B4-1194/95

Resolution on the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing: Equality, Development and Peace

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (10 December 1948),

- having regard to the United Nations Convention on the Political Rights of Women (31 March 1953),

- having regard to the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) of 18 December 1979,

- having regard to its resolution of 11 June 1986 on the results of the UN Conference concluding the Decade for Women (1975-1985) held in Nairobi (15- 26 July 1985) ((OJ C 176, 14.7.1986, p. 64.)),

- having regard to the Commission working document on European Union participation in the Fourth World Conference on Women: 'Action for Equality, Development and Peace¨ (COM(95)0221),

- having regard to its resolution of 15 June 1995 on the fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing: Equality, Development and Peace ((Minutes of that Sitting, Part II, Item 8.)),

- having regard to the Final Declaration and the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women (15 September 1995),

A. whereas women's and children's rights are an integral, inalienable and indivisible part of universal human rights,

B. whereas the empowerment of women is a critical factor in the eradication of poverty, which is a persistent and increasing burden on women,

C. whereas economic independence for women is essential in order to attain true equality,

D. whereas it is essential actively to pursue and coordinate the mainstreaming of policies for equality and equal opportunities and to have a gender perspective in all legislation policies, programmes and structures,

E. mindful of the need for specific measures to ensure women's equal access to full participation in power structures and decision-making,

1. Expresses its satisfaction with the text adopted in the Platform for Action, in particular those sections dealing with human rights, sexual rights, trafficking in women, violence against women, new and additional resources, inheritance rights and parental rights and responsibilities;

2. Welcomes the reference in the Platform for Action to freedom of decision and responsibility on matters related to sexuality, full respect for the integrity of the individual and equality in the relationship between women and men in matters of sexual relations and reproduction; the recognition of the right of young girls to privacy and confidentiality, as well as the responsibility of parents to provide support and guidance;

3. Welcomes the recognition as war crimes of rape and forced pregnancy in times of war;

4. Welcomes the condemnation of worldwide trafficking in women and the appeal for international cooperation and for punishment of the perpetrators;

5. Supports the appeal to ratify CEDAW and to abolish the reservations that undermine this Convention;

6. Strongly supports the commitment expressed in the Platform to the notion of equality between women and men;

7. Welcomes the compromise whereby women are to be involved in the planning and implementation of all development projects and programmes;

8. Emphasizes the importance of the parliamentary day at the World Conference on Women, at which 500 elected parliamentarians, men and women, confirmed the democratic legitimation of the deliberations;

9. Welcomes the international acceptance of positive action as a structural measure to provide women with equal access to employment and economic decision-making;

10. Welcomes the recognition of affirmative action, inter alia in the form of quotas, as a measure to achieve equal participation by women and men in decision-making;

11. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement the decisions taken on the Platform for Action and assume the role of catalyst with regard to efforts to achieve equality for women in political and economic life, the family in all its forms and society in general;

12. Welcomes the fact that the European Union spoke with one voice on behalf of the Member States;

13. Regrets however that the EU accepted a UN final declaration with no reference to sexual rights;

14. Regrets the withdrawal from the Platform of Action of protection against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and expresses support for the strong position that the EU has taken in the negotiations on women's sexual autonomy;

15. Urges the Commission to ensure that, in future conferences of this nature, there is greater cooperation with the countries of central and eastern Europe and with the Mediterranean countries;

16. Welcomes the fact that the fundamentalist Islamic countries failed in their efforts to perpetuate exclusively traditional roles, and supports the Islamic Women's Parliament, which held its first sitting in Beijing, adopted an egalitarian family programme and explicitly endorsed the principle of equality;

17. Underlines the need to increase the importance of the role of elected representatives, and in particular European Members of Parliament, and that of NGOs in similar conferences, and calls on the Commission to continue to support the efforts of NGOs which deal with the promotion of equality;

18. Calls on the Commission to urge the United Nations to reinforce existing criteria which must be fulfilled before taking any decisions on a site for any future conferences and to place emphasis on compliance with the criteria by the host government, those criteria to include guaranteed acceptable conditions for NGOs and people with disabilities;

19. Records its protest at the way the Chinese authorities handled visa authorizations, including delay or refusal of visas for (unwelcome) groups such as Tibetan exiles and other applicants, and calls on the Commission and the Member States to convey their disapproval of this visa policy in their future contacts with China;

20. Instructs its committee responsible to follow closely the implementation of those policies contained in the Platform for Action;

21. Regrets the lack of timetables in the Platform for Action for implementation of the measures proposed;

22. Calls on the Commission and Council of the European Union to state their intentions in this respect and to allocate the necessary resources to implement these demands, in particular in the fourth action programme;

23. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, Commission, the governments of the Member States and the UN Secretary- General.