UNHQ, New York, 05 June 2000 (ECA) — - Five years after the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, some 10,000 representatives of governments, the United Nations system, intergovernmental and non- governmental organizations are attending a five-day meeting that started today to assess implementation of the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action for the Advancement of Women.

The Special Session on "Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the 21st Century", being held from 5 - 9 June 2000 at UN Headquarters in New York, is being convened by the United Nations General Assembly, to review progress made in the implementation of each of the 12 critical areas of concern in the Beijing Platform of Action.

The African presence is strong, and includes Tanzanian as chair of the session. Other speakers on this first day of the Session on progress made in their respective countries in implementing the Platform for Action included Namibia, Gabon, Tanzania, Tunisia, Angola and Ghana.

In her statement, Nana Agyeman Rawlings Chairperson of the Ghanaian delegation and First Lady of Ghana, insisted that although the majority of rural, grassroots women in Africa and elsewhere were not even aware that the Session was taking place, their needs and concerns should be the main focus of the meeting.

The Special Session will review and share best practices, positive gains, lessons learned, and modalities for overcoming obstacles and constraints. It will consider further actions and initiatives for achieving gender equality in all walks and levels of life in the new millennium.

Parallel to the special session, special forums, seminars, and panels have been organized -- including one on micro credit that featured Hilary Rodham Clinton, First Lady of the United States. Ms. Clinton strongly supported the idea of small loans and grants as a proven, humane method capable of bringing about major changes in the lives of women worldwide and uplifting families and communities.

Addressing the parallel opening of the NGO gathering on the occasion of the Beijing + Special Session, UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan said that the meeting was among the most important that would take place in this Millennium year. "Its outcome will not only be crucial to the rights and lives of women everywhere, it will also be crucial to the achievement of the goals I have asked the world's leaders to support at the Millennium Summit on behalf of all the world's peoples".

Mr. Annan said that although progress has been made in implementing the Beijing Platform, there was still a long way to go. "Just as the Platform for Action could not have been drafted without you, it cannot be implemented without you," he stressed. "We need your energy, expertise and extraordinary spirit to move it forward, to demonstrate that empowering women not only means better lives for women, it means better lives for everyone on the planet - men and women alike."

The Platform is a consensus document emanating from all regions of the world. It details concerns in the 12 summary areas as well as delineated modalities -- including establishment of national machinery for advocating policy, coordinating and monitoring action, and institutionalizing the concept and practice of gender equality and gender mainstreaming in all plans, programmes and projects, at all levels.

As many Member States have pointed out, the Platform has functioned as a road map for action to raise the status and participation of women. Speakers in plenary are addressing gains have been made in implementing the Platform, challenges and obstacles continue to impede an improved quality of life for women and girls, and the need for social, political and financial recommitment to accelerated action for full implementation of the Platform.

The 12 critical areas of concern include: women and poverty, education and training for women, women and health, violence against women, women and armed conflict, women and the economy, women in power and decision-making, institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women, human rights of women, women and the media, women and the environment and the girl-child.

Daily updates by the ECA Communication Team, related links on the Special Session on Beijing + 5 and the contents of a new CD-ROM launched by the African Centre for Women are available on the ECA Website at: http://www.un.org/depts/eca

For more information about ECA's participation in the Special Session, please contact: Lorna Davidson, Sophia Denekew or Mercy Wambui C/o Regional Commissions New York Office 31st Floor UN Secretariat New York Tel: +1-212-963-6905 Fax: +1-212-963-1500 Email: cteca@yahoo.com