Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

On 15 September 1995, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a functional commission under the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action at the conclusion of the Fourth World Conference on Women.

This resolution sets out the international community’s commitment to advancing the status of women and establishes a platform for action. The platform for action defines measures to be taken in 12 priority areas of action: poverty, education and training, health, violence, armed conflict, the economy, power and decision-making, institutional mechanisms, women’s human rights, the media, the environment, and girls.

The CSW adopts multi-year work programmes to assess progress and make further recommendations for the accelerated implementation of the action programme. These recommendations take the form of negotiated conclusions on a priority theme. The CSW also contributes to the follow-up of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to accelerate the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Beijing Declaration in Belgium

The BDF participates in the information meetings at the Belgian level. These meetings are organised by the Human Rights Directorate of the FPS Foreign Affairs. Their aim is to prepare Belgium’s position and gather information on the themes of the declaration. Representatives of the Belgian government and civil society are invited to attend.