The Once and Future Action Network (OFAN)

Newsletter No. 3

Non-Governmental Organisations' Beijing Declaration

The following is an edited version of the Alternative NGO Beijing Declaration, which was submitted by non-governmental organizations who were dissatisfied with the official UN Declaration Declaration coming out of the Fourth World Conference on women. Non-governmental organizations felt that there were major weaknesses in the UN Platform for Action, in terms of the strength of the language in some areas, and the attention given to some key issues for which NGOs had been lobbying. The Alternative Declaration will be used along with the official Platform for Action as the basis for post-Beijing activities.

A decade after the Nairobi Conference, the Forward Looking Strategies have not been fully implemented by any government. we live in a world marked by growing poverty, unemployment, environmentally destructive economic growth, war, sexism, racism, xenophobia, homophobia and other forms of discrimination and violence against women. moreover, the intersection of gender, race and poverty create multiple burdens of discrimination for many women of colour.

We, the NGO women of the world, rich in our diversity, have gathered along with governments in the largest global conference ever to address women¹s issues and the existing barriers to our achieving equality, development and peace. We believe that these goals can be realized by ending the oppression of women and girls, by women¹s full participation in national and international decision-making, and transforming the social, economic and political structures which underlie and perpetuate poverty, racism, inequality, injustice, unemployment, violence and war.

We call on all governments:

  1. To recognize and ensure women¹s equal rights to a decent standard of living, health, clean water and air, adequate food, clothing, and sanitation, safe and accessible housing, adequate social security and social insurance, education and legal aid as agreed in the International Convention of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
  2. To take prompt action on the cancellation of multilateral debt; to enforce the accountability of international financial institutions and to ensure that all trade agreements are subject to human rights legislation, internationally recognized labour standards and environmental protection. Economic rights are human rights.
  3. To promote and use science and technology for peaceful purposes and people-centred, sustainable and ecologically sound development.
  4. ŒTo encourage, not hinder, the free expression, full participation and full access for women with disabilities in non-governmental and governmental organizations locally, nationally and internationally.
  5. To recognize and implement initiatives taken by poor and grassroots women, including them as full participants in all planning and distribution of resources.
  6. To amend their intellectual property laws so as to make indigenous women the primary beneficiaries of the commercial use of their knowledge.
  7. Dominant development models have been based upon the appropriation of resources from South by the North and the transfer of ideas, technologies and methodologies from the North to the South. We must build upon alternative models that currently exist in both South and North, which are based on equality, mutual respect, truer participation and accountability of all women. These models must be economically and socially equitable and environmentally sound. All development projects must take into account their effects on women, including the additional workload imposed on women by unsustainable and inappropriate technology.
  8. NGO women of the world call upon all peoples and all governments to radically reconsider and transform concepts, assumptions and structures governing social life, and to take action on our recommendations. This process will require the full and equal participation of women of all races, ethnic backgrounds, religions, classes, languages, girls, young women, older women, indigenous women, grassroots women, rural women, urban women, women with disabilities, immigrant women, migrant women, refugee women, internally and other displaced women, women of different sexual orientation, and all other marginalized women.

We call for:

  1. Access for women to political structures at all levels, and equal political empowerment at all decision-making levels.
  2. Recognition, protection, compensation, financial and other assistance and full legal status for the millions of women and children and the victims of nuclear and other environmental catastrophes. Every effort should be made to protect civilian populations from the adverse effect of economic sanctions, which impair their economic human rights.
  3. Universally accessible, high quality, non-discriminatory health care, which uses the great diversity of possibilities available in health systems world-wide rather than the present overdependence on medicine that overmedicates and pathologizes women¹s bodies.
  4. A reshaping of education for all children, beginning at the primary levels, to sensitize them about human rights, gender issues, and non-violent conflict resolution, stressing the need for world peace.
  5. Full implementation of the UN Decade for Human Rights Education and the prevention of human rights violations against women.
  6. New and additional financial, technical and other resources to successfully implement the plans and commitments from the Nairobi, Rio de Janeiro, Vienna, Cairo, Copenhagen and Beijing Conferences, and that member states fulfill their obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

We demand an end to rape, and to all forms of violence, sexual exploitation and harassment of women and children. We further demand an end to the trafficking of women and children.

We seek these transformations in the spirit of service to humanity, partners with youth as agents of change, keeping our children, grandchildren and future generations in our hearts. We are convinced that as women achieve full and equal participation in all the affairs of the planet, peace will be realized, and the well-being of every individual secured.

WE REAFFIRM THAT WOMEN¹S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS.

Next section / Newsletter index / OFAN Home page

For comments on this site and information, contact shuyer@ifias.ca