The three-day conference to commemorate the tenth anniversary of
the Fourth World Conference on Women ended in Beijing on Wednesday
afternoon after adopting the Beijing Plus Ten Declaration.
Gu Xiulian, vice chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the
National People's Congress and president of the All-China Women's
Federation (ACWF), addressing the closing ceremony, said delegates
from around the world had had wide-ranging and in-depth
discussions.
Gu said experiences had been shared, consensus reached and
friendships deepened.
The Declaration
applauded the roles and contributions of women to the realization
of equality, development and peace, and recognized their leadership
as rich resources and driving forces for development.
It said achievements made in the past decade in the
implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and for women's
advancement was inspirational, but expressed concern over obstacles
and challenges that remained.
The Declaration reaffirmed commitments to the principle of
equality enshrined in the UN Charter, and to the Beijing
Declaration, the Platform for Action, the Millennium Declaration
and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as the
Convention on All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
It said no efforts should be spared to speed up full and
effective implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the
Convention on All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the
attainment of the MDGs.
Today, the delegates from over 80 countries will go to Huairou,
where the 1995 Women's NGO Forum was held.
(China.org.cn by staff reporter Zhang Tingting, September 1,
2005)
