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44th Session of the Commission on
the Status of Women (Beijing +5 PrepCom)
New York, 28 February - 17 March 2000
   

Highlights from Tuesday, 7 March
Working Group I briefly met in the morning to continue negotiating the bracketed text contained in the introduction of the proposed outcome document regarding further actions and initiatives to implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action's. The Group had and EU-proposed redraft text as a basis for negotiation. Working Group III met in the afternoon to conclude discussions regarding Beijing +5 organizational matters and the list of speakers for the Special Session. 

In the Corridors: The anticipated kick-off of text negotiations was put off once again, as at least one regional group struggles to forge consensus on alternative text proposals. Speculation about the efficiency of the group's leadership is echoing in the halls. Some participants questioned whether fallout from unusually hard-line negotiations during the recent Social Summit intersessionals is now delaying any sign of progress on the Beijing +5 talks. 

Working Group 1 Chair Kristen Mlacak, Canada, and with PrepCom Chair Rose Odera, Kenya (above)

Proposed outcome document: text submitted by the CSW Chairperson (E/CN.6/2000/L.1/Rev.1)
Delegates before the convening of the morning session

 
 

 

Panel Discussion: How Close is the World to Achieving Gender Equality?
This UNIFEM-sponsored panel launched a book titled "Targets and Indicators: Selections from Progress of the World's Women" The panel discussed the fact that although high-profile UN conferences have made sweeping commitments to gender equality, they have offered few time-bound targets for the economic empowerment of women and the reduction of women's poverty. Governments have already agreed to a few targets related to women's equality, such as closing the gender gap in education by 2005. The booklet recommends the development of similar benchmarks across a range of other concerns, such as improving women's economic position and reducing the "feminization" of poverty. Copies of the booklet are available at www.unifem.undp.org/public/progressbl.pdf
UNIFEM Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer said that while Beijing and other world conferences offer a resounding endorsement of the need for gender justice and equality, time-bound targets and benchmarks agreed on to date do not provide sufficient impetus for greater accountability. She said "we have agreed to a path, but have neglected to create all of the road signs that let us know how far we have come in our journey and how far we have to go."

Diane Elson (left), coordinator of the booklet "Targets and Indicators: Selections from Progress of the World's Women"

Joan Vanek, UN Statistical Office, also participated on the panel (not pictured)

Dzodzi Tsikata, University of Ghana, and Jocelyn Dow, Women's Development and Environment Organization (WEDO)

Jocelyn Dow called attention to voting statistics and said private sector statistics from, for example banks and insurance companies, should be tapped into


ENB Summary of CSW-43
Linkages Coverage of the Fourth World Conference on Women
 Linkages Coverage of CSW-43
 Secretariat web site with official documents and information for NGO participants
ENB's Background Information on CSW-44
 Other links (NGOs, research institutes, etc)
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