Highlights from Friday, 3 March
On the first day of CSW-44 acting as the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the Beijing +5 Special Session, delegates met in an opening Plenary session and heard opening remarks delivered by Louise Fréchette, Deputy Secretary-General, Nitin Desai, Under Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, and Angela King, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women. The PrepCom also addressed organizational matters and heard general statements by delegations, international organizations and NGOs.

Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette

Deputy Secretary-General Fréchette noted the concern of many delegations that the Platform for Action (PFA) had received limited implementation, and called for further work toward global gender equality on the basis of new proposals formulated by regional commissions. She said the Beijing Conference was a milestone and had launched an important process requiring continuous updating to include new issues and obstacles. She welcomed the participation of NGOs and recognized the need for political will and commitment to make a difference in the lives of girls and women everywhere.
(listen to her statement)

Angela King, Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women

Angela King declared that the greatest peaceful revolution of the 20th century had been the transformation of the status of women. She stated that no country has yet fully implemented the PFA and that in some cases, the situation of women has worsened. She called for clear and pragmatic strategies to ensure all women benefit from globalization and sustained efforts to combat, inter alia, the marginalization of women and girls.

Yakin Ertürk, DAW Director, introduced the key documents for thePrepCom's work: Review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing PFA (E/CN.6/2000/PC.2); Emerging issues containing additional material for further actions and initiatives for the preparation of the outlook beyond the year 2000 (E/CN.6/2000/PC.4); and a summary of on-line conferences on progress made in the implementation of the PFA (E/CN.6/2000/PC/CRP 1).

PrepCom Chair Rose Odera, Kenya (right)

Nitin Desai, PrepCom Chair Rose Odera and Yakin Erturk, DAW (above)

Angela King, Jytte Anderson, Denmark, and Nitin Desai (left)

Ambassador Betty King, US, made a statement as the host country of the Special Session of the General Assembly. She presented organizational details on preparations for Beijing +5, including special events and a satellite conference connection to allow women around the world to follow the Special Session.

Beijing +5 Host Committee website: www.beijingplus5hostcomm.com

Shen Guofang, China, (left) highligted the growing gap between developing and developed countries as a major obstacle to PFA implementation, called for increased international financial assistance and fundamental changes leading to a just economic and political order.

Yai Constance, Cote D'Ivoire (right) noted the situation of women in developing countries has stagnated or worsened due to globalization and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. She emphasized the importance of resolving the international debt issue to liberate resources for the advancement of women.

Jytte Anderson, Denmark (left) noted cultural, political, structural and historical obstacles to women�s equality and said gender equality requires redefining the rights and responsibilities of women and men in the family, workplace and society as a whole.

Ant�nio Costa Lobo, Portugal for the EU, (right) noted the need for: political commitment; involvement of men; and mainstreaming of gender into policies and programmes. He stressed linkages between gender equality and development, environment, population and human rights issues.