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Not-so-late breaking news
Here is a collection of materials that were available on the Internet before the Conference.The latest faxnet (Faxnet #32) from the International Women's Tribune Center reports on worldwide visa problems and plans for daily caucuses in Beijing.
Report of the Informal Consultations
The report on the informal consultations is available in (English , French and Spanish): This is the advanced unedited text of the Chair's report on the informal consultations held at the United Nations on the Draft Platform for Action. It was posted by the United Nations on their gopher site.At the informal consultations, three information papers were circulated. They are: A/CONF.177/INF/1 - Information for Participants and the correction to this document.
A/CONF.177/INF/2 - The report of the Informal Contact Group on Gender
A/CONF.177/INF/3 - A Comparison of language in the draft Platform for Action and agreed language from other conferences. (This document hasn't been posted by the Secretariat yet.)
The remaining official documents have been posted to the UNDP gopher server.
Here are the latest Globat Faxnet messages from the International Women's Tribune Center:
Faxnet #32 - 23 August: China denies visas and information on daily caucuses
Faxnet #30 - 11 August: Hotel Confirmation letters and for those who will not be in Beijing
Faxnet #29 - 5 August: Update on Registrations, Hotel Confirmations and Visas.
The Women's Conference Secretariat have provided some background documents and press releases recently. These include:
- The lastest issue of "Women on the Move"
- The Information Packet for FWCW Participants. (A very useful document for anyone attending the Fourth World Conference on Women)
- A map of the UN Conference site
- Schedule of Special Activities at the FWCW
- The provisional list of documents
- The United Nations Report for Beijing Conference
- A general background document on the Platform for Action
Informal consulations on the Beijing document concluded three weeks ago in New York Linkages provided daily briefing notes on the negotiations
- Briefing Note 1 - 31 July - Consulations Begin in New York
- Briefing Note 2 - 1 August - Structural Adjustment and Human Rights
- Briefing Note 3 - 2 August - Brackets removed on Resources and Rights
- Briefing Note 4 - 3 August - More unbracketing, Mongella and Chinese visa briefing
- Briefing Note 5 - 4 August - Delegates finish week of negotiations, Plenary session on Programme of Work
We have converted the entire Draft Platform for Action and Beijing Declaration into hypertext.
The Secretariat has posted an information packet for participants in the Fourth World Conference on Women and they have improved the list of accredited NGOs by breaking this big file up into six pieces.
Linkages has converted the NGO Forum's Workshop and Panel's database (provided by the International Women's Tribute Center) into Portable Document Format. This means that you can download, search and print this document whether you are using a Mac, UNIX or PC. But, you will need to download the free reader software from Adobe Systems called Adobe Acrobat Reader. The file is very big (300 pages of text) and you should be prepared for a long download since the file is 1 MEG. This file is also available as a zipped file in Word 6.0 for Windows format (300K).
Disclaimer from the NGO Forum on Women: This is an unedited and unconfirmed listing of the activity requests received by the Forum. This listing is for informational purposes only. The NGO Forum will be producing a program schedule which will be posted on-line sometime next week. Please note that some of the activities listed here may be withdrawn by the activity sponsors, or they may be shortened and combined with other activities being sponsored by the same organization in the interest of space. Activity confirmation letters will be issues by the Forum's scheduling office in the next week.
The International Tribune Center has prepared a map of the NGO Forum site.
The International Women's Tribune Center provides the Global FaxNet/GlobalNet service.
Action for Gender Equity: Here is your chance to voice your support for the importance of gender equity. Lincoln Chen and Balla Silla, of the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies have circulated a letter, asking for your support for the statement, Action for Gender Equity. If you would like to support the statement, print out the form and fax it back to them.
Human Rights Watch brochure Your Rights in Beijing: A Brief Guide for Delegates to the 1995 NGO Forum on Women. This is a must read for anyone traveling to China.
Here is our calendar of international environment and development meetings in Portable Document Format. (We will be providing a lot of material in this format between now and the Conference. If you would like to download the free software that will allow you to read these documents, this link will bring you to the Adobe Systems Homepage for information on the Adobe Acrobat Reader software for Windows, Mac, UNIX and DOS.)
The US Senate is considering S.908 Foreign Relations Revitalization Act of 1995 that includes provisions related to the Fourth World Conference on Women. Likewise, the House version, HR 1564 Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1996 & 1997 is also relevant.
US Beijing Delegation in Jeopardy: This statement was released by the Population, Women and Development Working Group in response to hearings held by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), chair of the House Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights
The latest information packet for the NGO Forum on Women is now available.
The United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) will host an Expert Group Meeting on the Portrayal of Women and Men in the Media, 16 to 20 October and they are looking for an expert, possibly from a developing country, who could analize the use and future capabilities of the INTERNET to promote the advancement of women.
While it may not be late breaking news, we do have the official portrait of Gertrude Mongella, Secretary-General for the Fourth World Conference on Women. (Credit: UN PHOTO 188850/ E. Schneider)
The Secretariat has published the latest version of their newsletter Women on the Move.
The Secretariat has posted the document to be negotiated in Beijing (A/CONF.177/L.1), which is also available in French and Spanish. This file is large (421K) so be prepared for a long transfer.
The Commission on the Status of Women (the Beijing Conference preparatory meeting) finished its negotiations Friday, 10 April 1995 on the draft Platform for Action. The document they produced is heavily bracketed and much work remains for informal consultations during the intersessional period and in Beijing. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin has published a summary of this meeting, which includes a report on the final Plenary session and an analysis of the meeting, as well as things to look for between now and Beijing.