Chapter Three: Political Declaration

We the Governments participating in the special session of the General Assembly:

Reaffirm our commitment to the goals and objectives contained in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women, and the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women to the year 2000 as the culmination of the United Nations Decade for Women, 1976 to 1985;

Also reaffirm our commitment to the implementation of the 12 critical areas of concern in the Beijing Platform for Action, which are women and poverty, education 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; and call for the implementation of the agreed conclusions and resolutions on the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women adopted by the Commission on the Status of Women since the thirty-ninth session of the Commission;

Recognise that we have primary responsibility for the full implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and all the relevant commitments for the advancement of women, and, in this connection, call for continued international co-operation including the reaffirmation to strive to fulfil the yet-to-be-attained internationally agreed target of 0.7 per cent of the gross national product of developed countries for overall official development assistance as soon as possible;

Welcome the progress made thus far towards gender equality and the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and reaffirm our commitment to accelerate the achievement of universal ratification of the CEDAW and in this regard acknowledge the efforts at all levels of Governments, the United Nations system, and intergovernmental, other international and regional organisations and urge continued efforts for the full implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action;

Recognise the role and contribution of civil society, in particular non-governmental organisations and women's organisations, in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and encourage their participation in further implementation and assessment processes;

Emphasise that men must involve themselves and take joint responsibility with women for the promotion of gender equality;

Reaffirm the importance of mainstreaming a gender perspective in the process of implementation of the outcome of other major United Nations conferences and summits and the need for a co-ordinated follow-up to all major conferences and summits by Governments, regional organisations, and all of the bodies and organisations of the United Nations system within their respective mandates.

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We the Governments at the beginning of the new millennium,

Reaffirm our commitment to overcoming obstacles encountered in the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies and to strengthening and safeguarding a national and international enabling environment, and to this end pledge to undertake further action to ensure their full and accelerated implementation through the promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes and promoting women's full participation and empowerment and enhanced international co-operation for the full implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action;

Agree to regularly assess further implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action with a view to bringing together all parties involved in 2005 to assess progress and consider new initiatives, as appropriate, 10 years after the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action and 20 years after the adoption of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies;

Pledge to ensure the realisation of societies in which both women and men work together towards a world where every individual can enjoy equality, development and peace in the twenty-first century.

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