Implementation of strategic objectives and action in the critical area of concern: women in power and decision-making (agenda item 3 (c) (ii)) 43. At the 5th meeting, on 12 March, the Chairperson made a statement. 44. At the same meeting, the Commission held a panel discussion on women in power and decision-making and heard presentations by the following experts: Billie Miller, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tourism and International Transport, Barbados; Zofia Kuratowska, Deputy Speaker, Senate of Poland; Paloma Durán y Lalaguna, Professor of Law in the Faculty of Juridical Sciences, Universidad Jaime I, Spain; Eugenia Piza Lopez, Policy and Advocacy Manager, International Alert; Faiza Kefi, Member of the National Assembly of Tunisia and President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Coordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians. 45. Also at the same meeting, the Commission held a dialogue among Governments, in which the following delegations participated: India, Austria, Ghana, Tunisia, Paraguay, Israel, United States of America, Congo, Mexico, Slovakia, Norway and Chile. 46. The representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization also spoke. 47. The observers for four caucuses of non-governmental organizations spoke. The observer for the Inter-Parliamentary Union, a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, also spoke. 48. The panellists responded to points raised. 49. At the 7th meeting, on 13 March, the Chairperson made a statement. 50. At the same meeting, the Commission held a dialogue among Governments, in which the following delegations participated: Namibia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Finland, Turkey, Philippines, Argentina, Togo, Italy, China, Mali, Dominican Republic, Japan, Russian Federation, Germany, Brazil, France, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Netherlands, Malaysia, Guinea, New Zealand, Australia, Cuba, Canada, Syrian Arab Republic, Israel, Lebanon, Islamic Republic of Iran, Sweden and United States of America. 51. The observer for Palestine also spoke. 52. The panellists responded to points raised. Moderator’s summary of the panel discussion and dialogue on women in power and decision-making 53. The Beijing Platform for Action emphasized that a comprehensive, broad-based approach to women’s empowerment was essential if women were to fully participate and be represented in decision-making at all levels in political, economic and social life. Women’s political participation and representation were inextricably linked to wider issues of economic empowerment; education and training; human rights; social attitudes; values; and social support systems. Achieving the goal of equal participation of women and men in decision-making would provide the balance that was needed in order to strengthen democracy and promote its proper functioning. -40-