Beijing talks enter tough phase<\/p>\n
By Santi WE Soekanto and Carla Bianpoen<\/p>\n
BEIJING (JP): As world leaders at the World Conference on
\nWomen discussed the need to respect and promote women's rights,
\ndelegates began haggling behind the scenes over the wording of
\nsome of the documents and resolutions to be adopted here.<\/p>\n
Conference sources said there could be a rift in the main
\ncommittee which is deliberating over the main document of the
\nDraft Platform for Action and the Beijing Declaration.<\/p>\n
Patricia B. Licuanan of the Philippines, who chairs the
\nconference, said in an interview with The Jakarta Post and Kompas
\nyesterday that several areas of concern, which she called the
\nthree Rs -- (human) rights, resources and reproductive (rights)
\n-- are likely to polarize members from diverse backgrounds.<\/p>\n
Divisions are expected between representatives of countries
\nwith strong religious backgrounds, such as Islamic countries and
\nthe Vatican, on the one hand, and countries with different levels
\nof development and resources on the other, Licuanan said.<\/p>\n
"I hope these differences will eventually be resolved," she
\nsaid, pointing out that several preparatory meetings have
\nsignificantly reduced such differences and "positions have moved"
\nfrom the ones expressed previously.<\/p>\n
On human rights, some delegates have not been able to advance
\nfrom old debates on whether to use the term "universal" or merely
\n"human rights," she said. She expressed hope that main committee
\nmembers would not waste their time defending old positions.<\/p>\n
On the allotment or reallocation of resources for women's
\nprograms, she admitted that resistance could come from any
\ncountry. "How can we implement the Platform for Action without
\nresources?" she asked. "There will be debates over where
\nfinancial resources will come from. Will they be new, or will
\nthese resources be mobilized from old resources through re-
\nprioritizing?"<\/p>\n
"I'm not sure we can reach consensus," she said. "Some
\ncountries are very cautious about committing themselves (to
\nproviding such resources). There are those who support, there are
\nthose who resist."<\/p>\n
Another contentious area is women's reproductive rights. On
\nthat matter Licuanan said she thought that some tough debates
\nwould occur. She noted, however, a softening in the stance of the
\nHoly See, which took a hard line when the issue was discussed at
\nthe UN Population Conference in Cairo last year.<\/p>\n
"The bottom line is, they realize that they'll be lucky if we
\nstick to the Cairo agreement (on issues such as abortion) because
\nit's already quite moderate," Licuanan said. "Islamic countries,
\ntoo, have expressed a willingness to refer to the Cairo
\nagreement."<\/p>\n
One of the agreements reached in Cairo is that abortion will
\nnot be considered as a birth control method.<\/p>\n
Licuanan said debates could occur during the conference about
\nthe term "equality," the first word of the conference's theme,
\n"Equality, Development and Peace."<\/p>\n
Some Islamic countries have been campaigning for the
\nsubstitution, for the term, of the word "equity", she said, but
\nit is likely that some kind of compromise could be achieved by
\nusing the two terms interchangeably. "I'd like to call on the
\n(members) to move on. We don't have much time," she said.<\/p>\n
In various corners of the grand Beijing International
\nConvention Center, UN agencies and other organizations are
\ndistributing books, leaflets and other materials to conference
\nparticipants.<\/p>\n
A stand of the grand imam of Cairo-based Al Azhar University,
\nfor example, handed out booklets criticizing the draft Platform
\nfor Action and calling on Islamic states to campaign for more
\nprecise terms and avoid elasticity so that the content of the
\ndocument would not violate Islamic teachings.<\/p>\n
The Mecca-based Moslem World League in Mecca said that "full
\nequality between men and women, as between people of different
\nraces and ethnic groups, will be reached only when the issue is
\naddressed as one of humanity."<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, two plenary sessions of the conference yesterday
\nwere marked by long speeches by women leaders, among them Senator
\nLeticia Ramos-Shahani of the Philippines, Indonesia's State
\nMinister for Women's Roles Mien Sugandhi, Italian Foreign
\nMinister Susanna Agnelli, Namibian Deputy Minister for Foreign
\nAffairs Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitway and Queen Fabiola of Belgium.<\/p>\n
Mien said that "active community participation, especially (on
\nthe part of) women's organizations and the family welfare
\nmovement at the grassroots level," is instrumental in "narrowing
\nthe gap between genders and promoting equal partnership between
\nmen and women."<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in Huairou, where an NGO conference on women is
\nbeing held, Minh Chao Nguyen, Manager of Gender Policy and
\nAnalysis at the World Bank, told the forum that her office is
\ncommitted to enhancing women's participation in its lending
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
The Bank's assistance in Indonesia includes a major portion to
\nprojects of which women make out an important part, including
\nhealth, nutrition and population projects," Minh Chao Nguyen
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Hillary -- Page 12<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/beijing-talks-enter-tough-phase-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }