E/2002/27 E/CN.6/2002/13 women and the importance of gender equality and the empowerment of women, as well as the recognition of the impact of disasters. 12. The Commission on the Status of Women also welcomes the convening of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, to be held in Johannesburg, stresses the importance of gender mainstreaming throughout the process and urges gender balance in the composition of delegations as well as the involvement and full participation of women in the preparations, work and outcome of the World Summit, thus renewing the commitment to gender equality objectives at the international level. The Commission on the Status of Women further reiterates that all States and all people shall cooperate in the essential task of eradicating poverty as an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, in order to decrease the disparities in standards of living and better meet the needs of the majority of the people of the world. B. Draft decisions for adoption by the Council 2. The Commission on the Status of Women also recommends to the Economic and Social Council the adoption of the following draft decisions: Draft decision I Election of the Bureau of the Commission on the Status of Women* The Economic and Social Council, in order to improve the work of the Commission on the Status of Women and to ensure continuity in the work of its successive Bureaux, decides: (a) That the terms of office of the members of the Commission will be for four regular sessions of the Commission, to begin immediately after the conclusion of work of the Commission’s regular session held after 1 January, following their election by the Council, and to end at the conclusion of the regular session held after 1 January, following the election of the States that are to succeed them as members of the Commission, unless they are re-elected; (b) To extend the terms of office of those members of the Commission whose terms are to expire: (i) On 31 December 2002, until the conclusion of the forty-seventh session of the Commission; (ii) On 31 December 2003, until the conclusion of the forty-eighth session of the Commission; (iii) On 31 December 2004, until the conclusion of the forty-ninth session of the Commission; (c) That, starting with the forty-seventh session in 2003, the Commission, immediately following the closure of a regular session, will hold the first meeting of its subsequent regular session for the sole purpose of electing the new Chairperson and other members of the Bureau, in accordance with rule 15 of the rules of procedure of the functional Commissions of the Council; __________________ * 16 For the discussion, see chap. II.