies the world over.

The determination and political will with which Governments are approaching the follow-up to the Beijing Conference are encouraging. Under the auspices of the regional commissions, the five regions held preparatory meetings in order to assess the progress achieved by Member States and formulate new proposals in the critical areas of concern. Each region was, thus, able to take a fresh look at the specific obstacles it must overcome, and to reaffirm the validity of the objectives of the Platform for Action.

These meetings also allowed for remarkable participation by the non- governmental organizations and civil society groups, which were such an invaluable source of inspiration and energy in Beijing. Today, they are playing a vital part in the follow-up process, at many different levels.

__________ * Reissued to replace text originally delivered in French.

- 2 - Press Release DSG/SM/87/Rev.1 WOM/1188/Rev.1 3 March 2000

I was, therefore, happy to learn that Member States were able to devise a formula allowing new non-governmental organizations that have come into being since Beijing to be included in the Beijing +5 process. I understand you will take action on this issue today. I wish to assure you that the Secretariat and other United Nations organizations will do their utmost to make this participation as fruitful as possible for all involved.

The challenge ahead of this committee is twofold. First, you are entrusted with reiterating and strengthening the commitments made in Beijing, and looking into ways of moving forward in the implementation of the Platform for Action. Beijing was a milestone, and there can be no turning back. There is a lot more we can and must do to successfully address all the concerns raised at the Conference, as well as new ones that have appeared since 1995.

Your second challenge is to ensure that Beijing +5 is not a watertight process, but one that permeates other areas of discussion and action. Gender is perhaps the most quintessentially cross-cutting issue. Indeed, all our actions affect both women and men, and they usually affect them differently.

The intergovernmental calendar for 2000 includes another five-year review: that of the Copenhagen World Summit on Social Development. Is also includes the Tenth United Nations Congress on Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders. At its July session, the Economic and Social Council will assess the integrated and coordinated follow-up to all major United Nations conferences and summits. Preparations for the Millennium Assembly are under way. Through its preparatory work for Beijing +5, this Committee must be an advocate for gender equality issues in all these processes.

As you embark on the task of preparing the document that the special session will ultimately adopt, there is one more element you must constantly keep in mind: the achievement of equality between women and men is the responsibility of all of us, whether we represent governments, non-governmental organizations or the United Nations system. All of us here share the responsibility for change and progress. Whether it is the elimination of discriminatory domestic legislation, the strengthening of provisions that protect women against sexual violence, the adoption of measures to increase women's participation in public life and decision-making or the establishment of programmes that support women in achieving sustainable livelihoods and economic independence for themselves and their families, we have to initiate such change and see it through to a successful completion.

The task will not always be easy. It will require political will, commitment and, on occasion, pragmatic compromise. Above all, it will require a strong sense of what our ultimate goal is. This goal is to make a real difference in the lives of women and girls everywhere; to finally overcome the discrimination and disadvantages they continue to face in all societies, so they can enjoy the dignity and equality they deserve.

Let me assure you once again of my personal support for your work in the next two weeks. I am confident that on 17 March, you will be able to close this session with a sense of satisfaction: the satisfaction of having taken yet another step forward in our common task, which is to bring about true equality between men and women. * *** *