U.S. Department of State 
95/06/16 Focus:  4WCW Update on Preparations
Bureau of Public Affairs 
 

Focus on 4WCW Update on Preparations 
 
The UN Fourth World Conference on Women(4WCW),to be held in Beijing, 
China, September 4-15, 1995, is intended to stimulate increased activity 
at all levelsfrom local to global--to improve the status of women and 
promote equality between women and men. At the conference, the U.S. 
delegation will be discussing ways to ensure that women are full 
partners in their families, communities, and nations, as well as on a 
worldwide basis.  

The UN Fourth World Conference on Women is important to Americans 
because women everywhere want strong families, economic security, access 
to basic and better education and health care, participation in all 
levels of decision-making, personal safety, legal rights, and basic 
equality.  
 
U.S. Priorities
 
At the conference, the United States aims to promote the advancement and 
empowerment of women and to build on the commitments made at other 
important UN conferences: the 1985 Women's Conference in Nairobi, the 
1992 Environment and Development Conference in Rio, the 1993 Vienna 
Human Rights Conference, the 1994 Cairo Population and Development 
Conference (ICPD), and the 1995 Copenhagen Social Summit (WSSD). 
The U.S. will provide leadership on the following issues: 
 
--  Human rights of women, including actions to end violence against 
women; 
--  A life-span approach to health and education; 
--  Efforts to balance work and family responsibilities of both women 
and men; 
--  Economic security; 
--  The importance of the participation of the non-governmental sector 
as partner in building communities--locally, nationally, and 
internationally; and  
--  The full participation of women in political and economic decision-
making. 
 
U.S. Delegation
 
The U.S. Government has appointed a strong team to lead the official 
delegation to the UN Fourth World Conference on Women. First Lady 
Hillary Rodham Clinton will serve as Honorary Chair of the Delegation; 
no decision has been made about her attendance at the conference. 
Ambassador Madeleine K. Albright, U.S. Permanent Representative to the 
United Nations, will chair the Delegation; Donna Shalala, U.S. Secretary 
for Health and Human Services is Co-chair. Under Secretary of State for 
Global Affairs Timothy Wirth is Alternate Chair, and former Member of 
Congress Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky is Deputy Chair/Director of the 
Delegation. Veronica Biggins, former assistant to the President, will 
serve as Vice Chair.  
 
Other members of the delegation currently include Lynn Cutler of 
Washington, DC, Maria Antonietta Berriozabal of Texas, Arthenia Joyner 
of Florida, Dorothy Lamm of Colorado, and Linda Tarr-Whelan of 
Washington, DC. The White House is expected to name the full delegation 
by early summer.  
 
Global Prepcom
 
The final preparatory committee negotiating session, or "Prepcom," 
concluded its pre-conference work in New York City on April 7, 1995. 
During the three-week session, delegates discussed the platform, to 
which they added a section on girls and young women and a one-page 
Declaration to accompany the draft Platform for Action (see box). 
 
The current draft of the Platform for Action contains distinct elements 
that reflect a developing worldwide consensus that the only way to bring 
about equality, development, and peace is to empower women by 
integrating them into mainstream society where they can work in 
partnership with men. Such a consensus did not exist 10 years ago at the 
Nairobi conference. 
 
Non-governmental organization (NGO) accreditation to the conference also 
was deliberated at the prepcom. There are now more than 2,700 NGOs 
eligible to send representatives to observe the World Conference. The 
status of the additional 1,500 NGOs still seeking accreditation will be 
determined at the 1995 Substantive Session of the UN Economic and Social 
Council (ECOSOC) meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, during June and July. 
 
NGO Forum Site
 
Traditionally, there has been an effective working relationship between 
NGOs and governmental delegations at intergovernmental world 
conferences. In recent years, NGOs have organized parallel meetings 
known as "NGO Fora" that are held in conjunction with these conferences. 
The fora normally are located near official conference sites, thus 
facilitating dialogue among governmental and non-governmental 
representatives, and resulting in strengthened action plans. 
 
On June 8, Supatra Masdit, Convener of the NGO Forum, signed an 
agreement with the China Organizing Committee finalizing the site 
details for the NGO Forum. The official opening will take place at the 
Olympic Stadium (located across from the Beijing International 
Convention Center, site of the 4WCW) on August 30. The majority of NGO 
Forum activities will take place in Huariou at the Scenic Tourist Area, 
about 33 miles from Beijing. The agreement also calls for a satellite 
facility in Beijing near the conference site for participants at the NGO 
Forum to meet with Observer NGOs to the conference and government 
delegates. 
 
The U.S. Government is pleased that the UN, China, and NGO planners have 
reached agreement on what promises to be the largest gathering of its 
kind ever held. Recognizing a successful NGO Forum as an integral part 
of the World Conference, the U.S. will continue to work together with 
the UN, other member states, and the NGO community to encourage this 
outcome. 
 
Conference Logistics and Contact Information 
 
NGOs eligible to send representatives to the World Conference are 
receiving notification from the UN. After receiving notification, groups 
should immediately forward the names and addresses of designated 
individuals (up to two for national NGOs and five for international) to 
the Secretariat for the World Conference (see address below). The UN 
will mail confirming letters to all individual representatives in mid-
August. 
 
All deadlines for application for accreditation to the official 
conference and registration for the NGO Forum have passed.  
 
NGO observer representatives can register for photo identification 
badges near the Beijing International Convention Center beginning August 
28 upon presentation of a photo ID and individual confirmation letter 
from the UN. A photocopy of the UN's letter stating that the NGO has 
been accredited along with an original letter from the NGO stating that 
the individual is one of the group's designated representatives will 
also suffice. 
 
Visas to China will be issued by the Chinese embassy and consulates. 
Visas are valid only for three months and, therefore, should not be 
requested until late June at the earliest for NGO Forum attendees; early 
July for those participating in the conference. See box for  information 
about visas to China. 
 
It is recommended that Forum and Conference participants consider 
purchasing travelers insurance to cover all reasonable contingencies for 
canceling your trip. 
 
Due to the change of site to Huairou, all Forum participants are 
required to fill out a "New Hotel Reservation Form" that is being sent 
out by the NGO Forum. The deadline for returning this new form to the 
China Organizing Committee is July 5, 1995.  The address for the 
committee is: 
 
China Organizing Committee 
Fourth World Conference on Women and NGO Forum on Women 
Beijing '95 
No. 15 Jianguomen St. 
Beijing 100730 
P.R. China 
Phone: 861-5221133, ext: 3006 
Fax: 861-5225329  
 
State Department. Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Timothy 
Wirth established the Global Conference Secretariat to coordinate all 
U.S. Government preparations and follow-up for the conference.  Ms. 
Theresa Loar is the Director of the Global Conference Secretariat. 
Contact: 
 
Global Conference Secretariat 
Room 1318 
2201 C St. NW 
Department of State 
Washington, DC 20520 
Phone: 202-647-3129 
Fax: 202-647-4787 
 
United Nations. Ms. Gertrude Mongella of Tanzania is the Secretary 
General of the Conference. Contact : 
 
UN Secretariat of the Fourth World Conference on Women 
Division for the Advancement of Women 
DC2-1234 
Two United Nations Plaza 
New York, NY 10017 
Phone: 212-963-8385 
Fax: 212 963-3463 
  
NGO Forum. Ms. Supatra Masdit is the Convenor of the NGO Forum. Contact: 
 
NGO Forum on Women, Beijing '95 
211 E. 43rd St., Suite 1500 
New York, NY  10017 
Phone: 212-922-9267 or 922-9268 
Fax: 212-922-9269 (###) 
 

[Box] 
Public Participation 
 
The Global Conference Secretariat of the U.S. Department of State is 
sponsoring monthly public meetings to discuss preparations for the 
Women's Conference. All interested individuals are invited to attend. 
The meetings will be held 3:30-5:00 p.m. at the Office of Personnel 
Management (OPM) auditorium in Washington, DC, 1900 E St. NW, on the 
following dates: July 11 and August 1. 
 
In addition, a series of substantive discussions on specific sections of 
the conference's Platform for Action are open to the public. These 
discussions will be held in room 1350 at OPM 3:30-5:00 p.m. on the 
following dates: 
 
Education/Girl-Child: June 19 
Poverty/Economics: June 22 
UN Systems/Resources: June 23 
Diversity: June 30 
 
There will be an additional meeting in New York on Thursday, June 22 to  
be held from 2:00-3:30 p.m. in UN Conference Room 2.(###) 
 
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[Box] 
 
Other Information Sources 
 
Information Hotline. Department of State Global Conference Secretariat 
hotline for recorded information on public meetings and other special 
events related to the 4WCW is 202-663-3070 or, for the hearing impaired, 
TDD 202-647-3750.  
 
Special Needs Information. U.S. participants with special needs should 
contact the Global Conference Secretariat on 202-647-3129 several weeks 
prior to scheduled events so that reasonable accommodation can be made. 
 
Print Sources. Copies of the draft Platform for Action are available 
from the Conference Secretariat at the United Nations. Requests may be 
made by fax (dial 212-963-3463) or by writing to: 
 
   Secretariat for the Fourth World Conference on Women 
   Division for the Advancement of Women, Room DC2-1234 
   United Nations 
   New York, NY 10017 
 
Visa Information. The Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs 
publication "Foreign Entry Requirements" lists the address of the 
Chinese embassy along with all consulates in the United States. To 
request a copy by fax, dial 202-647-3000 and enter publication number 
10007 at the appropriate prompt. Copies of this publication are also 
available at U.S. passport offices, listed in the blue pages of your 
local telephone directory. 
 
Electronic Access.  Other information about the 4WCW is available 
electronically through the Department of State Foreign Affairs Network 
(DOSFAN) under the heading "UN Fourth World Conference on Women" under 
the Bureau of International Organization Affairs/United Nations section 
of the Global Affairs listing. Visa information is available in the 
Consular and Travel Information section. DOSFAN is accessible three ways 
on the Internet: 
 
   Gopher:  dosfan.lib.uic.edu 
   URL:  gopher://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ 
   WWW:  http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/dosfan.html 
 
DOSFAN is also accessible from most commercial on-line services. For 
additional technical information about DOSFAN, contact John Shuler by e-
mail at john.a.shuler@uic.edu. or by phone on 312-996-2738.  
 
Copies of the draft Platform for Action are also available via e-mail 
under the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) network at 
the following addresses: 
 
   un.wcw.doc.eng (English) 
   un.wcw.doc.esp (Spanish) 
   un.wcw.doc.fra (French) 
   fourth_wcw@Together.org 
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[Box] 
The information in this publication is not copyrighted; we encourage you 
to reproduce and disseminate this Focus to your colleagues and other 
interested parties. (###) 
 
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