Sep / 2010 Aug / 2010 Jul / 2010 Jun / 2010 May / 2010 Apr / 2010 Mar / 2010 Feb / 2010 Jan / 2010 Dec / 2009 Nov / 2009 Oct / 2009 Sep / 2009 Aug / 2009 Jul / 2009 Jun / 2009 May / 2009 Apr / 2009 Mar / 2009 Feb / 2009 Jan / 2009 Dec / 2008 Nov / 2008 Oct / 2008 Sep / 2008 Aug / 2008 Jul / 2008 Jun / 2008 May / 2008 Apr / 2008 Mar / 2008 Feb / 2008 Jan / 2008 Dec / 2007 Nov / 2007 Oct / 2007 Sep / 2007 Aug / 2007 Jul / 2007 Jun / 2007 May / 2007 Apr / 2007 Mar / 2007 Feb / 2007 Jan / 2007 Dec / 2006 Nov / 2006 Oct / 2006 Sep / 2006 Aug / 2006 Jul / 2006 Jun / 2006 May / 2006 Apr / 2006 Mar / 2006 Feb / 2006 Jan / 2006 Dec / 2005 Nov / 2005 Oct / 2005 Sep / 2005 Aug / 2005 Jul / 2005 Jun / 2005 May / 2005   Infomag  〉 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action Aug / 2010 The Beijing Platform for Action and the UN Convention on elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) are the Bill of Rights for enhancing the status of women and ensuring the protection of their human rights. The United Nations convened the Fourth World Conference on Women on 4-15 September 1995 in Beijing, China. Delegates had prepared a Declaration and Platform for Action that aimed at achieving greater equality and opportunity for women. The three previous World Conferences were in Mexico City (International Women's Year, 1975), Copenhagen (1980) and Nairobi (1985). The official name of the Conference was "The Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace". 189 governments and more than 5,000 representatives from 2,100 non-governmental organizations participated in the Conference. The principal themes were the advancement and empowerment of women in relation to women's human rights, women and poverty, women and decision-making, the girl-child, violence against women and other areas of concern. The resulting documents of the Conference are The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The overriding message of the Fourth World Conference on Women was that the issues addressed in the Platform for Action are global and universal. Deeply entrenched attitudes and practices perpetuate inequality and discrimination against women, in public and private life, in all parts of the world. Accordingly, implementation requires changes in values, attitudes, practices and priorities at all levels. The Conference signaled a clear commitment to international norms and standards of equality between men and women; that measures to protect and promote the human rights of women and girl-children as an integral part of universal human rights must underlie all action; and that institutions at all levels must be reoriented to expedite implementation. Governments and the UN agreed to promote the "gender mainstreaming" in policies and programmes. The Beijing Platform for Action This outcome of the Beijing Conference is an agenda for women's empowerment. It aims at accelerating the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women. It deals with removing the obstacles to women's public participation in all spheres of public and private lives through a full and equal share in economic, social, cultural and political decision-making. The Platform for Action sets out a number of actions that should lead to fundamental changes by the year 2000 - the Five Year Review of the Beijing Conference at a Special Session of the UN General Assembly (Beijing +5). Implementing the Beijing Platform for Action is mainly a responsibility of governments, but also of institutions in the public, private and non-governmental sectors at the community, national, subregional, regional and international levels. The Platform acknowledges that significant progress will depend on building strategic partnerships and involving all stakeholders in the efforts towards change. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action were adopted by consensus on 15th September 1995. The Declaration embodies the commitment of the international community to the advancement of women and to the implementation of the Platform for Action, ensuring that a gender perspective is reflected in all policies and programs at the national, regional and international levels. The Platform for Action sets out measures for national and international action for the advancement of women over the five years until 2000. If implemented, the Platform for Action will enhance the social, economic and political empowerment of women, improve their health and their access to relevant education and promote their reproductive rights. The action plan sets time-specific targets, committing nations to carry out concrete actions in such areas as health, education, decision-making and legal reforms with the ultimate goal of eliminating all forms of discrimination against women in both public and private life. The issue of global advocacy for abortion rights was controversial, with the United States and the Holy See publicly disagreeing over the issue. The following is the declaration that was made at the conference. BEIJING DECLARATION 1. We, the Governments participating in the Fourth World Conference on Women, 2. Gathered here in Beijing in September 1995, the year of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, 3. Determined to advance the goals of equality, development and peace for all women everywhere in the interest of all humanity, 4. Acknowledging the voices of all women everywhere and taking note of the diversity of women and their roles and circumstances, honoring the women who paved the way and inspired by the hope present in the world's youth, 5. Recognize that the status of women has advanced in some important respects in the past decade but that progress has been uneven, inequalities between women and men have persisted and major obstacles remain, with serious consequences for the well-being of all people, 6. Also recognize that this situation is exacerbated by the increasing poverty that is affecting the lives of the majority of the world's people, in particular women and children, with origins in both the national and international domains, 7. Dedicate ourselves unreservedly to addressing these constraints and obstacles and thus enhancing further the advancement and empowerment of women all over the world, and agree that this requires urgent action in the spirit of determination, hope, cooperation and solidarity, now and to carry us forward into the next century. We reaffirm our commitment to: 8. The equal rights and inherent human dignity of women and men and other purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments, in particular the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women and the Declaration on the Right to Development; 9. Ensure the full implementation of the human rights of women and of the girl child as an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms; 10. Build on consensus and progress made at previous United Nations conferences and summits - on women in Nairobi in 1985, on children in New York in 1990, on environment and development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, on human rights in Vienna in 1993, on population and development in Cairo in 1994 and on social development in Copenhagen in 1995 with the objective of achieving equality, development and peace; 11. Achieve the full and effective implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women; 12. The empowerment and advancement of women, including the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief, thus contributing to the moral, ethical, spiritual and intellectual needs of women and men, individually or in community with others and thereby guaranteeing them the possibility of realizing their full potential in society and shaping their lives in accordance with their own aspirations. We are convinced that: 13. Women's empowerment and their full participation on the basis of equality in all spheres of society, including participation in the decision-making process and access to power, are fundamental for the achievement of equality, development and peace; 14. Women's rights are human rights; 15. Equal rights, opportunities and access to resources, equal sharing of responsibilities for the family by men and women, and a harmonious partnership between them are critical to their well-being and that of their families as well as to the consolidation of democracy; 16. Eradication of poverty based on sustained economic growth, social development, environmental protection and social justice requires the involvement of women in economic and social development, equal opportunities and the full and equal participation of women and men as agents and beneficiaries of people-centred sustainable development; 17. The explicit recognition and reaffirmation of the right of all women to control all aspects of their health, in particular their own fertility, is basic to their empowerment; 18. Local, national, regional and global peace is attainable and is inextricably linked with the advancement of women, who are a fundamental force for leadership, conflict resolution and the promotion of lasting peace at all levels; 19. It is essential to design, implement and monitor, with the full participation of women, effective, efficient and mutually reinforcing gender-sensitive policies and programmes, including development policies and programmes, at all levels that will foster the empowerment and advancement of women; 20. The participation and contribution of all actors of civil society, particularly women's groups and networks and other non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations, with full respect for their autonomy, in cooperation with Governments, are important to the effective implementation and follow-up of the Platform for Action; 21. The implementation of the Platform for Action requires commitment from Governments and the international community. By making national and international commitments for action, including those made at the Conference, Governments and the international community recognize the need to take priority action for the empowerment and advancement of women. We are determined to: 22. Intensify efforts and actions to achieve the goals of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women by the end of this century; 23. Ensure the full enjoyment by women and the girl child of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and take effective action against violations of these rights and freedoms; 24. Take all necessary measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and the girl child and remove all obstacles to gender equality and the advancement and empowerment of women;25. Encourage men to participate fully in all actions towards equality; 26. Promote women's economic independence, including employment, and eradicate the persistent and increasing burden of poverty on women by addressing the structural causes of poverty through changes in economic structures, ensuring equal access for all women, including those in rural areas, as vital development agents, to productive resources, opportunities and public services; 27. Promote people-centred sustainable development, including sustained economic growth, through the provision of basic education, life-long education, literacy and training, and primary health care for girls and women; 28. Take positive steps to ensure peace for the advancement of women and, recognizing the leading role that women have played in the peace movement, work actively towards general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control, and support negotiations on the conclusion, without delay, of a universal and multilaterally and effectively verifiable comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty which contributes to nuclear disarmament and the prevention of the proliferation of nuclear weapons in all its aspects; 29. Prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls; 30. Ensure equal access to and equal treatment of women and men in education and health care and enhance women's sexual and reproductive health as well as education; 31. Promote and protect all human rights of women and girls; 32. Intensify efforts to ensure equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all women and girls who face multiple barriers to their empowerment and advancement because of such factors as their race, age, language, ethnicity, culture, religion, or disability, or because they are indigenous people; 33. Ensure respect for international law, including humanitarian law, in order to protect women and girls in particular; 34. Develop the fullest potential of girls and women of all ages, ensure their full and equal participation in building a better world for all and enhance their role in the development process. We are determined to: 35. Ensure women's equal access to economic resources, including land, credit, science and technology, vocational training, information, communication and markets, as a means to further the advancement and empowerment of women and girls, including through the enhancement of their capacities to enjoy the benefits of equal access to these resources, inter alia, by means of international cooperation; 36. Ensure the success of the Platform for Action, which will require a strong commitment on the part of Governments, international organizations and institutions at all levels. We are deeply convinced that economic development, social development and environmental protection are interdependent and mutually reinforcing components of sustainable development, which is the framework for our efforts to achieve a higher quality of life for all people. Equitable social development that recognizes empowering the poor, particularly women living in poverty, to utilize environmental resources sustainably is a necessary foundation for sustainable development. We also recognize that broad-based and sustained economic growth in the context of sustainable development is necessary to sustain social development and social justice. The success of the Platform for Action will also require adequate mobilization of resources at the national and international levels as well as new and additional resources to the developing countries from all available funding mechanisms, including multilateral, bilateral and private sources for the advancement of women; financial resources to strengthen the capacity of national, subregional, regional and international institutions; a commitment to equal rights, equal responsibilities and equal opportunities and to the equal participation of women and men in all national, regional and international bodies and policy-making processes; and the establishment or strengthening of mechanisms at all levels for accountability to the world's women; 37. Ensure also the success of the Platform for Action in countries with economies in transition, which will require continued international cooperation and assistance; 38. We hereby adopt and commit ourselves as Governments to implement the following Platform for Action, ensuring that a gender perspective is reflected in all our policies and programmes. We urge the United Nations system, regional and international financial institutions, other relevant regional and international institutions and all women and men, as well as non-governmental organizations, with full respect for their autonomy, and all sectors of civil society, in cooperation with Governments, to fully commit themselves and contribute to the implementation of this Platform for Action. Korea's Position Korea was a party to the declaration and has faithfully participated in this universal step forward. The following is the address made by Ms. Sohn Myoung-soon, the then First Lady of Korea, at the Fourth United Nations World Conference on Women, September 5, 1995. “First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to UN Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali and Secretary-General Gertrude Mongella of the Conference for their efforts in preparing the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the Chinese Government for the special invitation extended to me to attend this meeting. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. It also marks the 50th anniversary of Korea's liberation and restoration of independence. I feel greatly honored to speak at this conference being held in Beijing, the capital city of Korea's longtime good neighbor China, in this profoundly meaningful year. During the past half century, the United Nations has made unceasing efforts to promote the peace and prosperity of humanity. Especially since the First World Conference on Women was held in 1975, many countries of the world have vigorously endeavored to enhance the development of women and to realize true gender equality. Without gender equality, the development of women and reconciliation and peace, there will be no bright future. As of today a great deal of progress has been made in enhancing the status and human rights of women. I would like to take this opportunity to pay my respect to the female leaders and the representatives of all of the private women organizations of the world for their remarkable contributions to that cause. I am very sure that this conference will prove to be an epochal turning point in the further development of women toward the forthcoming 21st century as desired and sought by women all over the world. Delegates from across the world are gathered here today with the momentous task of reviewing the Forward-Looking Strategies toward the Year 2000 for the Advancement of Women taken up at the 1985 World Conference on Women in Nairobi and adopting action guidelines for the future development of women. Today, the end of the Cold War regime has brought the world all new possibilities for changing human civilization as we know it. Nevertheless, regional and ethnic disputes and conflicts, human rights violations, the repression of and discrimination against women and the abuse of natural resources still persist in many parts of the world. Moreover, the increasingly open world market system may possibly intensify competition among countries, which many fear will result in further inequality and alienation. This World Conference on Women, being held at this crucial juncture when the members of the global village must set up new common goals, is called upon to present a new blueprint for the development of human civilization. Prior to this Fourth World Conference on Women, several major international meetings including the UN Conference on Environment and Development, the World Conference on Human Rights, the International Conference on Population and Development, and the World Summit for Social Development have been held. All these meetings have convinced us that when the world situation is viewed from the perspective of women, possibilities for new development clearly exist. Women should actively participate in all endeavors to overcome inequality and repression, as well as negative cultural traits that are X destructive. We need to promote close-knit cooperation and co-existence and to create a peace-oriented culture. To do so, women must free themselves from poverty, illiteracy and violence. Women must also strengthen their economic and political capabilities. In Korea, women's suffrage, labor rights, and the right to education became guaranteed with the promulgation of the Constitution and the founding of the Korean Government in 1948. I am proud of the fact that the Republic of Korea has not only achieved remarkable economic growth and democratization, but also made substantial progress in the field of women . Especially, in the belief that the expansion of education opportunities for women is a fundamental, long-term method to guarantee women their substantive equal rights, the Korean Government vigorously pushed a five-year pan-governmental campaign beginning in 1950 to eradicate illiteracy. As a result, the Republic of Korea now boasts one of the highest literacy rates in the world and a relatively high educational level among its female population. On the basis of this experience, the Korean Government, as it announced at the World Summit for Social Development, will exert special efforts to support the education and training of women in less developed countries. Starting in the early 1980s, the Korean Government revised women-related legislation and institutions in order to spur the development of women's capabilities and expand female participation in social development . The Office of the Second Minister of State for Political Affairs was created to be exclusively responsible for policies concerning women, while central and local administrative systems were also established to implement policies regarding women. In addition, the Family Act was revised, and an Gender Equality in Employment Act and an Infant and Child Care Act were newly enacted. More recently, a new law prohibiting the sexual harassment of women has been enacted to help eliminate violence against women. Just last July, our Republic and UNESCO jointly held an expert meeting on sexual violence against women, and thereby adopted the "Seoul Declaration" which is to be presented at this conference. Thus, our Republic is actively taking part in joint international endeavors to enhance the human rights of women. Since all these legislative and institutional measures for gender equality are only the first step toward realizing genuine equality, the Korean is also making increased efforts to remove gender discriminatory elements from school education and the mass media in order to change societal attitudes and uphold gender equality. Recently, our Government, in line with its segyehwa, or globalization, policy designed to raise the quality of life in Korea to that of an advanced nation enjoying a high level of welfare, has been placing emphasis on expanding child-care facilities to encourage women's participation in society, broadening employment opportunities for women and promoting female participation in political activities . After the end of the Cold War, the need for all of us to make joint efforts to address the common problems of humanity in order to build a global village of peace and prosperity is more urgent than ever before. Women's issues are no exception. The Republic of Korea, aware of the importance of international cooperation in dealing with the problems involving women, has set up a channel of international collaboration to be operated through the soon-to-be-established "Common Forum for Women." This Forum will be utilized as an open conduit through which women of not only the Asia-Pacific region, but also all regions of the world can work together to promote the development of women through regional and international cooperation. Today, the civilization that humanity has developed so arduously is facing a crucial challenge. This challenge stems from a pattern of production and consumption that lopsidedly emphasizes material values and a pattern of development that disregards environmental protection and misuses the knowledge of science and technology. As we face the advent of the 21st century, women should join hands and launch a movement to preserve the sound family system, build a healthy society and protect the natural environment. By doing so, let us build a genuine community where we, based on a future-oriented philosophy and an ideal world view embracing neighborly love and genuine peace, can all enjoy our lives. In China, there is an old saying that women comprise half the gift of heaven. As such, women have the potential to be the new source of power needed to restore the health of the world's polluted environment. We women of the world, who are all sisters within the global village, will be a leading force in building the future in the upcoming 21st century. I believe that positive support on the part of governments for the development of women will produce more substantial and lasting fruit than investment in any other sector. The women of Asia, including Korea, whose ages-old histories have taught them the wisdom of harmony between humanity and nature, will work hand in hand with women in all other regions of the world to build a happy global village. I hope that the Fourth World Conference on Women, devoted to the promotion of equality, development and peace through vigorous dialogue and the exchange of friendship, will prove to be a great success. I also hope that this conference will serve as a principal catalyst for bridging any remaining rifts that divide the families of the global village.”