ENB:14:09
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DRAFT PLATFORM FOR ACTION
In resolution 45/129, the UN General Assembly endorsed resolution 1990/12 of ECOSOC, which called for a world conference on women in 1995 and requested that the CSW serve as the preparatory committee for the Conference. In section III of resolution 37/7, the CSW requested that the Secretary-General prepare a draft Platform for their 38th Session. Following that meeting, the CSW requested, in resolution 38/10, that the Secretary-General further develop the draft Platform, taking into account the results of regional group meetings.
The regional group meetings were organized by the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ECAP), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). Each meeting adopted a regional Platform.
EUROPE: The High-level Regional Preparatory Meeting of the ECE was held in Vienna from 17-21 October 1994. The critical areas of concern identified by this region are: insufficient promotion and protection of women"s human rights; feminization of poverty; insufficient awareness of women"s contribution to the economy and promotion of their potential; insufficient de facto gender equality; insufficient participation of women in public life; insufficient statistical systems, databases and methodologies; and insufficient intra- and interregional networking and cooperation.
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: The Sixth Regional Conference on the Integration of Women into the Economic and Social Development of Latin America and the Caribbean met in Argentina from 20-25 September 1994, where the region"s Platform for Action was discussed. The Platform was finalized at a 16-18 November 1994 meeting in Chile. Participants discussed the strategic areas of: gender equity; economic and social development; elimination of poverty among women; women"s equitable participation in decision-making and in the exercise of power in public and private life; human rights, peace and violence; shared family responsibilities; recognition of cultural plurality; and international support and cooperation.
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC: The Second Asian and Pacific Ministerial Conference on Women in Development was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 7-14 June 1994. The delegates suggested actions to address the following critical areas: feminization of poverty; unequal participation in economic activities; inadequate recognition of women"s role in environmental management; inequitable access to power and decision-making; violation of women"s human rights; health; access to education and literacy; negative portrayal of women in the media; mechanisms for promoting the advancement of women; and women"s role in peace-keeping.
AFRICA: The Fifth African Regional Conference on Women was held in Dakar, Senegal, from 16-23 November 1994. The conference suggested actions to be taken in the following critical areas: women"s poverty, food security and economic empowerment; access to education, training, science and technology; women"s role in culture, family and socialization; women"s health; women in environmental management; women in the peace process; political empowerment; women"s legal and human rights; gender-disaggregated data; women, communication, information and the arts; and the girl child.
ARAB REGION: The Arab Regional Preparatory Meeting was held in Amman, Jordan, from 9-10 November 1994. Delegates suggested actions to be taken on the following issues affecting Arab women: the right to participate in power and decision-making structures; alleviation of poverty; equal opportunity in education; equal access to health services; strengthening capabilities of Arab women to enter the labor market and achieve self-reliance; the impact of war, occupation and armed conflict on women; violence against women; environmental management; and the use of communications to change roles in society and achieve equality.