Date of release : 07-03-2005

Policy area : Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs

Ten years after Beijing, the simple reaffirmation of the declaration of the Platform for Action, as well as the documents emanating from the 23rd extraordinary session of the General Assembly, proved to be difficult. There were reasons to fear that the commitments would be weakened.

The Ministers of the European Union, meeting in Luxembourg, unanimously agreed to send a strong message in favour of the total, unequivocal and universal reaffirmation of the Platform. This unity was maintained at the UN in the face of amendments submitted by the United States which aimed to complement the reaffirmation text prepared by the Bureau. The United States intended to explain why these texts do not create new international human rights.

This amendment was rejected by all the Member States of the European Union and by the majority of regional delegations at the UN. This addition, proposed by the United States, was not acceptable to the EU in that it aimed to give a specific interpretation to the Beijng Platform.

The EU constantly pointed out that for its part, it had no doubts that the Beijing Declaration and Platform would remain the political frame of reference for all its actions which aimed to achieve gender equality, and similarly, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) constituted the legal framework for fundamental women's rights.

The United States maintained its position until Friday morning, 4 March 2005. The declaration was adopted on 4 March 2005 at 5 p.m.

The work of the Commission for the week of 8-11 March will include negotiating resolutions on:

- the promotion of women in the economy

- the trafficking of women

- the situation of women in Afghanistan

- the situation of Palestinian women

- the special rapporteur on gender equality, and

- women and HIV/AIDS.