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The Fourth World Conference on Women[ Back to Beijing ] Chapter 2: Attendance and Organization of WorkA. Date and place of the Conference B. Pre-Conference consultations C. Attendance D. Opening of the Conference and election of the President E. Messages from Heads of State or Government F. Adoption of the rules of procedure H. Election of officers other than the President I. Organization of work, including the establishment of the Main Committee of the Conference J. Appointment of the members of the Credentials Committee
A. Date and place of the Conference [ UP ] 1. The Fourth World Conference on Women was held at Beijing from 4 to 15 September 1995 in conformity with General Assembly resolutions 45/129 and 46/98. During that period the Conference held 16 plenary meetings. B. Pre-Conference consultations [ UP ] 2. Pre-Conference consultations open to all States invited to participate in the Conference were held at Beijing on 2 and 3 September 1995 to consider a number of procedural and organizational matters. These and other informal consultations were conducted under the chairmanship of His Excellency Mr. Li Zhaoxing, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. The report on the consultations (A/CONF.177/L.4) was submitted to the Conference and the recommendations contained in it were accepted as the basis for the organization of the Conference's work. C. Attendance [ UP ] 3. The following States and regional economic integration organization were represented at the Conference: Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Co^te d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Democratic People's Republic of Korea Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia European Community Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia (Federated States of) Monaco Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Republic of Korea Republic of Moldova Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan Thailand The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland United Republic of Tanzania United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Yemen Zaire Zambia Zimbabwe 4. The observer for Palestine attended the Conference. 5. The following associate members of the regional commissions were
represented by observers: 6. The secretariats of the following regional commissions were
represented: 7. The following United Nations bodies and programmes were represented: 8. The following specialized agencies and related organizations were
represented: 9. The following intergovernmental organizations were represented: 10. A large number of non-governmental organizations were accredited to the Conference by the Commission on the Status of Women in decision 39/2 and the Economic and Social Council in decision 1995/229. D. Opening of the Conference and election of the President [ UP ] 11. The Conference was declared open by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who read out the address of the Secretary-General. 12. At the 1st plenary meeting, on 4 September, the Conference elected, by acclamation, as President of the Conference, Her Excellency Madame Chen Muhua, Vice-Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China. 13. The Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Mrs. Gertrude Mongella, addressed the Conference. 14. Opening statements were made by Her Excellency Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan; Her Excellency Mrs. Vigdis Finnbogadottir, President of Iceland; Her Excellency Begum Khaleda Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh; Her Excellency Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe, Vice-President and Minister of Gender and Community Development of Uganda; and Her Excellency Madame Nguyen Thi Binh, Vice-President of Viet Nam. E. Messages from Heads of State or Government [ UP ] 15. The Conference received messages wishing it success from His Excellency Mr. Heydor Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan; His Excellency Mr. Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia; His Excellency Flight Lieutenant J. J. Rawlings, President of Ghana; His Excellency Mr. Fidel V. Ramos, President of the Philippines; His Excellency Mr. Boris Yeltsin, President of the Russian Federation; His Excellency Mr. Abdou Diouf, President of Senegal; and Her Excellency Professor Tansu Ciller, Prime Minister of Turkey. F. Adoption of the rules of procedure [ UP ] 16. At the 1st plenary meeting, on 4 September, the Conference adopted the provisional rules of procedure (A/CONF.177/2) as approved by the Commission on the Status of Women at its thirty-ninth session, acting as the preparatory body for the Conference, and by the General Assembly in its decision 49/482 of 21 April 1995. G. Adoption of the agenda [ UP ] 17. At the 1st plenary meeting, on 4 September, the Conference adopted as its agenda the provisional agenda (A/CONF.177/1) recommended by the Commission on the Status of Women, acting as the preparatory body for the Conference, in annex I of its resolution 39/1. The agenda as adopted was as follows: 1. Opening of the Conference. H. Election of officers other than the President [ UP ] 18. At the 1st plenary meeting, on 4 September, the Conference endorsed the recommendations concerning the composition of the General Committee and the distribution of posts as set out in paragraph 4 of document A/CONF.177/3. 19. At the same meeting, the Conference elected Vice-Presidents from the following regional groups: African States (7 Vice-Presidents): Botswana, Congo, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan; Asian States (6 Vice-Presidents): Bangladesh, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Pakistan and the Syrian Arab Republic; Eastern European States (3 Vice-Presidents): Azerbaijan, Romania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Latin American and Caribbean States (5 Vice-Presidents): Bahamas, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba and Panama; Western European and other States (6 Vice-Presidents): Australia, Greece, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. 20. At the same meeting, the Conference elected an ex officio Vice-President from the host country, His Excellency Mr. Li Zhaoxing, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. 21. At the same meeting, the Conference elected Mrs. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (Namibia) Rapporteur-General of the Conference. 22. Also at the same meeting, the Conference elected Ms. Patricia B. Licuanan (Philippines) Chairperson of the Main Committee. I. Organization of work, including the establishment of the Main Committee of the Conference [ UP ] 23. At the 1st plenary meeting, on 4 September, the Conference, in accordance with the recommendations of the pre-Conference consultations contained in paragraphs 15 to 18 of document A/CONF.177/L.4, approved its organization of work. J. Appointment of the members of the Credentials Committee 24. At the 1st plenary meeting, on 4 September, in conformity with rule 4 of the rules of procedure of the Conference and the recommendation of the pre-Conference consultations contained in paragraph 19 of document A/CONF.177/L.4, the Conference established a Credentials Committee composed of China, Fiji, Honduras, Namibia, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Suriname, Togo and the United States of America, on the understanding that, if one of those States did not participate in the Conference, it would be replaced by another State from the same regional group. [ Previous Chapter ] [ Next Chapter ] |
