A/RES/54/141 Page 2 Deeply convinced that the Beijing Declaration2 and the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women are important contributions to the advancement of women worldwide in the achievement of gender equality and must be translated into effective action by all States, the United Nations system and other organizations concerned, as well as by non-governmental organizations, Recognizing that the responsibility for the implementation of the Platform for Action rests primarily at the national level and that strengthened efforts are necessary in this respect, and reiterating that enhanced international cooperation is essential for the effective implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, 1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and full implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action;3 2. Commends the work of the Commission on the Status of Women acting as the preparatory committee for the special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”; 3. Takes note of the ministerial communiqué adopted by the Economic and Social Council at the high-level segment of its substantive session of 1999 on the theme “The role of employment and work in poverty eradication: the empowerment and advancement of women”,4 as well as Council resolution 1999/55 of 30 July 1999 on integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to major United Nations conferences and summits; 4. Welcomes the initiatives and actions taken by Governments, the United Nations system and other international organizations as well as by non-governmental organizations and other actors of civil society towards the accelerated implementation of the Beijing Declaration2 and the Platform for Action,1 and calls upon them to implement effectively all the critical areas of concern of the Platform for Action by promoting the empowerment of women at all levels and their full participation in all spheres of society through, inter alia, an active and visible policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective at all levels; 5. Also welcomes the replies from Governments to the questionnaire on the implementation of the Platform for Action,5 and once again invites Governments that have not yet done so to submit national evaluations of the implementation of the Platform for Action, in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1999/50 of 29 July 1999; 6. Recognizes the importance attached to the regional and subregional monitoring of the global and regional platforms for action by regional commissions and other subregional or regional structures, within 2 Ibid., annex I. 3 A/54/264. 4 A/54/3, chap. III, para. 23. For the final text, see Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/54/3/Rev.1). 5 See A/54/264, para. 49. /...