E/2006/27 E/CN.6/2006/15 empowerment and independence increased women’s vulnerability to a range of negative consequences, involving the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other poverty-related diseases; (c) Take all appropriate measures to respond to the concern that the HIV/AIDS pandemic reinforced gender inequalities, that women and girls bore a disproportionate share of the burden imposed by the HIV/AIDS crisis, that they were infected more easily, that they played a key role in care and that they had become more vulnerable to poverty as a result of the HIV/AIDS crisis; (d) Promote respect and realization of the principles contained in the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up,39 consider ratification and full implementation of conventions of the International Labour Organization, design policies and programmes that were particularly relevant to providing equal access for women to productive employment and decent work, remove structural and legal barriers, as well as stereotypical attitudes to gender equality at work, promote equal pay for equal work or work of equal value, promote the recognition of the value of women’s unremunerated work, and develop and promote policies that facilitated the reconciliation of employment and family responsibilities and access to work for women with disabilities. Agreed conclusions Equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes at all levels* 1. The Commission on the Status of Women reaffirmed the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action,14 which emphasized that without the active participation of women and the incorporation of women’s perspectives at all levels of decisionmaking, the goals of equality, development and peace could not be achieved, and that women’s equal participation was a necessary condition for women’s and girls’ interests to be taken into account and was needed in order to strengthen democracy and promote its proper functioning. 2. The Commission reaffirmed the outcome document adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-third special session,40 paragraph 23 of which acknowledged that despite general acceptance of the need for gender balance in decision-making bodies at all levels, a gap between de jure and de facto equality had persisted, and that women continued to be underrepresented at the legislative, ministerial and subministerial levels, as well as at the highest levels of the corporate sector and other economic and social institutions, and drew attention to the obstacles that hindered women’s entry into decision-making positions. 3. The Commission reaffirmed also the commitment to the equal participation of women and men in public life enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and in the Convention on the Political Rights of Women,41 which stated that women should be on equal terms with men, without any discrimination, entitled to vote in all elections, eligible for election to all publicly elected bodies established by national __________________ * For the discussion, see chap. II, paras. 32-40. Adopted on 18 June 1998 by the International Labour Conference at its eighty-sixth session. 40 General Assembly resolution S-23/3 annex. 41 General Assembly resolutions 217 A (111), and 2200 A (XXI), annex and 640 (VII), annex. 39 28