industrial development processes and the labour market in general; further strengthening databases, including the development of methods and statistics for further gender analysis and conducting and disseminating policy-oriented gender research. 54. In order to highlight the key role of education for the advancement of girls and women, a proposal was made to celebrate international literacy day at Beijing. The role of the mass communication media in promoting gender equality and women’s active participation in development was stressed. 55. Many representatives of various non-governmental organizations addressed the issues regarding the preparations for the Fourth World Conference on Women and made their comments on the Platform for Action. ACTION TAKEN BY THE COMMISSION Accreditation of non-governmental organizations to the Fourth World Conference on Women 56. At the 16th meeting, on 3 April 1995, the representative of France, on behalf of the European Union, and Australia, Bangladesh***, Botswana*, Brazil*, Bulgaria, Cameroon*, Canada*, Cote d’Ivoire*, Cyprus, Estonia*, Iceland*, Latvia*, Lithuania*, Malawi*, New Zealand*, Nicaragua*, Nigeria*, Norway*, Pakistan, the Philippines, Switzerland*, Tonga*, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland*, the United States of America* and Zambia, introduced a draft decision (E/CN.6/1995/L.20) entitled "Accreditation of non-governmental organizations to the Fourth World Conference on Women", which contained a draft resolution recommended by the Commission, as the preparatory body for the Conference, for adoption by the General Assembly. Subsequently, Argentina*, the Bahamas, Burundi*, China, Chile, the Congo, Eritrea*, Gabon*, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Lesotho*, Liberia*, Madagascar, Malaysia, the Marshall Islands*, Mauritania*, Nepal*, the Niger*, Panama*, Paraguay*, Peru, Romania*, Sao Tome and Principe*, Sierra Leone*, Slovakia, South Africa*, the Sudan, Swaziland*, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia and Zimbabwe* joined in sponsoring the draft resolution. 57. At the same meeting, statements were made by the representatives of Peru, the Sudan and Namibia and the observer for Sierra Leone. 58. At the 18th meeting, on 6 April, the representative of France, on behalf of the European Union, orally revised the draft resolution recommended for adoption by the General Assembly as follows: (a) A new operative paragraph was inserted between operative paragraphs 3 and 4, which read as follows: "Further requests the secretariat to extend the deadline for applications for accreditation of non-governmental organizations until 28 April 1995, to continue to consider applications received by that date and to ensure that those applications are considered in a transparent manner, applying the criteria set out in General Assembly resolution 48/108 of 20 December 1993"; *** In accordance with rule 69 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council. -42-