The Pledge to Gender Justice, formulated by NGOs in the Women's Linkage Caucus in February 1995, called on governments and UN institutions to take specific actions and, in return, hundreds of NGOs as civil society also pledged to take action. This call to action should be a minimum response by all governments. The provision in paragraph 293 is sufficiently open-ended to allow for each government to express its own priorities and activities in identifying practical steps that can make a real difference in the lives of women and girls. Support of this concept does not undermine the implementation of the entire Platform because in paragraph 297, governments have already agreed to have national plans and targets by 1996. WHEN On the UN's programme of work, all Governments have been invited to make announcements in their seven minute speech to the plenary during the conference from September 4-15th that highlight national priority actions that will make a practical difference in the lives of women and girls.
Women are tired of waiting.
This is the 4th UN conference. This time for action is now. And the success of this UN conference depends on governments making commitments, not simply negotiating one more beautiful prose document with hundreds of action steps that are never taken. WHAT Women NGOs active in the Women's Linkage Caucus plan to organize a Commitment Scoreboard in Beijing at the site of the official UN conference that will be replicated at the NGO Forum in Huairou and on-line through the Association of Progressive Communications. The Commitment Scorebard and government speeches will be posted on-line and available to NGOs at both the UN and the NGO Forum sites as well as anyone with access to Internet.