In draft resolution IV on agreed conclusions of the Commission on critical areas of
concern identified in the Beijing Platform for Action, the Council would endorse the agreed
conclusions adopted by the Commission with respect to the two critical areas of concern
addressed by the Commission at its forty-third session — women and health, and institutional
mechanisms for the advancement of women.
In its agreed conclusions on women and health, the Commission reconfirmed the targets
identified in the Platform for Action and recommended accelerated efforts for their
implementation. The Commission called for the provision of maternal and essential obstetric
care, including emergency care. It requested the enactment of laws to eliminate sexual violence
against women and girls, and the elimination of stigmatization and social exclusion
surrounding infectious diseases. It called for the development of preventive and remedial
health services and the provision of appropriate counselling and treatment for mental disorders
in women and girls. Research was to be undertaken into the gender differences in the causes
and effects of the use and abuse of substances, including narcotic drugs and alcohol, and
measures aimed at occupational and environmental health to protect women workers in all
sectors, including agricultural and domestic household workers, were outlined. The
Commission recommended mainstreaming a gender perspective into the curricula and training
of all health-care and service providers, and using the opportunity provided by health sector
reform and development to integrate gender analysis systematically into the health sector.
In its agreed conclusions on institutional mechanisms, the Commission requested
Governments to ensure that senior management in each ministry or agency take the
responsibility for fulfilling gender equality commitments and integrating a gender perspective
in all activities, and promote effective monitoring mechanisms. It requested that Governments
give visibility to the relationship between remunerated and unremunerated work and its
importance to gender analysis. It further urged Governments to ensure that the needs, rights
and interests of women were identified and mainstreamed into policy and programme
development. The Commission also requested that Governments coordinate with
non-governmental organizations and civil society in national and international activities,
including elaborating national action plans and implementing the Platform for Action. The
international community, including the United Nations, was called upon to implement agreed
conclusions 1997/2 of the Economic and Social Council. It was also called upon to develop
gender action plans for the achievement of gender balance in conformity with Article 101
of the Charter of the United Nations. The Division for the Advancement of Women of the
United Nations Secretariat was requested to expand the directory of national machineries to
facilitate communication among national machineries around the world.
In draft decision I on enabling the Commission to carry out its mandate, the Council
would decide that the Commission should continue to meet annually after the year 2000, for
a period of 10 working days.
In draft decision II, the Council would take note of the report of the Commission on its
forty-third session and approve the provisional agenda and documentation for its forty-fourth
session.
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