The Beijing Platform for Action

The Beijing Platform for Action (BFPA)

The Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) was adopted at the Fourth United Nations World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995. It is an internationally agreed plan for achieving equality for women across 12 critical areas – poverty, education and training, health, the economy, power and decision-making, human rights, armed conflict, institutional mechanisms, the environment, violence against women and the girl child.

Following the 1995 Fourth United Nations World Conference on Women, the United Nations General Assembly mandated the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women to integrate into its program a follow-up process to the Conference, regularly reviewing the critical areas of concern in the BPFA and to develop its role in mainstreaming a gender perspective in United Nations activities.

In 1996, the Commission adopted a multi-year program of work based on the 12 critical areas of concern identified in the BPFA for the period of 1997-2000. Subsequent work programs were adopted in 2001 and most recently in 2006 based on the BPFA and the Beijing +5 Outcome Document.

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Beijing +15

The 54th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 54) marked the 15 year review of the BPFA also known as Beijing +15.

The Australian Government Office for Women led the Australian delegation to CSW 54 in New York from 1-12 March 2010. The delegation comprised representatives from the Office for Women, the Equal Employment for Women in the Workplace Agency, AusAID, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, and the Human Rights Commission.

Also included on the Australian Government delegation were three community representatives, two of whom are Indigenous women, Mary O’Reeri and Leanne Miller, and a community expert, Carole Shaw.

For more information see Commission on the Status of Women

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Australia contributes to the regional review of the Beijing Platform in the lead-up to CSW 54/Beijing +15 in New York in March 2010

Australia was represented at the High Level Intergovernmental Meeting on Gender Equality held in Bangkok from 16-18 November 2009.

The meeting of Minister and senior officials was convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) as part of the 15 year review process for the regional implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly (2000) for the ESCAP region.

Australia delivered a Country Statement, highlighting key achievements and remaining challenges in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action in Australia.

Ministers and senior officials from 40 countries reaffirmed their commitment to women’s empowerment with the adoption of the Bangkok Declaration for Beijing +15 which will intensify the region’s effort to improve the lives of women and girls.

This meeting was one of five regional reviews undertaken by all five United Nations regional commissions in the lead-up to the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which took place in New York from 1-12 March 2010. These regional reviews fed into the 54th CSW meeting which reviewed the global implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and what has been achieved in the 15 years since its adoption.

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Australia’s response to the UNESCAP Questionnaire on the implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing 1995)

In April 2009 the Australian Government provided its response to the UNESCAP Questionnaire on the implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing 1995) in preparation for the regional review and appraisals for the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2010. The Australian Government response outlines Australia’s progress towards the 12 critical areas of concern of the Platform for Action between 2004 and 2009.

Since Australia’s response was submitted to UNESCAP in April 2009 the Government has announced a number of key initiatives. These recent developments further support Australia’s progress in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

The UNESCAP Questionnaire sent to governments is available on the UNESCAP website.

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The BPFA review process

The BPFA has been reviewed on two previous occasions:

  • The 23rd Special Session of the UN General Assembly, in 2000: Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century (Beijing +5) during which Beijing Plus Five Political Declaration and the Outcome Documents were adopted.
  • The 49th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (Beijing +10) during which commitment to the Beijing Platform for Action and the Beijing Plus Five Outcome Document was reaffirmed and the Beijing Plus Ten and Beyond report was prepared.

Review years are critical times for assessing progress towards implementation of the BPFA internationally and determining the way ahead toward the goal of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Australia was actively involved in the Beijing +5 and Beijing +10 reviews. In the lead up to Beijing +10, the Office for Women undertook consultation with NGOs as part of a review of Australia’s progress towards implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Beijing Plus Five Outcome Document.

 

Content Updated: 15 June 2012