The second meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) will be held in May 1994. A workshop on the transfer and development of environmentally sound technologies was held in October 1993 in Norway. Over 40 professionals attended the environmental technology workshops on supply and demand issues and new initiatives. Priority was given to information and training needs among decision-makers in the South about management in the North, the need for benchmarking at the firm level, upgrading of environmental standards, documentation of environmentally-oriented technical assistance, and ineffective regulation. There is a clear need for a global financial tool for addressing local problems. Research is needed that defines the nature of environmental problems and documents new innovations and improvements in methodology. The November 1993 Colombia Conference on Technology Transfer focused on processes that "minimize, treat, recycle, and minimize liquid waste and environmentally sound technologies for efficient generation and use of energy for households and small industries." Proposals were offered to improve access to information, monitor discharges and assess risk, improve regulatory mechanisms, finance the acquisition of technology, and strengthen institutions in receiving countries. The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) failed to restructure when negotiations stalled on the issue of the appropriate ratio of seats between countries and who would chair the GEF Executive Council. The GEF was set up to fund activities on global warming, biological diversity, ozone depletion, and international waters. This failure may result in an end to operations in mid-1994, but the failure is not definite. The General Assembly debates about CSD are briefly summarized by country.
This bulletin provides a summary of the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women (WCW). The delegates to the WCW reached consensus to adopt and implement most of the 345-paragraph Platform for Action and 38-paragraph Declaration. This bulletin traces the history of the WCW from the original UN resolution, including the work which regional groups, expert groups, the Commission on the Status of Women, and informal consultations devoted to preparing the draft Platform for Action. The bulletin continues by providing a report of the WCW, including the pledges made by various governments as part of the "Conference of Commitments." The work of the main committee is described as is the formation of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, for which a chapter-by-chapter analysis of the issues debated is provided. Chapter 1 of the Platform contains the mission statement; Chapter 2 presents the global framework; Chapter 3 describes critical areas of concern; and Chapter 4 outlines strategic objectives and actions in its sections on poverty, education, health, violence against women, armed conflict, inequality in women's access to and participation in economic structures, decision-making, insufficient mechanisms at all levels for the advancement of women, human rights, women and the environment, and the girl child. Chapter 5 discusses institutional arrangements for implementation, and Chapter 6 considers financial arrangements. The bulletin next describes the final session of the main committee as well as actions taken during the closing plenary. The WCW is then subjected to a brief analysis which considers the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Conference of Commitments, and the global process which resulted in the WCW. The bulletin ends by noting that the next important events are the endorsement of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action by the UN, the 40th Session of the CSW, national implementation of the Platform for Action, and the Second UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat 11).
This report is devoted to the follow-up activities of the 50th UN General Assembly pertaining to Copenhagen's World Summit for Social Development's Program of Action, which was adopted by the Conference on March 12, 1995. Summaries are provided of the background history to the Summit, the activities of the UN Commission for Social Development, the Economic and Social Council meetings, and General Assembly delegate discussion. The draft resolution on the implementation of the World Summit on Social Development generated lengthy discussions and was expected to be adopted by the General Assembly Plenary before adjournment in December 22, 1995. Follow-up under the draft resolution is expected to include the joint actions within the UN system of the General Assembly, the ECOSOC, and the Commission for Social Development. The resolution includes an overall review and appraisal of UN progress in implementing Copenhagen's Declaration and Program of Action, which will occur in the year 2000. The draft resolution urges the Secretary-General, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund to study the impact of structural adjustment programs on economic and social development. Nine other specific directives are listed in the draft resolution. Related activities for 1996 are identified as a special meeting of the Commission on Social Development, which is scheduled for May 21-30, 1996, in New York. The meeting will discuss the strategies for poverty alleviation, meeting human needs, and promotion of self-reliance and community-based initiatives. Norway has initiated a planning meeting of three developed and three developing country representatives on a future conference. The conference would work towards a common definition of basic social programs, the implementation of the 20:20 concept, and ways to monitor implementation. Denmark is planning international seminars on social development issues.
This report gives a brief history of the UN General Assembly's activities preparatory to the Fourth World Conference on Women, a review of the General Assembly's debate on the Beijing Platform Agenda Item 165, and a description of the resolution passed by the Third Committee of the General Assembly on implementation of the Beijing Action Plan. Other resolutions related to the status of women are described. March 11-22, 1996, is the scheduled date for the meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women, which will discuss follow-up to Beijing. Resolutions were passed in 1995 on the endorsement of the Beijing Declaration and Plan of Action and gratitude for China as a conference host, on the Secretariat's engagement of women at the highest levels of management, on the merger of two women's units, and on a variety of other issues. The adopted draft resolution on implementation of the Beijing Plan of Action calls for the Secretary-General to coordinate policy within the UN system on implementation, report to the General Assembly on ways to enhance follow-up on implementation, ensure the more effective functioning of the Division for the Advancement of Women, and cooperate with the administrator of the UNDP in applying a gender perspective to global UN conferences. Summary discussion in the Third Committee meetings pertained to Agenda Item 165 and Item 107. Delegates emphasized the importance of implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action at the local, national, regional, and international levels. Delegates showed little support for the Secretary-General's proposal to establish a high level advisory board instead of the Platform's recommendation to establish a post in the Office of the Secretary-General. Some delegates did not support the resolution to merge the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) with UNIFEM. Resolutions are expected to be adopted by the General Assembly plenary in December 1995.
The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) is scheduled to be held September 5-13, 1994, in Cairo. The third session of the ICPD Preparatory Committee (PREPCOM) was held April 4-22, 1994, at United Nations headquarters in New York. Delegates spent three weeks negotiating the draft Program of Action to be adopted at the conference in Cairo. Although they agreed on most elements of the Program of Action, the following issues remain unresolved: definitions of "reproductive and sexual health," "reproductive rights," and "safe abortion;" reproductive health services for adolescents; and resource allocation for population and development policies. A brief history of the ICPD is presented and followed by the complete report from and analysis of the third PREPCOM. The text considers what to expect during the intersessional period.
