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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(82)796 final
Brussels,6December1982
COMMUNICATION FROMTHECOMMISSION TOTHECOUNCIL
concerningparticipation bytheCommunityintheUnitedNationsWorld
ConferenceinNairobitoreviewandappraisetheachievements ofthe
UNDecadeforWomenandinthepreparations fortheConference
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C0M(82)796final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TOTHE COUNCIL
concerning participation bytheCommunity intheUnited
Nations World Conference inNairobi toreview and
appraise the achievements ofthe UNDecade for Women
and inthepreparations for the Conference
I.INTRODUCTION
The General Assembly ofthe United Nations ,inits resolution
35/136 of11December 1980 ,decided toconvene in1985 ,atthe conclusion
oftheUnited Nations Decade forWomen ,aworld Conference toreview and
appraise the achievements ofthe Decade .
Preparations for the Conference have already begun andshould on
the whole continue within the framework ofthe UNCommission onthe status
ofwomen .(1)
TheCommission istomeet inextraordinary session atVienna in
February 1983 andagain in1985 with Conference preparations asthe sole
item ontheagenda .Its regular session in1984 should also beextended
for the same purpose .
Inaddition ,regional meetings (inour case the Economic Commission
for Europe )are tobeheld upuntil 1985 .
II.INTEREST AND ROLE OFTHE COMMUNITY INTHE CONFERENCE
1. Theunderlying themes oftheConference should inprinciple bethe
same asthose discussed atthe Copenhagen Conference (2),i.e. employment ,
education and health .
\
Particular emphasis should also beplaced ontheproblem ofwomen
and development .
2. Inthis context ,the competence and interests oftheCommunity are
evident .
This isclearest where employment isconcerned ,but italso applies
tovocational training and certain aspects ofhealth .
Itwould beuseful tonote Community measures inthis field .
./.
(1)See Resolution 1982 /26ofUNEconomic and Social Council .
(2)held in1980 ,part ofthe Decade .

-2-
2.1.First,asregardstheDirectives onequaltreatment,accessto
employment,training,advancement andworkingconditions (Directive 76/207)
andonsocialsecurity(79/7),thepositionsadoptedattheConference
bytheCommunity anditsMemberStatesshouldconformtotheirprovisions .
2.2.Furthermore,thenewCommunityactionprogramme onthepromotion
ofequalopportunities forwomen1982-1985proposedbytheCommission in
December1981andwhichformedthesubjectofaCouncilResolution of
12July1982coversaverywideareainthefieldsinquestion.
Inaddition,theabove-mentioned CouncilResolution comprises
generalcommitments bytheCommunityconcerning boththepromotionof
equalopportunities ingeneralbypositiveactionandbyimplementing
appropriate measures,andmorespecificaspectsofthegeneralcontext.
ThemorespecificaspectsarethosedealtwithbytheConference in
question.
Itshouldalsobepointedoutthatthetimetableoftheabove-
mentionedActionProgrammecoincideswiththeendoftheUnitedNations
DecadeforWomen.
2.3.Thetaking-into-accountofthe"Equalopportunities "dimension
inCommunitypolicieslikelytoaffectit,whichisreferredtointhe
above-mentioned CouncilResolution,isalsoveryrelevantwithregardto
theConference .
Anumberoffieldsareinvolved,includingvocationaltraining,
theimpactofnewtechnologies ontrainingandemployment,strategies
forthefightagainstunemployment ,theproblemofworksharing,part-time
work,etc.
2.4.Theimpactoftheeconomiccrisisonthesituationofwomen,
especially inemployment,willunderliealltheworkoftheConference
andhas,moreover,beendealtwithmoregenerallyinthepreparatory work.
ItisalsoapriorityproblemreferredtobytheCouncilinits
above-mentioned Resolution of12July.
2.5.Lastly,theitem"WomenandDevelopment policy(ies)"whichshould
formapriorityfordiscussion bytheConference,isthesubjectofa
considerable amountofworkbytheCommunitywithaviewtothedefinition
ofaCommunitypolicyinthatfield.
./.

-3-
III.COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION INTHECONFERENCE ANDTHEPREPARATORY WORK
1.ThustheConference inquestioncoversanumberoffieldsinwhich
theCommunityiscompetentorhasaninterest.
Inthiscontext,theCommunity assuchshouldparticipate in
theConference (asattheCopenhagen Conference in1980)andinthe
preparations .
2.Priorcoordination inordertodefineaCommunityposition
shouldbeestablished soastohaveacommonpositiononallsubjects
forwhichtheCommunityiscompetentorinwhichithasaninterest.
3.TheCommunitypositionsshouldbepresented bythepersonrepresen­
tingtheCommission andthePresidency .ProblemsofCommunity competence should
bepresented bytheCommission .
4.Thesearrangements shouldapplythroughout theConference andthe
preparatory work,bothasregardstheofficialdebatesanddiscussions and
asregardstheinformalgroupsandnegotiations .
5.Coordination shouldthereforetakeplaceassoonaspossible,at
thelatestbeforethepreparatory meetingtobeheldinFebruary1983.
IV.COMMUNITY POSITION (1)
1.TheCommunitypositionshouldprincipally bebasedonthenewCommunity
ActionProgramme onequalopportunities andtheResolution adoptedbythe
Councilonthissubjecton12July.Itshouldofcoursebeinlinewith
theDirectives adoptedbytheCouncilasregardsequalpayandtreatment
andinthefieldofsocialsecurity.
2.Itshouldbedefinedgradually astheworkprogresses and,asregards
theConferenceitself,onthebasisoftheresultsofthepreparatory
work.
Thereportsanddraftperspective thattheCommissionistoprovide
for1984and1985inaccordance withtheCouncilResolution of12July,
shouldserveasageneralbasisfortheCommunityposition.
./.
(1)SeealsopointII.

3.Averygeneralsketchcanbegivenatthisstageofthe
followingguidelines,inthelightofpreparatory ,workalreadydone
andthedocumentspreparedbytheUNSecretariat .
3.1.TheNairobiConferenceshould,liketheoneheldinthe
middleofthedecade1980inCopenhagen,focusonthesub-themes
ofemployment,healthandeducation.
-Asregardsemployment,referenceshouldfirstbemadeto
theprinciples andprovisionscontainedinDirective76/207
Moreover,inthelightoftheCouncilResolutionof12July
1982,equaltreatmentformenandwomeninemploymentisto
serveasaguideforrelevantpoliciesregardlessofthe
economicsituation.
Itshouldbenotedthat,accordingtotheResolution,
"inaperiodofeconomiccrisis,theactionundertakenat
Communityandnationallevelshouldnotonlybecontinuedbut
alsointensified,inparticularinordertopromotethe
achievement ofequalopportunities inpracticethroughthe
implementation of,interalia,positivemeasures,"and
that"withdueregardtothecoursesofactionproposed,
theseobjectivesshouldguidetheCommunityandtheMember
Statesintheireffortstoapplyonabroaderbasis
andtorealizeinpractice,theprincipleofequalopportunities
withoutdiscriminating againstwomenwhatevertheeconomic
situation".
Asaresult,thesituationofwomen'semploymentshouldbe
givenpriorityinthepresenteconomicclimate.Itisalso
necessarytodevelopnewstrategiesinordertoensurethat
womenhaveaplaceinthelabourmarket,eveninanunstable
economicsituation.Youngwomenareespeciallyaffectedas
theirpositiononthelabourmarketisparticularly serious.
Inaddition,priorityshouldbegiveninthesamecontextto
theproblemofwomen'sintegration intoworkinglife,in
particularinconnection withthenewtechnologies .
ThisshouldalsoformpartofCommunitypolicyonthefight
againstunemployment .
-Inthefieldofhealth,priorityshouldbegiventothe
-protectionofworkers,whilstsafeguarding theprincipleof
equaltreatmentformenandwomenworkers.Itwouldtherefore
beadvisabletoavoidspecialrulesfortheprotectionof
womenonthelabourmarketandtoeliminatesuchrulesincases
whereoriginallywell-founded concernfortheirprotectionis
nolongerjustified.
Thisalsoincludesadequateprotectionforpregnancyand
childbirth.Theultimateobjectivemustbethebestpossible
protectionforworkersagainstalltheriskstowhichtheymay
beexposedattheplaceofworkandintheirusualenvironment .

-5-
-Inthefieldofeducation,emphasisshouldbeplaced
ontheimportance ofbettervocationaltrainingfor
women.Itshouldenablewomentoobtainemployment in
areaswheretheyhavebeentraditionally under-represen -
ted,inparticular asregardsnewtechnologies ,andto
preventtheirconcentration in"vulnerable"jobs.
Neithershouldthequestionofspecialbasicrefresher
trainingforwomenbeomitted,includingthepsycho-socio-
logicalaspects.TheCommunity'spositiononthispoint
shouldalsobedevelopedinthelightoftheCommission's
communications onvocationaltraining(2).
3.2.Furthermore ,women'spositioninsocietyingeneralmustbe
improved.Herethecivilservicescansettheexamplebyimproving
theworkingconditions andstatusofitsfemalestaff,especially
asregardstheircareers.Proposals onthissubjectmadebythe
UNSecretariat deservetotalandunequivocal support;theyarein
linewiththeActionProgramme andtheCouncilResolution of12July
1982.Thismeansthaturgentactionshouldbetakentoenablewomen
bettertoreconciletheirfamilydutiesandworkdutiesbyimproving
thedistribution offamilyresponsibilities andduties.
3.3.Theproblemofwomenindeveloping countries anditsconnection
withdevelopment policiesandtheNorth-South dialogueingeneral
shouldalsobegivenspecialattention.
TheCommunityshouldinthisrespecttakestockofits
activities andpositionsinthecontextoftheNorth-South dialogue
anditsdevelopment policy,includingattheregionallevel.
3.4.Onthewhole,theConference should,bymeansofthereport
thatitwillproduce,resultinguidelineslikelytoimprovethesituation
ofwomen,regardless oftheirpositioninsociety,anddespitethe
contextofasocietyinfulltransformation attheeconomicandsocial
level.
3.5.TheCommunityshouldalsotakestepsatthenextmeetingofthe
EconomicCommissionforEurope(April1983)toensurethatprovisionis
madeforpreparatory work,aswasthecasefortheCopenhagen Conference .
(1)C0M(82)296final
(2)C0M<82)637final

V.CONCLUSIONS
1. The Council should decide ontheprocedures forCommunity
participation intheWorld Conference ofthe United Nations to
review andappraise the achievements ofthe UNDecade forWomen
and inthepreparations inaccordance with the terms set out inpoint
III ofthis communication .
2. Theposition ofthe Community will bedefined asthe work
progresses and inparticular inthe light ofthepreparatory work
inthe context oftheAction Programme andthe Council Resolution of12
July and inconformity with existing Directives .
The guidelines given inpoint IVform thebasis ofthe
Community position atthepresent stage ofpreparations forthe
Conference .