status of women chapter xx status of...

Status of women 879

Chapter XX

Status of women

Although the Commission on the Status ofWomen did not meet in 1979, the Economic andSocial Council and the General Assembly took anumber of decisions to advance the status ofwomen and towards ensuring more effective andequitable participation of women in develop-ment. The Council considered preparations forthe World Conference of the United NationsDecade for Women: Equality, Development andPeace, to be held in July 1980, the establishmentof the International Research and Training Insti-tute for the Advancement of Women, and the im-portance of the integration of women in the de-velopment process for achievement of the goalsof the 1975 World Plan of Action.

On 18 December, the General Assemblycompleted its work on, adopted and opened forsignature the Convention on the Elimination ofAll Forms of Discrimination against Women.

The Assembly also took up the question ofpreparations for the World Conference of theUnited Nations Decade for Women. In addition,it took decisions on the programmes andmanagement of the Voluntary Fund for theUnited Nations Decade for Women, the effectivemobilization and integration of women in devel-opment and the status and role of women in edu-cation and in the economic and social fields.

These and other decisions are described in thefollowing subchapters.

United Nations Decade for Women

Preparation s for the Worl d Conferenc e ofthe Unite d Nation s Decad e for Women , 1980

On 9 February, at its 1979 organizational ses-sion, the Economic and Social Council acceptedan invitation from Denmark to hold the WorldConference of the United Nations Decade forWomen: Equality, Development and Peace —which the General Assembly had decided, by aresolution of 15 December 1975,1 to convene atthe mid-term of the Decade — at Copenhagenfrom 14 to 30 July 1980. It took this action inadopting decision 1979/4, without objection, asproposed by the Government of Denmark.

On the same date, by decision 1979/5 adoptedfollowing informal consultations, the Councildeferred consideration of a note prepared by theSecretariat on the effects the provisional agendaof the 1980 World Conference might have on thework programmes of the Council and the Com-mission on the Status of Women, so that conse-quential modifications in those bodies' work pro-grammes and documentation might be made.The Council decided that the note, whichmainly reviewed the Commission's related workprogramme, should be revised to take into con-sideration discussion at the Council's organiza-tional session and the appointment of theSecretary-General of the Conference, and betransmitted to its first regular 1979 session inApril/May.

The revised note annotated the provisionalagenda for the World Conference and dealt with

related documents, outlined the sequence ofConference-related meetings and documentdeadlines, discussed the programme of work ofthe Preparatory Committee for the World Con-ference of the United Nations Decade forWomen and the Conference-related work pro-gramme of the Commission on the Status ofWomen, and, commenting on the interrelation-ship between the work of the Preparatory Com-mittee and the Commission, proposed that theCommittee meet between the Commission'sFebruary/March 1980 session and the JulyConference.

Annexed to the report were provisional agen-das for the Conference, for the Preparatory Com-mittee at its second (August/September 1979)session, and for the Commission at its 1980 ses-sion, as well as a list of Conference documents,indicating any prior consideration by UnitedNations organs.

The Council took note of the revised note bydecision 1979/20 adopted on 9 May 1979, with-out vote, on the recommendation of its Second(Social) Committee, which had approved thetext, orally proposed by its Chairman, withoutobjection on 4 May.

The USSR reaffirmed its reservations withregard to the document, which included what itconsidered an insufficient balance of activitiesmentioned therein to achieve the interrelated

1 See Y.U.N. , 1975 , p. 666, resolutio n 3520(XXX).

880 Economic and social questions

goals of equality, development and peace for theDecade, and its concern over doubts which hadbeen expressed about the Commission's abilityto prepare a draft declaration on the participa-tion of women in the struggle for strengtheninginternational peace and security and againstcolonialism and racism.

Also on 9 May, the Council gave advance au-thorization to the Secretary-General to transmitto the General Assembly at its regular 1979 ses-sion the report of the Preparatory Committee forthe World Conference on its second session,which was to be held in August/September1979. The Council adopted decision 1979/21,embodying this action, without vote, on therecommendation of the Second Committee,which had approved it in like manner on 4 May.The text was proposed by India, Jamaica, theNetherlands, New Zealand, Senegal, the UnitedStates and Zambia.

The Preparatory Committee's second sessionwas held at United Nations Headquarters, NewYork, from 27 August to 8 September. Its reportlisted those matters which were to be brought tothe attention of, or required action by, the GeneralAssembly, together with rules of procedure andother outstanding questions on the organizationof the work of the Conference. It examined pre-paratory work on the substantive items on theprovisional agenda for the Conference and otheractivities related to the preparation of the Confer-ence, and suggested a provisional agenda for athird session of the Preparatory Committee.

Annexed to the report were preliminary guide-lines for a programme of action for the secondhalf of the United Nations Decade for Women(1981-1985), designed to implement the WorldPlan of Action for the Implementation of the Ob-jectives of the International Women's Year,adopted in 1975 at Mexico City.2

In accordance with a decision of the Prepara-tory Committee, the Secretary-General present-ed to the Assembly detailed proposals, includingbudgetary provisions, for carrying out the Com-mittee's recommendations on the Conference.His note outlining these proposals also containedresource requirements for 1980 additional tothose requested in the 1980-1981 programmebudget estimates.

The Assembly considered the Committee'sreport at its 1979 session and, by resolution34/162, approved the recommendations it con-tained concerning activities related to the prepa-rations for the Conference. It requested theSecretary-General to seek extrabudgetary fundsfor post-Conference information activities and toensure the participation in the Conference ofisland and land-locked developing countries,and asked him to provide appropriations for par-

ticipation of the least developed countries andfor a number of specific preparatory and otherConference-related meetings, documents, staff—including staff to carry out post-Conference in-formation activities — and activities, includingthe holding of a third session of the PreparatoryCommittee in 1980.

The Assembly strongly urged Member Statesto ensure adequate preparation for the Confer-ence, including the presentation of studies. Itcalled upon those States and relevant UnitedNations organs and organizations to mobilizepublic opinion in support of the Conference andits objectives.

The Assembly adopted resolution 34/162 on17 December, without vote, on a recommenda-tion by its Third (Social, Humanitarian and Cul-tural) Committee, where it was sponsored by 33States (see DOCUMENTARY REFERENCES below),orally revised by them, and approved on 29November by 122 votes to 0, with 9 abstentions.

The USSR said it could not accept, andrequested a separate vote on, the paragraph bywhich the Secretary-General was asked to pro-vide budgetary appropriations in a number ofspecific areas, including areas which the USSRfelt bore no direct relation to Conference prepa-rations, such as expenditures in respect of an in-formation programme and of an increase in thesize of the secretariat once the Conference wasover. The paragraph was adopted by 114 votesto 8, with 6 abstentions.

Poland felt that paragraph entailed costs thatshould not be charged to the United Nationsregular budget. The Federal Republic of Ger-many also had reservations regarding requestsfor funds to meet travel costs of delegations to aconference. Ireland said the contents of thatparagraph should not serve as a precedent forfuture world conferences. The United Kingdomalso reserved its position on the financial impli-cations of the resolution.

On 17 December, the Assembly, by resolution34/155 on the United Nations Decade forWomen, requested the World Conference to con-sider: means to ensure more effective participa-tion of women in the planning and policy pro-cesses of their Governments and more adequatereflection of women's needs and concerns inthose processes; and the conditions necessary forensuring equal access of women and men to posi-tions of responsibility which would enable themto participate in the formulation of national poli-cies in employment, health and education.

The Assembly called on Member States toensure, as regards education and access to publicsocial, economic, administrative or political

2 Ibid., p. 647.

Status of women 881

functions, conditions of equality between menand women and promotion without discrimina-tion; it also called on Governments to ensure theeffective participation of women in the decision-making process with respect to foreign policyand international economic and political co-operation, including equal access to diplomaticfunctions and representation in the UnitedNations and other international organizations.

Resolution 34/155 was adopted, without vote,on the recommendation of the Third Committee,which had likewise approved the text, after oralrevision by the sponsors, on 28 November. Itwas sponsored by Australia, Canada, the CentralAfrican Republic, France, Gabon, the FederalRepublic of Germany, Greece, Guatemala,Italy, the Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Morocco,the Philippines, Thailand, Tunisia, the UnitedRepublic of Cameroon and the United States.

The United Kingdom pointed out, after ap-proval, that the criterion it applied when con-sidering suitability for posts was merit and notsex.

Among the documents before the Assembly inconnexion with the Decade and the World Con-ference were letters of 8 March and 30 July 1979from Angola to the Secretary-General transmit-ting messages issued by the Organization ofAngolan Women on 8 March, on the occasion ofInternational Women's Day, and on 31 July, onthe occasion of African Women's Day. On 26November, Democratic Kampuchea addressedto the Secretary-General a statement of its repre-sentative at the Regional Preparatory Confer-ence for the World Conference, held at NewDelhi, India, in early November, requesting thatan item on Kampuchean women be included inthe Conference agenda.

By another resolution adopted on 17 Decem-ber, the Assembly decided to include in theprovisional agenda for the World Conference anitem on the effects of Israeli occupation onPalestinian women inside and outside the occu-pied territories.

The Assembly took this action by resolution34/160, adopted, by a recorded vote of 122 to 2,with 20 abstentions, on the recommendation ofthe Third Committee, which had approved it on29 November by a recorded vote of 109 to 2,with 20 abstentions. The text was sponsored by40 States (see DOCUMENTARY REFERENCES below).

Ireland, on behalf of the member States of theEuropean Communities, stated after the votethat, having reservations regarding the inclusionof special situations in the agenda of the Confer-ence, they had abstained. The United Statesvoiced similar concern. Portugal felt the Confer-ence should deal only with the humanitarian as-pects of the situation of Palestinian women; as

worded, Portugal felt, the item could give rise tomisinterpretations.

Also on 17 December, the Assembly adoptedresolution 34/158 on the World Conference,thereby calling on Member States to make everyeffort in preparing and carrying out the Confer-ence, requesting the Preparatory Committee tointensify its preparation of an effective pro-gramme of action, and urging the Commissionon the Status of Women to consider at its 1980session the elaboration of a draft declaration onthe participation of women in the struggle tostrengthen international peace and security andagainst colonialism, racism, racial discrimina-tion, foreign aggression and occupation and allforms of foreign domination, in accordance witha 1977 Assembly resolution by which the Com-mission had been requested to draft such a decla-ration in preparation for the 1980 WorldConference.3

Also by resolution 34/158, the Assembly tooknote of a report of the Secretary-General onwomen's participation in the strengthening of in-ternational peace and security and in the struggleagainst colonialism, racism, racial discrimination,foreign aggression and occupation and all forms offoreign domination. It had been prepared in accor-dance with the same 1977 resolution asking for areport on action taken to implement a 1975 resolu-tion,4 by which the Assembly had called for in-tensified efforts to end all such practices and poli-cies, to strengthen peace, expand detente, bringabout disarmament and convene a world disarma-ment conference. The report was based on repliesfrom Australia, the Byelorussian SSR, Cuba,Mali, Mauritius, Nepal, the Ukrainian SSR, theUSSR and the United Arab Emirates, as well asfrom specialized agencies and non-governmentalorganizations. Included was an analysis of majorobstacles to greater participation by women ininternational co-operation and strengtheningpeace, based on replies to a questionnaire onimplementation of the World Plan of Actionadopted at the 1975 World Conference of the In-ternational Women's Year,5 a record of the partici-pation of women as Government representativesat United Nations meetings and quantitative dataprovided by Governments on women's participa-tion in international co-operation and strengthen-ing of international peace.

Resolution 34/158 was adopted by a recordedvote of 121 to 2, with 21 abstentions. The reso-lution was approved by the Third Committee on29 November by a recorded vote of 103 to 2, with23 abstentions. Its sponsors were Afghanistan,

3 See Y.U.N., 1977, p. 756, resolution 32/142 of 16 December 1977.4 See Y.U.N., 1975, p. 670, resolution 3519(XXX) of 15 December

1975.5 See footnote 2.


Benin, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Cuba, Czechoslo-vakia, Democratic Yemen, Ethiopia, Gabon, theGerman Democratic Republic, Guinea-Bissau,Guyana, Iraq, Madagascar, Mali, Mongolia,Mozambique, Nicaragua, the Niger, Sao Tomeand Principe, Sierra Leone, the Syrian ArabRepublic, the USSR and Viet Nam.

To a preambular paragraph by which the As-sembly considered that equal participation ofwomen in development and political life wouldcontribute to peace and to creating the new in-ternational economic order, Senegal submittedbut later withdrew an amendment referring alsoto their contribution to creating a new world cul-tural order. The sponsors accepted a Canadian/United Kingdom amendment to include in thisparagraph mention of women's contribution tothe promotion and protection of human rightsand fundamental freedoms. On a proposal ofthese two countries the sponsors also deleted,when they revised their original text, referenceto the Commission's considering "with priority"the question of elaborating a draft declarationon women's participation in the struggle forpeace, but did not accept insertion of "all situa-tions of violations of human rights" in the scopeof the declaration. They also accepted a draftingamendment by Lesotho.

Speaking in explanation of vote, the UnitedStates said it continued to oppose the recommen-dation that a draft declaration of the kind pro-posed should be elaborated. It reiterated itsconcern at including politically controversialquestions among the activities of the World Con-ference. New Zealand also felt that the Commis-sion's and the Conference's limited time should bedevoted to a strong programme of action to benefitwomen rather than to discussion of such a special-ized question.

Chile said that it had voted for the resolution be-cause of the importance it attached to the Confer-ence but it had reservations about a preambularparagraph, included on a proposal by Iraq, bywhich the Assembly took into account the reportof the Conference on Non-Aligned and Other De-veloping Countries on the Role of Women in De-velopment, held at Baghdad in May 1979 — whichIraq had transmitted to the Assembly by a noteverbale of 13 June — because Chile did not endorsea number of its conclusions. Israel said it opposedthe resolution because it included the Iraqiproposal, which referred to a document denounc-ing Zionism and stressing the equation of zionismwith racism. Ireland said the nine member coun-tries of the European Communities had abstainedbecause of the problem that that proposal wouldcause for them.

Algeria said that, since the Declaration on theEstablishment of a New International Economic

Order6 already covered the question, it wouldvote against the resolution.

On the question of women refugees, theGeneral Assembly adopted resolution 34/161,whereby it requested the Office of the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Refugees toreview the situation of women refugees theworld over and make recommendations foraction that could be taken to assist them, takinginto account the requirements of the regions con-cerned, to be included in a draft report for thePreparatory Committee for the World Confer-ence at its third session and a final report to besubmitted to the Conference. The topic was tobe included in the Conference agenda as a sub-item of the item on the programme of action forthe second half of the United Nations Decadefor Women.

The Assembly took this action, without vote,on 17 December on the recommendation of theThird Committee, which had approved the textwithout vote, as orally revised by the sponsors,on 29 November. The resolution was sponsoredby Australia, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, CostaRica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala,Guinea, Kenya, Morocco, Papua New Guinea,Peru, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Singapore,Somalia, the Sudan, Thailand, the UnitedRepublic of Cameroon, and Venezuela.

Hungary, speaking after the vote, said that ithad not opposed the text but had reservationsabout the Assembly adopting a special resolutionon women refugees.

By other resolutions and decisions adopted in1979, the Assembly also took action relating tothe World Conference.

On 19 December, by resolution 34/204, itcalled on the World Conference to include in itsprogramme of action for the second half of theUnited Nations Decade for Women concretemeasures for the effective mobilization and inte-gration of women in all sectors of development.It stressed the important role of the interagencyprogramme in the Decade for co-ordinating ac-tivities relating to the integration and participa-tion of women in the development process, andasked participating United Nations organiza-tions to implement the interagency programme.The Assembly also urged the Secretary-Generalto submit to the third (1980) session of the Pre-paratory Committee for the Conference the com-prehensive report on the effective mobilizationand integration of women in the developmentprocess it had requested earlier in 1979.7 (Fordetails, see p. 900.)

6 See Y.U.N., 1974, p. 324, resolution 3201 (S-VI) of 1 May 1974,containing text of Declaration.

7 See Y.U.N., 1978, p. 755, resolution 33/200 of 29 January 1979.

Status of women 883

On 17 December, by resolution 34/159 on theimportance of improving the status and role ofwomen in education and in the economic andsocial fields in order to achieve equality ofwomen with men, the Assembly requested theSecretary-General to circulate the analyticalreport he had prepared on the subject as a back-ground document for the World Conference andinvited the Conference to give due attention tothe question. (For details, see p. 902.)

Also on 17 December, by decision 34/434, theAssembly requested the Economic and SocialCouncil, at its first regular 1980 session, to adopta decision on the number of Vice-Presidents tobe elected at the Conference and on the distribu-tion of officers of the Bureau, in accordance withthe principle of equitable geographical distribu-tion, taking into account views that might be ex-pressed as a result of consultations in the Pre-paratory Committee.

This decision was sponsored in the Assemblyby Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Egypt, India,Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, thePhilippines and Yugoslavia and adopted withoutvote.

Voluntar y Fun d for theUnite d Nation s Decad e for Wome n

Programmes and managementFor its consideration of the Voluntary Fund

for the United Nations Decade for Women, theGeneral Assembly had before it a report of theSecretary-General on the management of theFund and on the decisions of the ConsultativeCommittee on the Voluntary Fund for theUnited Nations Decade for Women.

The report reviewed developments from Octo-ber 1978 to September 1979, including the Com-mittee's recommendations and decisions at itsfifth (March) and sixth (September) sessions,and examined innovative activities supportedby the Fund.

The Committee recommended the allocationon an exceptional basis of $30,000 to theEconomic Commission for Africa to providelegal aid to women victims of apartheid, and alsorecommended that posts for senior women's pro-gramme officers in the regional commissions— excluding the Economic Commission forEurope — supported by Fund resources be ex-tended for two years, while reaffirming its expec-tation that all posts would be converted to estab-lished posts under the regular budget. Unless atleast one of the posts was provided in the regularbudget of each of the commissions concerned,the Committee recommended discontinuance ofFund financing of the posts after existing com-mitments expired.

The Committee recommended an additional33 projects for implementation — 21 at the coun-try level, mainly in rural and community devel-opment and in small-scale industry, 11 regionaland one global.

In the report, the Secretary-General notedwith satisfaction a new orientation for country-level activities and, in particular, an improvedprocedure for submission and review of projectproposals through resident representatives ofthe United Nations Development Programme(UNDP), to help ensure that projects receivingFund aid were integrated into wider develop-ment efforts. He urged multiyear pledges andmore contributions by a wider range of countries.

In adopting resolution 34/156 on 17 December,the Assembly noted with satisfaction the Con-sultative Committee's decisions and expressed itsdesire to see the activities developed by the Fundcontinued beyond the United Nations Decade forWomen; it requested the Secretary-General tostudy this matter and report to it in 1981. The As-sembly would also review at its 1981 session its de-cision, set forth in the resolution, to maintain theFund at Headquarters; the review would be madeon the basis of a report by the Secretary-Generalon his consultations with the Consultative Com-mittee, the UNDP Administrator and UnitedNations agencies directly concerned, as well asviews by Member States to be submitted by 1 June1981. The Assembly expressed appreciation forthe voluntary contributions pledged at the 1979United Nations Pledging Conference for Devel-opment Activities (see subsection immediatelybelow) and appealed to Member States to considergiving or increasing their support to the Fund inorder to meet the rapidly multiplying demandsfrom developing countries. The Assemblyrequested the Secretary-General to continue to in-clude the Fund annually in the Pledging Confer-ence and to report annually on the management ofthe Fund and the progress of its activities.

Resolution 34/156 was adopted, without vote,on a recommendation of the Third Committee,which approved it in like manner on 29November.

The text was sponsored by Barbados, theDominican Republic, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala,Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mozambique, theNetherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama,Papua New Guinea, Somalia, Sweden, Trinidadand Tobago, and the United Kingdom. Thesponsors accepted a Moroccan oral draftingchange to a revised provision on the review ofthe decision to continue to situate the Fund atHeadquarters.

The Third Committee rejected — by 32 votes infavour to 41 against, with 47 abstentions — a Sene-galese oral amendment to have the Assembly


review the decision on the location of the Fundin 1980 rather than 1981. The paragraph con-taining the decision to continue to situate theFund at Headquarters was approved by a separ-ate vote of 64 to 29, with 31 abstentions.

Austria also proposed a resolution on theVoluntary Fund, which it did not press to a vote,by which the Assembly, bearing in mind itsprevious decisions to transfer to Vienna theCentre for Social Development and Humanitar-ian Affairs — the Secretariat unit responsible forwomen's questions — would have, by operativeparagraphs which differed from the 18-powertext adopted: stressed the need for continuousco-operation between the Fund and relevant or-ganizations of the United Nations system,including the regional commissions; reiteratedits request to the Secretary-General to ensure, ifpossible within existing resources, that theCentre possessed adequate personnel and re-sources to discharge its functions under the 1975World Plan of Action; asked him to ensure thatthe Fund received adequate personnel andresources within those allocated to the Centre

and, if necessary, to strengthen those resources;and asked him to provide, through the UnitedNations Industrial Development Organization,the necessary assistance in the Fund's operation-al activities.

Although the Austrian draft included an ex-pression of hope that the Fund's operationwould be continued beyond the Decade, it didnot refer to a report on such activities, nor did itcontain a decision on the Fund's location atHeadquarters.

Speaking after the vote, Benin expressedregret that a consensus had not been possible; itfelt that the Fund should be administered at thesame location as the Centre.

Pledging ConferenceAt the 1979 United Nations Pledging Confer-

ence for Development Activities, held in NewYork on 6 November, voluntary contributionswere pledged to the Voluntary Fund for theUnited Nations Decade for Women for 1980. Asat 30 June 1980, amounts pledged or paid to theFund totalled $2,141,469 (for details, see p. 558).

Documentary references, voting details and texts of resolutions

Preparations for the World Conference ofthe United Nations Decade for Women, 1980

Economic and Social Council— organizational session, 1979Plenary meetings 1, 2.

E/1979/L.2. Calendar of conferences and meetings, para. 2:proposal by Government of Denmark.

Decision 1979/4, by which the Council decided to hold theWorld Conference of the United Nations Decade forWomen: Equal i ty, Development and Peace at Copenhagenfrom 14 to 30 July 1980, as proposed by the Government ofDenmark, E/1979/L.2, adopted without objection by Coun-cil on 9 February 1979, meeting 2.

E/1979/6. Effects of provisional agenda of World Conferenceof United Nations Decade for Women, 1980, on programmeof work of Council and of Commission on Status of Women.Note by Secretariat.

Decision 1979/5, adopted by Council fol lowing informalconsultations.

At its 2nd plenary meeting, on 9 February 1979, the Councildecided that the note by the Secretariat on the effects of theprovisional agenda for the World Conference of the UnitedNations Decade for Women on the programme of work of theCouncil and of the Commission on the Status of Women, revisedto take account of the discussions at its organizational sessionfor 1979 and the appointment by the Secretary-General of theSecretary-General of the Conference, should be transmitted tothe Council at its first regular session of 1979 for considerationin the context of item 7 of the programme of work, entitled "Ac-tivities for the advancement of women; United Nations Decadefor Women: Equality, Development and Peace."

Economic and Social Council— first regular session, 1979Second (Social) Committee, meetings 6-9, 21, 25.Plenary meeting 14.

E/1979/6/Rev.1. Note by Secretariat.E/1979/NGO/7. Statement submitted by NGO in category I

consultative status with Economic and Social Council.E/1979/54. Report of Second (Social) Committee, draft deci-

sion I , as orally proposed by Second Committee Chairman,approved without objection by Committee on 4 May 1979,meeting 25.

Decision 1979/20, by which the Council took note of therevised note by the Secretariat on the effects of the provi-sional agenda for the World Conference of the UnitedNations Decade for Women on the programme of work ofthe Council and of the Commission on the Status ofWomen, as recommended by Second Committee,E/1979/54, adopted without vote by Council on 9 May1979, meeting 14.

E/1979/C.2/L.11. India, Jamaica, Netherlands, New Zea-land, Senegal, United States, Zambia: draft decision, ap-proved without vote by Second Committee on 4 May 1979,meeting 25.

E/1979/54. Report of Second (Social) Committee, draft deci-sion I I .

Decision 1979/21, by which the Council decided to authorizethe Secretary-General to transmit to the General Assemblyat its thirty-fourth session the report of the PreparatoryCommittee for the World Conference of the United NationsDecade for Women on its second session, which was to beheld from 27 August to 7 September 1979, as recom-mended by Second Committee, E/1979/54, adopted with-out vote by Council on 9 May 1979, meeting 14.

General Assembly— 34th sessionThird Committee, meetings 53-58, 60-63.Fifth Committee, meetings 74, 80.Plenary meeting 105.

A/CONF.94/PC/12. Report of Preparatory Committee forWorld Conference of United Nations Decade for Women:

Status of women 885

Equality, Development and Peace on its 2nd session, Head-quarters, New York, 27 August-8 September 1979.

A/34/3/Rev.1. Report of Economic and Social Council foryear 1979, Chapter XVI I .

A/34/113. Letter of 8 March from Angola (transmittingmessage issued on same date by Organization of AngolanWomen on occasion of International Women's Day).

A/34/357. Letter of 6 July from Sri Lanka (transmitting docu-ments of Ministerial Meeting of Co-ordinating Bureau ofNon-Aligned Countries, Colombo, 4-9 June 1979).

A/34/391. Letter of 30 July from Angola (transmittingmessage issued by Organization of Angolan Women on 31July 1979 on occasion of African Women's Day).

A/34/542. Letter of 1 October from Cuba (transmitting FinalDeclaration of 6th Conference of Heads of State or Govern-ment of Non-Aligned Countries, Havana, 3-9 September1979).

A/34/725 (S/13649). Letter of 26 November from DemocraticKampuchea (transmitting statement of Minister for SocialAffairs at Regional Preparatory Conference for World Con-ference of United Nations Decade for Women, New Delhi,India, 5-9 November 1979).

A/34/7/Add.17. Administrative and financial implications of33-power draft resolution, A/C.3/34/L.53. Report ofACABQ.

A/34/657 and Add.1. Note by Secretary-General containingadministrative and financial implications of draft resolutionVI I I recommended by Third Committee in A/34/821.

A/34/835. Administrative and financial implications of, interalia, draft resolution VI I I recommended by Third Committeein A/34/821. Report of Fifth Committee.

A/C.3/34/L.53. Bahamas, Barbados, Benin, Bolivia, Burundi,Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana,Grenada, Guinea, Guyana, India, Ivory Coast, Jamaica,Jordan, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Peru,Philippines, Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda, United Republic ofTanzania, Upper Volta, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zaire: draftresolution, as orally revised by sponsors, approved byThird Committee on 29 November 1979, meeting 62, by122 votes to 0, with 9 abstentions.

A/34/821. Report of Third Committee, draft resolution V I I I .

Resolution 34/162, as recommended by Third Committee,A/34/821, adopted without vote by Assembly on 17December 1979, meeting 105.

The General Assembly,Recalling its resolution 33/189 of 29 January 1979, con-

cerning substantive and organizational arrangements for theWorld Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women:Equality, Development and Peace,

Recalling also its resolution 33/185 of 29 January 1979, inwhich it adopted the subtheme "Employment, Health andEducation,"

Convinced of the need to ensure the most effective prepa-ration of the Conference, its success and the effectiveness offollow-up activities,

Noting that regional preparatory meetings have taken placein Paris, New Delhi and Caracas and that two more are sched-uled to take place at Lusaka and Damascus,

Having considered the report of the Preparatory Committeefor the World Conference of the United Nations Decade forWomen on its second session,

Having also considered the detailed proposals for the Con-ference contained in the note by the Secretary-General,

1. Approves the recommendations contained in the reportof the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference of theUnited Nations Decade for Women concerning the activitiesrelated to the preparation of the Conference;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the neces-sary budgetary appropriations specified in his note in respectof the areas listed below:

(a) To ensure the participation in the Conference of onerepresentative of each of the least developed countries;

(b) To ensure the satisfactory preparation of the docu-mentation for the Conference;

(c) To allow adequate preparation for the presentation ofthe report of the Conference to the General Assembly at itsthirty-f i f th session;

(d) In relation to measures proposed by the Department ofPublic Information of the Secretariat, to strengthen the rele-vant activities planned for the period prior to and dur ing theConference;

(e) To make the appropriate arrangements to ensure thesuccess of the preparatory seminars and meetings for theConference;

(f) To provide the secretariat of the Conference with theappropriate staff, including staff to carry out information ac-tivities after the Conference, and with the resources neces-sary for the travel of the Secretary-General of the Conference;

(g) To hold a third session of the Preparatory Committeein 1980;

3. Also requests the Secretary-General to seek extra-budgetary funds to ensure the participation in the Conferenceof one representative from each of the island and land-lockeddeveloping countries;

4. Further requests the Secretary-General to endeavourto f ind extrabudgetary funds to provide for the information ac-tivities proposed for the period after the Conference;

5. Takes note of the provisional rules of procedure for-mulated by the Preparatory Committee at its second session;

6. Notes with appreciation the statement of the repre-sentative of Denmark concerning steps which the Govern-ment of Denmark, in l ine with General Assembly resolution33/189, has taken regarding the practical organization of thework of the Conference;

7. Strongly urges Member States to ensure their adequatepreparation for the Conference, including the presentation ofstudies of development projects and programmes which havebeen successful in improving the condition of women and inpromoting their participation in economic and social develop-ment, as required by Economic and Social Council resolution1978/32 of 5 May 1978;

8. Calls upon Member States, the competent organs ofthe United Nations and the specialized agencies to take allnecessary measures, including the use of their informationresources, to mobilize public opinion in support of the Confer-ence and its objectives.

A/C.3/34/L.42. Australia, Canada, Central African Republic,France, Gabon, Germany, Federal Republic of, Greece,Guatemala, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Morocco, Phil-ippines, Thailand, Tunisia, United Republic of Cameroon,United States: draft resolution, as orally revised by spon-sors, approved without vote by Third Committee on 28November 1979, meeting 61.

A/34/821. Report of Third Committee, draft resolution I.


The General Assembly,Recalling the Convention on the Political Rights of Women,

particularly article I I I thereof, as well as article 3 of the Inter-national Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,article 3 of the International Covenant on Civil and PoliticalRights and article 5 (c) of the Declaration on Social Progressand Development,

Recalling also its resolution 3520(XXX) of 15 December1975, in which it decided to convene a world conference in1980, at the mid-term of the United Nations Decade forWomen: Equality, Development and Peace, as well as itsresolution 33/189 of 29 January 1979 establishing theagenda for the Conference and relating to the organization ofits work,


Considering that there can be no genuine and f u l l partici-pation of women in economic and social development unlessthey are fu l l y involved in the political decision-makingprocess,

Conscious of the inadequacy of the information availablefrom Member States concerning the participation of womenin local and national polit ical institutions,

Bearing in mind the importance of equal access to all formsof education and t ra in ing for men and women to the achieve-ment of a balanced distribution of positions of polit ical andeconomic responsibility in society,

education and access to publ ic functions of a social, economic,administrative or poli t ical character, conditions of equality be-tween men and women and promotion without discrimination;

2. Requests the World Conference of the United NationsDecade for Women: Equali ty, Development and Peace toconsider, under the general theme "Development," appropri-ate means of ensuring the more effective participation ofwomen in the p lann ing and policy processes of their Govern-ments and more adequate reflection of their needs and con-cerns in those processes;

3. Further requests the Conference to consider, under thesubtheme "Employment, Health and Education," the condi-tions necessary for ensuring equal access of women and mento positions of responsibility which w i l l enable them to partici-pate in the formulation of national policies in those fields;

4. Calls upon Governments to take steps to ensure effec-tive participation of women in the decision-making processwith respect to foreign policy and international economic andpolit ical co-operation, inc lud ing steps to ensure that theyhave equal access to diplomatic functions and that they arerepresented in the United Nations and other internationalorganizations.

A/C.3/34/L.50. Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh,Benin, Burundi , Comoros, Cuba, Democratic Yemen, Dji-bouti, Egypt, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Iran,Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic,Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Mali,Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Paki-stan, Qatar, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia, Sudan,Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, VietNam, Yemen, Yugoslavia: draft resolution, approved byThird Committee on 29 November 1979, meeting 62, byrecorded vote of 109 to 2, with 20 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Baha-mas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Bhutan, Bo-l iv ia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi , ByelorussianSSR, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China,Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Dem-ocratic Kampuchea, Democratic Yemen, Djibouti, Domini-can Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia,Gabon, Gambia, German Democratic Republic, Ghana,Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana,Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica,Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic,Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mal i , M auritania,Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Ni-geria, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Phi l ippines, Poland, Portugal,Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, SaudiArabia, Senegal, Singapore, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka,Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republ ic, Thai-land, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda,Ukrain ian SSR, USSR, United Arab Emirates, UnitedRepubl ic of Cameroon, United Republic of Tanzania, UpperVolta, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia,Zaire, Zambia

Against: Israel, United StatesAbstaining: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Costa

Rica, Denmark, F i j i , F in land, France, Germany, Federal

Republic of, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg,Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, UnitedKingdom.

A/34/821. Report of Third Commitee, draft resolution VI.

Resolution 34/160, as recommended by Third Committee,A/34/821, adopted by Assembly on 17 December 1979,meeting 105, by recorded vote of 1 22 to 2, with 20 absten-tions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argenti-na, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin,Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Byelo-russian SSR, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad,Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica,Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Kampuchea,Democratic Yemen, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, GermanDemocratic Republic, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guinea,Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hait i , Honduras, Hungary, India,Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya,Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon,Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar,Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mal i , Malta, Mauritania, Mauri-tius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Nica-ragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua NewGuinea, Paraguay, Peru, Phi l ippines, Poland, Portugal,Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, SaudiArabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Spain,Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syrian ArabRepublic, Thai land, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR, United Arab Emir-ates, United Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Tan-zania, Upper Volta, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen,Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia

Against: Israel, United StatesAbstaining: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Burma, Canada,

Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Federal Republ ic of,Guatemala, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands,New Zealand, Norway, Samoa,a Sweden, United Kingdom.

aSubsequently advised the Secretariat that it had intend-

ed to vote in favour.

The General Assembly,Recalling its resolutions 3520(XXX) of 1 5 December 1975,

in which it decided to convene a world conference in 1980,and 33/189 of 29 January 1979, in which it emphasized thesubtheme "Employment, Health and Education" for the pro-gramme of action for the second half of the United NationsDecade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace,

Recalling also its resolution 33/185 of 29 January 1979,entitled "Preparations for the World Conference of the UnitedNations Decade for Women: Equality, Development andPeace, inc lud ing the adoption of the subtheme 'Employment,Health and Education',"

Taking note with interest and appreciation of the reports ofthe Preparatory Committee for the World Conference of theUnited Nations Decade for Women and of the provisionalagenda for the Conference adopted by the General Assemblyat its thirty-third session,

Decides to include in the provisional agenda for the WorldConference of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equali-ty, Development and Peace an item on Palestinian women,entit led:

"Effects of Israeli occupation on Palestinian womeninside and outside the occupied territories:

"(a) Review of the social and economic needs ofPalestinian women;

"(b) Special measures for assistance to Palestinianwomen inside and outside the occupied territories."

1. Calls upon Member States to ensure, as regards both

Status of women 887

A/34/321 and Add.1. Notes verbales of 13 June (transmittingf inal report of Conference of Non-Aligned and Other Devel-oping Countries on Role of Women in Development, Bagh-dad, 6-13 May 1979) and of 4 December from Iraq.

A/34/471 and Corr.1. Women's participation in strengthen-ing of international peace and security and in struggleagainst colonialism, racism, racial discrimination, foreignaggression and occupation and all forms of foreign domina-tion. Report of Secretary-General.

A/C.3/34/L.48. Afghanistan, Benin, Bulgaria, Cape Verde,Cuba, Democratic Yemen, Ethiopia, Gabon, GermanDemocratic Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Iraq,Madagascar, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger,Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Syrian Arab Repub-lic, USSR, Viet Nam: draft resolution.

A/C.3/34/L.48/Rev.1. Revised draft resolution, sponsoredby above 22 powers and by Czechoslovakia and Mali , asfurther orally amended by Lesotho and sponsors, approvedby Third Committee on 29 November 1979, meeting 62, byrecorded vote of 103 to 2, with 23 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Bahamas,Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia,Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi , ByelorussianSSR, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, CostaRica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Yemen,Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, EquatorialGuinea, Ethiopia, Fi j i , Gabon, Gambia, German DemocraticRepublic, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau,Guyana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast,Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's DemocraticRepublic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahir i-ya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali , Mexico,Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Paki-stan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Phil ippines, Poland, Qatar,Romania, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Singapore, SriLanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic,Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR, United Arab Emirates,United Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Tanzania,Upper Volta, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen,Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia

Against: Israel, United StatesAbstaining: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Den-

mark, Finland, France, Germany, Federal Republic of,Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Moroc-co, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Senegal,Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

A/C.3/34/L.66. Senegal: amendment to 21-power draft reso-lution, A/C.3/34/L.48.

A/C.3/34/L.67. Canada and United Kingdom: amendmentsto 21-power draft resolution, A/C.3/34/L.48.

A/34/821. Report of Third Committee, draft resolution IV.

Resolution 34/158, as recommended by Third Committee,A/34/821, adopted by Assembly on 17 December 1979,meeting 105, by recorded vote of 1 21 to 2, with 21 absten-tions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Baha-mas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Bhutan, Bo-livia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi, Byelo-russian SSR, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad,Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica,Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Kampuchea,Democratic Yemen, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt,El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fi j i , Gabon,Gambia, German Democratic Republic, Ghana, Grenada,Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hondu-ras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast,Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's DemocraticRepublic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiri-ya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,

Mauritania, Maurit ius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozam-bique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan,Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Phil ippines,Poland, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome andPrincipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, SriLanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic,Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR, United Arab Emirates,United Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Tanzania,Upper Volta, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen,Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia

Against: Israel, United StatesAbstaining: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Den-

mark, Finland, France, Germany, Federal Republic of,Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands,New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain,Sweden, United Kingdom.

The General Assembly,Recalling its resolutions 3519(XXX) of 1 5 December 1975,

31/136 of 16 December 1976, 32/142 of 16 December 1977and 33/184 and 33/185 of 29 January 1979, as well as theConvention on the Political Rights of Women,

Reaffirming the objectives of the United Nations Decade forWomen: Equality, Development and Peace, and the relevantdecisions of the World Conference of the InternationalWomen's Year,

Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General entitled"Women's participation in the strengthening of internationalpeace and security and in the struggle against colonialism,racism, racial discrimination, foreign aggression and occupa-tion and all forms of foreign domination,"

Taking into account the report of the Conference of Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries on the Role ofWomen in Development, held at Baghdad from 6 to 13 May1979,

Bearing in mind that women wi l l be able to play an equaland effective role in the process of development only if theyhave equal opportunities with men for education, employ-ment, health care facilities and publ ic functions of a social,economic, administrative or political character, and a socialatmosphere necessary for the util ization of those oppor-tunities,

Considering that the equal participation of women in thedevelopment process and in political l i fe wi l l contribute to theachievement of international peace, to the promotion and pro-tection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and to theestablishment of the new international economic order,

Appreciating the contribution of women to the strengthen-ing of international peace and security, to the struggleagainst colonialism, racism, racial discrimination, foreign ag-gression and occupation and all forms of foreign domination,and to the fu l l and effective enjoyment of human rights andfundamental freedoms,

Stressing the importance of the World Conference of theUnited Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Developmentand Peace, to be held in 1980, for the implementation of theobjectives of the Decade,

1. Calls upon all Member States to make all efforts inpreparing and carrying out the World Conference of theUnited Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Developmentand Peace;

2. Requests the Preparatory Committee for the WorldConference of the United Nations Decade for Women to in-tensify its work in preparing an effective programme of actionto be based on careful review and evaluation of progressmade in implementing the World Plan of Action for the Imple-mentation of the Objectives of the International Women'sYear aiming at improving the status of women, and on therecommendations made by the regional preparatoryconferences;

3. Urges the Commission on the Status of Women to con-sider at its twenty-eighth session the question of elaborating adraft declaration on the participation of women in the struggle


for the strengthening of international peace and security andagainst colonialism, racism, racial discr iminat ion, foreign ag-gression and occupation and all forms of foreign domination,in accordance with General Assembly resolution 32/142,and for the f u l l and effective enjoyment of human rights andfundamental freedoms, taking into account the views ofGovernments thereon and views expressed dur ing the thirty-fourth session of the Assembly.

A/C.3/34/L.52. Australia, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, CostaRica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guinea,Kenya, Morocco, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Phi l ippines,Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Sudan, Thailand, UnitedRepubl ic of Cameroon, Venezuela: draft resolution, asorally revised by sponsors, approved without vote by ThirdCommittee on 29 November 1979, meeting 62.

A/C.3/34/L.68, A/C.5/34/57. Administrative and f inancia limplications of 22-power draft resolution, A/C.3/34/L.52.Statements by Secretary-General.

A/34/835. Administrative and f inancia l implications of, interalia, draft resolution V I I recommended by Third Committeein A/34/821. Report of Fifth Committee.

A/34/821. Report of Third Committee, draft resolution V I I .


The General Assembly,Recalling its resolutions 34/60, 34/61 and 34/62, adopted

by consensus on 29 November 1979 under agenda item 83,on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner forRefugees,

Recognizing the urgent needs and problems of womenrefugees the world over,

Conscious that the situation of women refugees has not yetbeen systematically studied,

1. Decides that the situation of women refugees the worldover should be included in the provisional agenda for theWorld Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women:Equality, Development and Peace as a subitem under agendaitem 9, on the programme of action for the second half of theUnited Nations Decade for Women;

2. Requests the Office of the United Nations High Com-missioner for Refugees to prepare a draft report to be submit-ted to the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference ofthe United Nations Decade for Women at its third session anda final report to be submitted to the Conference, which would:

(a) Review the situation of women refugees the world overwithin the framework of the over-all problem with which theOffice is seized;

(b) Make recommendations concerning measures whichcould be undertaken by Member States, the United Nationssystem and non-governmental organizations to assist womenrefugees, taking into account the requirements of the regionsconcerned.

A/34/L.62. Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Egypt, India, Jamaica,Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Phil ippines, Yugoslavia: draftdecision.

Decision 34/434, as proposed by 11 powers, A/34/L.62,adopted without vote by Assembly.

At its 105th plenary meeting, on 17 December 1979, theGeneral Assembly, noting that the report of the PreparatoryCommittee for the World Conference of the United NationsDecade for Women on its second session listed, among thematters requiring action by the Assembly, rule 6 of the provi-sional rules of procedure of the Conference, requested theEconomic and Social Council, at its first regular session of1980, to adopt a decision on the number of Vice-Presidentsto be elected at the Conference, as well as on the distributionof officers of the Bureau, in accordance with the principle of

equitable geographical distribution, taking into account theviews which might be expressed as a result of consultationsin the Preparatory Committee.

Voluntary Fund for theUnited Nations Decade for Women

PROGRAMMES AND MANAGEMENT

General Assembly— 34th sessionThird Committee, meetings 53-58, 60-62.Plenary meeting 105.

A/34/612. Report of Secretary-General. (Chapter I I : Reviewof developments in 1979.)

A/C.3/34/L.44. Barbados, Dominican Republic, Fi j i , Grena-da, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mozambique,Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Papua NewGuinea, Somalia, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, UnitedKingdom: draft resolution, as orally amended by sponsors(orally subamended by Morocco), approved without vote byThird Committee on 29 November 1979, meeting 62.

A/C.3/34/L.45. Austria: draft resolution.A/34/821. Report of Third Committee, draft resolution I I .


The General Assembly,Recalling its decision of 15 December 1975 that the activi-

ties of the voluntary fund for the International Women's Yearshould be extended to cover the period of the United NationsDecade for Women,

Recalling also its resolution 31/133 of 16 December 1976,containing the criteria and arrangements for the managementof the Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade forWomen,

Noting with satisfaction the valuable programme policy de-veloped by the Fund, in accordance with the criteria and ar-rangements for the management of the Fund, to assist proj-ects in developing countries,

Bearing in mind that in its resolution 31/133 it, inter alia,requested the Secretary-General to consult the Administratorof the United Nations Development Programme on the use ofthe Fund for technical co-operation activities,

Noting with appreciation the new procedures for submis-sion and review of project proposals at the country level,through the resident representative of the United Nations De-velopment Programme,

Noting also with appreciation the expansion of the activi-ties supported by the Fund and the increased co-operationwith the organizations wi th in the United Nations system,

Conscious that the Fund was designed to supplement,through f inancial and technical support, development activi-ties involving women at the national, regional and globallevels, in co-operation with relevant organizations of theUnited Nations system,

Recognizing the need for ail operational activities and re-gional commissions within the United Nations system to payincreasing attention to including projects for women in theirregular programmes,

Recognizing also the necessity of continuing f inancial andtechnical support for development activities which respondto the specific needs of women in developing countries andthe importance of incorporating, in national and internationaldevelopment planning, policies and programmes aimed at themobilization and integration of women in development,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General onthe Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women,

1. Notes with satisfaction the decisions of the Consulta-tive Committee on the Voluntary Fund for the United NationsDecade for Women dur ing its f i f th and sixth sessions;

Status of women 889

2. Requests the President of the General Assembly, in ac-cordance with paragraph 3 of resolution 31/133 and withdue regard for continuity, to select five Member States, eachof which wi l l appoint a representative to serve on the Con-sultative Committee;

3. Expresses its appreciation to the relevant organs of theUnited Nations system, in particular the United Nations De-velopment Programme and the United Nations Children'sFund, for their invaluable assistance to the ongoing work ofthe Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women;

4. Expresses its desire to see the activities developed bythe Fund continued beyond the United Nations Decade forWomen and, in this regard, requests the Secretary-General tostudy this question in consultation with the ConsultativeCommittee and the Administrator of the United Nations Devel-opment Programme, as well as with other relevant UnitedNations agencies, and to report thereon to the General As-sembly at its thirty-sixth session;

5. Decides that the Voluntary Fund for the United NationsDecade for Women shall continue to be situated atHeadquarters;

6. Decides also to review its decision at its thirty-sixthsession, on the basis of the report to be submitted by theSecretary-General on his consultations with the ConsultativeCommittee, the Administrator of the United Nations Develop-ment Programme and other United Nations agencies directlyconcerned, as well as on the views to be submitted byMember States by 1 June 1981;

7. Expresses its appreciation for the voluntary contribu-tions pledged by Member States at the 1979 United NationsPledging Conference for Development Activities and appealsto Member States to consider giving or increasing their sup-port to the Fund in order to ensure the availabil ity ofresources sufficient to meet rapidly mul t ip ly ing demands indeveloping countries;

8. Requests the Secretary-General:(a) To continue to report annual ly on the management of

the Fund as well as on the progress in the implementation ofits activities;

(b) To continue to include the Fund on an annual basis asone of the programmes of the United Nations Pledging Confer-ence for Development Activities.

PLEDGING CONFERENCE

1979 United Nations Pledging Conference for DevelopmentActivities, meetings 1, 2 (A/CONF.98/SR.1.2) of 6 Novem-ber 1979.

A/CONF.98/1. Final act of 1979 United Nations PledgingConference for Development Activities. Done at UnitedNations, New York, 7 November 1979. (Para. 1 (h): Volun-tary Fund for United Nations Decade for Women.)

A/CONF.98/2. Contributions pledged or paid at 1979 UnitedNations Pledging Conference for Development Activities asat 30 June 1 980. Note by Secretary-General.

Convention on the Elimination ofAll Forms of Discrimination against Women

At its regular 1979 session, which was convenedin September, the General Assembly adoptedand opened for signature, ratification and acces-sion the Convention on the Elimination of AllForms of Discrimination against Women. TheAssembly asked the Secretary-General to presentthe text to the 1980 World Conference of theUnited Nations Decade for Women for its infor-mation and to submit a report to the Assemblyin 1980 on the status of the Convention.

These decisions were incorporated in resolu-tion 34/180, which the Assembly adopted on 18December by a recorded vote of 130 to 0, with10 abstentions. The text of the Convention wasannexed to the resolution.

The Convention consisted of a preamble and30 articles, divided into six untitled parts. By thepreamble, the States parties to the Conventionwould note various international instruments re-affirming the principle of equal rights of menand women, despite which extensive discrimina-tion against women continued to exist. Con-vinced that the establishment of the new inter-national economic order based on equity andjustice would contribute significantly towardspromotion of equality between the sexes, theywould emphasize that the eradication of apart-heid, racism, racial discrimination, colonialism,neo-colonialism, aggression, foreign occupationand domination, and interference in the internalaffairs of States was essential to the full enjoy-ment of men's and women's rights.

States parties would affirm that the strength-ening of international peace and security, therelaxation of international tension, mutual co-operation among all States, general and com-plete disarmament, in particular nuclear dis-armament under strict arid effective internation-al control, the affirmation of the principles ofjustice, equality and mutual benefit in inter-State relations and the realization of the rightof peoples under alien and colonial dominationand foreign occupation to self-determinationand independence, as well as respect for nation-al sovereignty and territorial integrity, wouldpromote social progress and development andcontribute to the attainment of full equality be-tween men and women.

Bearing in mind the great contribution ofwomen to the welfare of the family and to the de-velopment of society, and aware that women'srole in procreation should not be a basis for dis-crimination and that a change in the traditionalrole of men as well as the role of women in soci-ety and in the family was needed to achieve fullequality, the States parties would express theirdetermination to implement the principles setforth in the 1967 Declaration on the Eliminationof Discrimination against Women8 and adoptmeasures needed to eliminate such discrimina-tion in all its forms and manifestations.

8 See Y.U.N., 1967, p. 521, resolution 2263(XXII) of 7 November1967, containing text of Declaration.


Discrimination against women Was defined inarticle 1 and condemned under article 2; Statesparties would agree to pursue policies to elimi-nate it without delay, undertaking to ensurerealization of the principle of equality of menand women through laws and other means, toadopt legislation to prohibit such discrimination,to establish legal protection of women's rights onan equal basis with men and ensure them againstdiscriminatory acts, to take appropriate mea-sures, including legislation, to modify or abolishexisting laws, regulations, customs and practicesthat constituted discrimination against womenand to repeal all national penal provisions whichdiscriminated against women.

By article 3, States parties would take all ap-propriate measures, including legislation, toensure women full development and advance-ment to guarantee them human rights and free-doms on a basis of equality with men. Temporaryspecial measures adopted by States partiesaimed at accelerating equality between men andwomen and protecting maternity were not to beconsidered discriminatory, according to article4. By article 5, appropriate measures would betaken to modify social and cultural patterns ofconduct in order to eliminate prejudices andpractices based on the idea of inferiority or su-periority of either of the sexes or on stereotypedroles, and to ensure that family education includ-ed a proper understanding of maternity as asocial function and a recognition of the commonresponsibility of men and women in the upbring-ing and development of their children, it beingunderstood that the interest of the children wasthe primordial consideration. Article 6 called forlegislation and other measures to suppress allforms of traffic in women and exploitation ofprostitution of women.

Article 7, the first of three articles of part II,provided for women's right to full political andpublic life on equal terms with men; by article 8,their right to represent their Governments at theinternational level and to participate in the workof international organizations would be ensured.By article 9, women were to be granted equalrights with men in matters relating to nationalityand to the nationality of their children.

Article 10, the first of part III, provided forthe elimination of discrimination against womento ensure them equal rights with men in the fieldof education. Article 11 was to ensure the samerights in employment, including benefits, socialsecurity and safe working conditions; measureswere to be taken to prevent discriminationagainst women on the grounds of marriage ormaternity, and relevant protective legislationwas to be updated periodically in the light oftechnological knowledge.

Women were to be protected from discrimina-tion in the field of health care under article 12,ensuring access to such services as those relatingto family planning, pregnancy, confinement andpost-natal care, free where necessary, and nutri-tion, and from discrimination in other areas ofeconomic and social life by article 13, ensuringequal rights to family benefits, bank loans, mort-gages and other forms of financial credit, andparticipation in recreational activities, sportsand cultural life. Article 14 applied the provi-sions of the Convention to rural women.

Part IV contained two articles: article 15 wasto ensure women equality with men before thelaw, and article 16 was to ensure the absence ofdiscrimination in matters relating to marriageand family relations. Also by article 16, the be-trothal and marriage of a child would have nolegal effect, and action was to be taken to specifya minimum age for marriage and make marriageregistration compulsory.

Article 17, of part V, provided for the estab-lishment by States parties of a Committee on theElimination of Discrimination against Womento consider progress made in the implementationof the Convention, with staff, facilities andemoluments for its members to be provided bythe United Nations. By article 18, States partieswould report to the Secretary-General on legisla-tive, judicial, administrative and other measuresadopted by them to give effect to the provisionsof the Convention. Articles 19 to 22 dealt withthe Committee's rules of procedure, officers,meetings, reports (which were to be transmittedto the Commission on the Status of Women forits information), and representation of special-ized agencies at meetings.

The first article of part VI, article 23, indicat-ed that the Convention's provisions should notsupersede any State-party legislation or otherconvention or agreement in force whose termswere more conducive to the achievement ofequality between men and women. Parties un-dertook by article 24 to adopt all necessary na-tional measures aimed at achieving the full reali-zation of the rights recognized in the Con-vention.

Articles 25 to 30 contained technical provi-sions for the operation of the Convention, includ-ing its signatories, the depositary (the Secretary-General), ratification, accession, revision, entryinto force (30 days after deposit of the twentiethinstrument of ratification or accession), reserva-tions, settlement of disputes concerning interpre-tation or application, and official languages.

Report of the Working GroupThe Convention, which had annually been

referred to the General Assembly's Third

Status of women 891

(Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) Committeefor consideration since a draft text had first beenelaborated by the Commission on the Status ofWomen and approved in 1976,9 was againreferred to that Committee during the Assem-bly's 1979 session. On 24 September, the Com-mittee re-established its Working Group of theWhole on the Drafting of the Convention on theElimination of Discrimination against Womento consider the final provisions and to reconsiderarticles not completed at previous sessions.

The Working Group held 12 meetings from26 September to 29 November, at which it con-sidered part V, dealing with the establishment ofa body to consider progress made in implement-ing the Convention, and part VI containing thefinal provisions. The Group approved the title ofthe Convention and decided on texts for anumber of other provisions on which agreementhad not been reached at the 1978 session. Ittransmitted in its report a few still unagreedtexts (including those for part V) to the ThirdCommittee for decision, including a preambularparagraph and articles dealing with the newbody and with the report of that body.

On 22 November, the Working Group estab-lished a style committee composed of Canada,China, Spain, the Syrian Arab Republic, theUSSR and the United Kingdom, later joined byFrance. The committee recommended a numberof technical and stylistic changes. The Group on29 November approved the text of the draft Con-vention as amended by the style committee,including a recommendation that the Conven-tion be divided into six parts, without titles. Onthe same date, the Group adopted its report andtransmitted it to the Third Committee.

Work of the Third Committeeand action by the General Assembly

The Third Committee considered the draftConvention at four meetings on 6 and 7 Decem-ber and approved a number of amendments to it.The Committee approved tentative wording pro-posed by the Working Group to two preambularparagraphs, one emphasizing that the eradica-tion of a number of policies and practices was es-sential for the full enjoyment of the rights of menand women, and the other affirming policies andprinciples which would promote social progressand development and contribute to the attain-ment of full equality between men and women.

To the first of these paragraphs, the Commit-tee approved by 90 votes to 1, with 25 absten-tions, an amendment sponsored by China,revised to take account of a Syrian proposal,whereby aggression and interference in the inter-nal affairs of States were included among thepractices whose eradication was essential for the

full enjoyment of equal rights. The preambularparagraph was approved by a separate recordedvote of 88 to 1, with 23 abstentions.

To the second of these preambular paragraphs,the Committee approved by 90 votes to 1, with22 abstentions, an Algerian oral amendment,subamended by India, to include, among the ele-ments whose affirmation would promote socialprogress and development and contribute to theattainment of full equality, the realization of theright of peoples under alien and colonial domina-tion and foreign occupation to self-determinationand independence. This paragraph was subse-quently approved by a separate recorded vote of85 to 1, with 23 abstentions.

The separate votes on these paragraphs wererequested by Algeria, France and the UnitedKingdom in the Third Committee, and Singa-pore asked that they be recorded. The para-graphs were also put to the vote in the Assembly,where they were approved together by a record-ed vote of 108 to 0, with 26 abstentions.

Speaking on behalf of the nine member coun-tries of the European Economic Community(EEC) in explanation of their abstentions in thevote on these two paragraphs, Ireland said thatthe provisions introduced new elements whichraised problems for the EEC countries. TheUnited States said it opposed their adoption be-cause they reflected political influences andwere not properly related to the purpose of theConvention. On behalf of the five Nordic coun-tries, which abstained, Denmark said the para-graphs were polemic and inappropriate al-though this fact did not affect those countries'position on the substance of the question.Spain also abstained, not because it disagreedwith the concepts of the paragraphs, it said, butbecause of their context and because they wereunnecessary.

The Committee approved two Moroccanamendments. By the first—approved by 85 votesto 0, with 28 abstentions — a preambular para-graph by which States parties bore in mind thegreat contribution of women to the developmentof society was expanded to include their contri-bution to the welfare of the family. By thesecond —approved by 60 votes to 1, with 54 ab-stentions— Morocco added to a provision of arti-cle 5, stating that family education would in-clude recognition of the common responsibilityof men and women in child upbringing, a clausestating that it was understood that the interest ofthe children was the primordial consideration inall cases.

The Committee rejected a number of amend-ments by separate vote:

9See Y.U.N., 1976, p. 628.


— an Argentine oral amendment, to replacethe word "traditional" by "stereotyped" in thepreambular paragraph expressing awarenessthat a change in the traditional roles of bothsexes was needed, was rejected by 20 votes infavour to 26 against, with 55 abstentions;

— an Argentine oral proposal to delete fromarticle 9 the paragraph whereby States partieswere to grant women equal rights with men withrespect to their children's nationality was reject-ed by 34 votes in favour to 58, with 22 absten-tions; and

— a Moroccan oral amendment whereby thesame paragraph would be rephrased to stipulatethat States parties were to grant their nationalsequal rights with respect to the nationality oftheir children was rejected by 10 votes in favourto 83, with 11 abstentions.

The unamended paragraph in article 9 was ap-proved by the Committee by a separate vote,requested by Mauritania, of 61 to 25, with 21 ab-stentions. It was also put to a separate vote in theAssembly, which adopted it by a recorded voteof 92 to 13, with 28 abstentions.

Algeria, speaking in explanation of vote, saidthat it could not support the provision becauseAlgerian law automatically granted children thenationality of the father.

Other rejected Moroccan amendments were:— an amendment to insert, in a subparagraph of

article 2, whereby States parties were to undertakeall appropriate measures, including legislation, tomodify or abolish laws, regulations,customs and practices "which constituted dis-crimination," a phrase referring instead to those"which in their view constituted discrimination"against women — rejected by 25 votes in favour to60 against, with 25 abstentions;

— an oral amendment to include prostitutionamong the practices to be suppressed under arti-cle 6, as well as traffic in women and exploitationof prostitution of women — was rejected by arecorded vote of 19 in favour to 48, with 46abstentions;

— an amendment to a subparagraph of article16 (indicating measures to be taken to ensureagainst discrimination in marriage and familymatters), whereby ensurance of the same rightsand responsibilities during marriage and its disso-lution would be changed to ensurance of respectfor the rights of women during marriage and itsdissolution — rejected by 13 votes in favour to 68,with 24 abstentions (this provision was also adopt-ed by the Assembly by a separate recorded vote of104 to 0, with 32 abstentions); and

— a further amendment to article 16 seekingto add a subparagraph to the effect that, in theevent of separation or divorce, the custody ofminor children would be given as a matter of pri-

ority to the mother, in the absence of an expressand reasoned decision by the competent courts —rejected by 28 votes in favour to 58, with 23abstentions.

The Committee then voted on the section ofthe Convention outlining the machinery for con-sidering progress made in implementing theConvention (part V). It approved, as articles 17to 22, a set of articles proposed by Sweden whichprovided for a Committee on the Elimination ofDiscrimination against Women, consisting of ini-tially 18 and later 23 experts elected by theStates parties, and which set forth the method ofelecting them, their terms of office and themethod of filling casual vacancies.

These articles were one of three alternativesets of texts not agreed upon by the Committee'sWorking Group, which had forwarded, in addi-tion to the Swedish proposal, an original version,envisaging an ad hoc group of 10 to 15 persons tobe elected by the Commission on the Status ofWomen (a Norwegian amendment to this versionwould have allowed for establishment of such agroup by any other body under the Economicand Social Council that the States parties mightnominate), and an Ecuadorian proposal for es-tablishment of a 23-member ad hoc workinggroup of the Council.

A Swedish provision that States parties wouldbe responsible for the expenses of Committeemembers while in performance of Committeeduties was replaced by an alternative text by Ban-gladesh — that the Committee members would,with the Assembly's approval, receive emolu-ments from United Nations resources on suchterms and conditions as the Assembly mightdecide, having regard to the importance of theCommittee's responsibilities, and that theSecretary-General would provide needed staffand facilities for the effective performance of theCommittee's functions — approved by 72 votes to12, with 27 abstentions. This text superseded aSwedish provision that the Committee's secretar-iat would be provided by the Secretary-General.With the consequential necessary draftingchanges, the balance of the Swedish proposals onthe new body, which became articles 17 to 22, wasapproved by 98 votes to 1, with 12 abstentions.Consequential changes were also made in num-bering the articles that followed — former articles17 to 24 became articles 23 to 30.

By a separate vote requested by Argentina,the article that became article 29, dealing withmachinery and methods to resolve disputes con-cerning the interpretation of the Convention,was approved by 62 votes to 1, with 39 absten-tions. The draft Convention as a whole was thenapproved on 6 December by 104 votes to 0, with10 abstentions.

Status of women 893

Following its approval of the Convention, theThird Committee rejected, by 33 votes in favourto 69 against, with 25 abstentions, a proposal byMexico which had been submitted first as adraft decision and subsequently withdrawn andreplaced by an amendment to an 18-power draftresolution before the Committee to adopt theConvention. The Mexican text, with a numberof revisions to take account of various sugges-tions and proposals, was intended to replaceoperative provisions relating to adopting theConvention and hoping for its early entry intoforce. Mexico would instead have had the As-sembly transmit the draft Convention to Govern-ments of Member States for their final observa-tions, to be considered by the General Assemblyat its 1980 session prior to adoption of the Con-vention. Mexico later added to its amendment aparagraph by which the Secretary-Generalwould also have been asked to present the textto the 1980 World Conference of the UnitedNations Decade for Women.

Instead, the Committee approved, on 7December, by a recorded vote, requested byItaly, of 112 to 1, with 13 abstentions, a resolu-tion, sponsored by Australia, the Bahamas, Bel-gium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cuba, Finland, Gua-temala, India, Jamaica, Kenya, the Netherlands,Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines,Sao Tome and Principe, Romania and Yugo-slavia, to have the General Assembly adopt theConvention at its current session.

This was the text the Assembly adopted on 18December as resolution 34/180, annexing theConvention. By a separate recorded vote, the As-sembly adopted the Convention itself by 130votes to 0, with 11 abstentions, after havingadopted, by separate recorded votes, two of thepreambular paragraphs and two other provisionsin articles 9 and 16 (see above).

Before adopting the resolution, however, theAssembly adopted without vote an amendmentby nine of the sponsors — Australia, Bulgaria,Canada, Cuba, Finland, India, the Netherlands,Norway and the Philippines — to add a finalparagraph by which the Assembly asked theSecretary-General to submit to it in 1980 areport on the status of the Convention under anagenda item on that subject.

A proposal by France and the United King-dom, subsequently withdrawn, to replace thepreamble to the Convention would have had theStates parties: recognize that the Charter of theUnited Nations, the Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights10 and the International Cove-nants on Human Rights,11 as well as severalother United Nations instruments, had soughtto promote equality between women and men;express concern that, despite these, extensive

discrimination continued to exist, convictionthat world economic and social developmentwould contribute significantly towards thepromotion of such equality, and awareness thatfurther evolution in the traditional role ofwomen in society and in the family would beneeded to achieve full equality; and state theirdetermination to implement the principles setforth in the Declaration on the Elimination ofDiscrimination against Women, to that endadopting measures required for the eliminationof such discrimination in all its forms.

The United Kingdom said it would have beenbetter to have had a shorter, non-political pre-amble to the Convention, but withdrew the two-power amendment on the understanding thatthis action would not preclude separate votes onpreambular paragraphs, on some provisions ofwhich it had serious reservations. Canada andNew Zealand also reserved their positions withregard to the preamble, while the United Statessaid it believed that extraneous elements hadbeen introduced which should not have been.

Costa Rica, France, the Federal Republic ofGermany, Italy and Uruguay were among thoseexpressing reservations on the preambular para-graphs on which separate votes had been taken,France and the Federal Republic opposed the re-strictive definition given of the right of peoplesto self-determination, considering that that rightcould not be limited solely to peoples under colo-nial domination or foreign occupation.

The United Kingdom and Uruguay also hadreservations about the procedure followed:Mexico and the United Kingdom were con-cerned at what they felt was undue haste in theconsideration of many important aspects.

While various States, such as DemocraticYemen and the USSR, said they supported thetext fully, a number of others, speaking in expla-nation of vote, expressed reservations on theConvention or various articles or provisionsthereof.

Brazil and Yemen felt the text required furtherwork and study, and they therefore abstained,According to Brazil, there had been insufficientconsideration of the legal implications of theConvention and, if it came into force, it waslikely to be accompanied by so many reserva-tions that it would be of doubtful value.

Because of their reservations, several otherMembers said they had had to abstain, amongthem Mauritania and the Upper Volta, whichsaid they had reservations on several articles.Certain provisions, Bangladesh noted, were notin accord with its laws. Morocco expressed

10 See Y.U.N., 1948-49, p. 535, text of Universal Declaration.11 See Y.U.N., 1966, p. 418, resolution 2200 A (XXI) of 16 Decem-

her 1966, annexing texts of Covenants and Optional Protocol.


regret at the seeming lack of understanding ofhow vital it was that the Convention strike a fairbalance among all existing legal systems.

A number of States indicated that their votesin favour were without prejudice to any reserva-tions their Governments might have after furtherstudy. Among these were Bahrain, Benin, Chile,Colombia, the Congo, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecua-dor, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Ghana, Greece,Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Iraq, Ireland,Israel, the Ivory Coast, Pakistan, the Philippines,Romania, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Singapore, SriLanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, theSyrian Arab Republic, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey,Uganda, Viet Nam and Zaire.

Chile, the Congo, Egypt, Japan, New Zealand,the Niger, Oman, Pakistan and the UnitedRepublic of Tanzania were among States whichhad reservations on or were not in full agreementwith particular provisions, but nevertheless sup-ported the Convention. The Libyan Arab Jama-hiriya, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates said anumber of provisions conflicted with Islamic law.The United Arab Emirates had difficulties withother provisions as well, and felt a more detailedstudy was needed. Costa Rica and Yemen saidthey would have preferred the procedure of trans-mitting the text to Governments for comments.

Guinea and Jordan said they would have pre-ferred that article 6 on the suppression of theexploitation of prostitution of women includesuppression of prostitution itself. The provisionof article 9 concerning the granting to womenof equal rights with men in respect of the na-tionality of their children conflicted with Alge-rian, Jordanian and Yemeni legislation, accord-ing to their representatives, and was also thesubject of Argentine and Malagasy reservations.Algeria and the United Kingdom noted thatthey had legal difficulties with article 15 on ac-cording women equality with men before thelaw. Article 16 on the elimination of discrimina-tion against women in all matters relating tomarriage and family relations gave Algeria, Bah-rain, Jordan, Kuwait, the United Kingdom andYemen difficulties. Guinea regretted rejectionof an amendment to give the mother custody ofminor children in the event of separation ordivorce.

China said it had reservations with regard toseveral provisions. Referring in particular to apreambular reference to general and completedisarmament, China said it was in favour ofgenuine disarmament but stated that as long asimperialism and hegemonism existed it wouldnot be achieved.

Documentary references, voting details and text of resolution

General Assembly— 34th sessionThird Committee, meetings 3, 70-73.Fif th Committee, meeting 84.Plenary meeting 107.

A/34/60 and Corr.1,2. Report of Working Group of Whole onDraft ing of Convention on El iminat ion of Discriminationagainst Women on its work dur ing 33rd session of GeneralAssembly (29 September-6 December 1978). Note bySecretary-General (covering note transmitting report).

A/34/357. Letter of 6 July from Sri Lanka (transmitting docu-ments of Ministerial Meeting of Co-ordinating Bureau ofNon-Aligned Countries, Colombo, 4-9 June 1979).

A/34/542. Letter of 1 October from Cuba (transmitting FinalDeclaration of 6th Conference of Heads of State or Govern-ment of Non-Aligned Countries, Havana, 3-9 September1979).

A/34/L.61. Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Cuba, F in land, India,Netherlands, Norway, Phi l ippines: amendment to draftresolution recommended by Third Committee in A/34/830.

A/C.3/34/14. Report of Working Group of Whole on Draft ingof Convention on El imination of Discrimination againstWomen during 34th session of General Assembly (26September-29 November 1 979).

A/C.3/34/14, Annex I. Draft convention on el iminat ion of al lforms of discrimination against women recommended byWorking Group of Whole for approval by Third Committee,as orally amended by Algeria (11th preambular para.,orally subamended by India) , as amended by China(A/C.3/34/L.77, orally subamended by Syrian Arab Repub-l ic), by Morocco (A/C.3/34/L.73: 13th preambular para.,orally subamended by Third Committee Chairman, andpara. (b) of Article 5) and by Sweden (part V, subamendedby Bangladesh (para. (h)) and orally by Second CommitteeChairman), and as further orally amended by Chairman of

Working Group of Whole, approved by Third Committee on6 December 1979, meeting 72, by 104 votes to 0, with 10abstentions.

A/C.3/34/L.73. Morocco: amendments to draft conventionon el iminat ion of al l forms of discr iminat ion against womencontained in A/C.3/34/14, Annex I .

A/C.3/34/L.75. Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Bulgaria,Canada, Cuba, F in land, Guatemala, India, Jamaica, Kenya,Netherlands, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Phi l ippines, SaoTome and Principe, Romania, Yugoslavia: draft resolution,as orally revised by sponsors, approved by Third Committeeon 7 December 1979, meeting 73, by recorded vote of 112to 1, with 13 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Baha-mas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Benin,Bhutan, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burundi , Byelorussian SSR,Canada, Cape Verde, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba,Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Kampuchea, Dem-ocratic Yemen, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, EquatorialGuinea, Ethiopia, Fi j i , F in land, France, Gabon, GermanDemocratic Republic, Germany, Federal Republic of,Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea Guinea-Bissau,Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia,Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan,Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic,Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Luxembourg,Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Mongolia,Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua,Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, PapuaNew Guinea, Peru, Phi l ippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar,Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, SierraLeone, Singapore, Spain, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thai land, Togo, Trinidadand Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR,

Status of women 895

United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic ofCameroon, United Republic of Tanzania, United States,Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia

Against: MexicoAbstaining: Brazil, Burma, China, Dominican Republic,

Malawi, Mal i , Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sri Lanka,Upper Volta, Venezuela, Yemen.

A/C.3/34/L.76. France and United Kingdom: amendment todraft convention.

A/C.3/34/L.77. China: amendment to draft convention.A/C.3/34/L.78. Administrative and f inancial implications of

draft convention. Statement by Secretary-General.A/C.3/34/L79. Mexico: draft decision.A/C.3/34/L.80. Mexico: amendments to 18-power draft reso-

lution, A/C.3/34/L.75.A/C.5/34/94, A/34/7/Add.24, A/34/843. Administrative

and financial implications of draft resolution recommendedby Third Committee in A/34/830. Statement by Secretary-General and reports of ACABQ and Fifth Committee.

A/34/830. Report of Third Committee, draft resolution andAnnex (draft convention on el imination of al l forms of dis-crimination against women).

Resolution 34/180 and Annex, as recommended by ThirdCommittee, A/34/830, adopted by Assembly on 18 Decem-ber 1979, meeting 107, as follows:

Annex (draft convention), by recorded vote of 130 to 0,with 11 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina,Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium,Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burma,Burundi , Byelorussian SSR, Canada, Cape Verde, CentralAfrican Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo,Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, DemocraticKampuchea, Democratic Yemen, Denmark, DominicanRepublic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fij i, Fin-land, France, Gabon, Gambia, German Democratic Repub-lic, Germany, Federal Republic of, Ghana, Greece, Grena-da, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hondu-ras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel,Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait,Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Li-beria, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Luxembourg, Madagascar,Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauri t ius, Mongolia, Mozam-bique, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger,Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,Phi l ippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda,Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Singapore,Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidadand Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR,USSR, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, UnitedRepublic of Tanzania, United States, Upper Volta, Uruguay,Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia

Against: NoneAbstaining: Bangladesh, Brazil, Comoros, Djibouti, Haiti,

Mali , Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Senegal;

draft resolution, as further amended by 9 powers,A/34/L.61, and Annex, by recorded vote of 1 30 to 0, with10 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina,Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium,Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burma,Burundi , Byelorussian SSR, Canada, Cape Verde, CentralAfrican Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo,Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, DemocraticKampuchea, Democratic Yemen, Denmark, DominicanRepublic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, F i j i , Fin-land, France, Gabon, Gambia, German Democratic Repub-

lic, Germany, Federal Republic of, Ghana, Greece, Grena-da, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hondu-ras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel,Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait,Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Li-beria, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Luxembourg, Madagascar,Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Maur i t ius, Mongolia, Mozam-bique, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger,Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,Phil ippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda,Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Singapore,Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thai land, Togo, Trinidadand Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrain ian SSR,USSR, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, UnitedRepublic of Tanzania, United States, Upper Volta, Uruguay,Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia

Against: NoneAbstaining: Bangladesh, Brazil, Comoros, Hait i , Mal i ,

Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Senegal.

The General Assembly,Considering that one of the purposes of the United Nations, as

stated in Articles 1 and 55 of the Charter, is to promote universalrespect for human rights and fundamental freedoms without dis-tinction of any kind, including any distinction as to sex,

Recalling the proclamation by the General Assembly, in itsresolution 2263(XXII) of 7 November 1967, of the Declarationon the El iminat ion of Discr iminat ion against Women,

Taking into account the conventions, resolutions, declara-tions and recommendations of the United Nations and of thespecialized agencies designed to el iminate al l forms of dis-cr iminat ion and to promote equal rights for men and women,

Noting, in particular, its resolution 33/1 77 of 20 December1978 concerning the draft ing of a convention on the el imina-tion of discrimination against women,

Considering that discrimination against women is incom-patible with human dignity and the welfare of society and con-stitutes an obstacle to the f u l l realization of the potentialitiesof women,

Affirming that women and men should participate and con-tribute on a basis of equality in the social, economic andpolitical processes of development and should share equallyin improved conditions of l i fe,

Recognizing that the welfare of the world and the cause ofpeace require the f u l l participation of both men and women insociety,

Convinced that it is necessary to ensure the universalrecognition in law and in fact of the principle of equality ofmen and women,

1. Adopts and opens for signature, ratification and acces-sion the Convention on the El iminat ion of Al l Forms of Dis-crimination against Women, the text of which is annexed tothe present resolution;

2. Expresses the hope that the Convention wi l l be signedand ratified or acceded to without delay and wi l l come intoforce at an early date;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to present the text ofthe Convention to the World Conference of the United NationsDecade for Women for its information;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to theGeneral Assembly at its thirty-f i f th session a report on thestatus of the Convention under an item entitled "Status of theConvention on the El iminat ion of All Forms of Discriminationagainst Women."

ANNE XConventio n on the Eliminatio n of Al l Form s of

Discriminatio n agains t Wome n

The States Parties to the present Convention,Noting that the Charter of the United Nations reaffirms faith

in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of thehuman person and in the equal rights of men and women,


Noting that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights af-f irms the principle of the inadmissibil i ty of discrimination andproclaims that all human beings are born free and equal indignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all therights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction ofany kind, including distinction based on sex,

Noting that the States parties to the International Cove-nants on Human Rights have the obligation to ensure theequal right of men and women to enjoy al l economic, social,cultural, civil and political rights,

Considering the international conventions concludedunder the auspices of the United Nations and the special-ized agencies promoting equality of rights of men andwomen,

Noting also the resolutions, declarations and recommenda-tions adopted by the United Nations and the specializedagencies promoting equality of rights of men and women,

Concerned, however, that despite these various instru-ments extensive discrimination against women continues toexist,

Recalling that discrimination against women violates theprinciples of equality of rights and respect for human dignity,is an obstacle to the participation of women, on equal termswith men, in the political, social, economic and cul tural l i fe oftheir countries, hampers the growth of the prosperity of soci-ety and the fami ly and makes more d i f f icu l t the f u l l develop-ment of the potentialities of women in the service of theircountries and of humanity,

Concerned that in situations of poverty women have theleast access to food, health, education, t ra in ing and oppor-tunities for employment and other needs,

Convinced that the establishment of the new internationaleconomic order based on equity and justice wi l l contributesignificantly towards the promotion of equality between menand women,

Emphasizing that the eradication of apartheid, al l forms ofracism, racial discrimination, colonialism, neo-colonialism,aggression, foreign occupation and domination and interfer-ence in the internal affairs of States is essential to the f u l l en-joyment of the rights of men and women,

Affirming that the strengthening of international peace andsecurity, the relaxation of international tension, mutual co-operation among all States irrespective of their social andeconomic systems, general and complete disarmament, inparticular nuclear disarmament under strict and effective in-ternational control, the affirmation of the principles of justice,equality and mutual benefit in relations among countries andthe realization of the right of peoples under alien and colonialdomination and foreign occupation to self-determination andindependence, as well as respect for national sovereigntyand territorial integrity, wi l l promote social progress and de-velopment and as a consequence wi l l contribute to the attain-ment of f u l l equality between men and women,

Convinced that the f u l l and complete development of acountry, the welfare of the world and the cause of peace re-quire the maximum participation of women on equal termswith men in al l fields,

Bearing in mind the great contribution of women to the wel-fare of the fami ly and to the development of society, so far notfu l ly recognized, the social significance of maternity and therole of both parents in the fami ly and in the upbr inging ofchildren, and aware that the role of women in procreationshould not be a basis for discrimination but that the upbring-ing of children requires a sharing of responsibility betweenmen and women and society as a whole,

Aware that a change in the traditional role of men as well asthe role of women in society and in the fami ly is needed toachieve f u l l equality between men and women,

Determined to implement the principles set forth in theDeclaration on the El iminat ion of Discrimination againstWomen and, for that purpose, to adopt the measures requiredfor the el iminat ion of such discrimination in all its forms andmanifestations,

Have agreed on the following:

PART I

Article 1For the purposes of the present Convention, the term "dis-

cr iminat ion against women" shall mean any distinction, ex-clusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has theeffect or purpose of impai r ing or nu l l i f y ing the recognition, en-joyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their maritalstatus, on a basis of equality of men and women, of humanrights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic,social, cultural, civi l or any other f ield.

Article 2States Parties condemn discrimination against women in

all its forms, agree to pursue by all appropriate means andwithout delay a policy of e l iminat ing discrimination againstwomen and, to this end, undertake:

(a) To embody the principle of the equality of men andwomen in their national constitutions or other appropriatelegislation if not yet incorporated therein and to ensure,through law and other appropriate means, the practical reali-zation of this principle;

(b) To adopt appropriate legislative and other measures,inc lud ing sanctions where appropriate, prohibi t ing al l dis-crimination against women;

(c) To establish legal protection of the rights of women onan equal basis with men and to ensure through competent na-tional tr ibunals and other publ ic institutions the effective pro-tection of women against any act of discrimination;

(d) To refrain from engaging in any act or practice of dis-crimination against women and to ensure that publ ic authori-ties and institutions shall act in conformity with thisobligation;

(e) To take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimi-nation against women by any person, organization orenterprise;

(f) To take al l appropriate measures, inc luding legislation,to modify or abolish existing laws, regulations, customs andpractices which constitute discrimination against women;

(g) To repeal al l national penal provisions which consti-tute discrimination against women.

Article 3States Parties shall take in al l fields, in particular in the

polit ical, social, economic and cultural fields, all appropriatemeasures, inc lud ing legislation, to ensure the f u l l develop-ment and advancement of women, for the purpose of guaran-teeing them the exercise and enjoyment of human rights andfundamental freedoms on a basis of equality with men.

Article 41. Adoption by States Parties of temporary special mea-

sures aimed at accelerating de facto equality between menand women shall not be considered discrimination as definedin the present Convention, but shall in no way entail as a con-sequence the maintenance of unequal or separate standards;these measures shall be discontinued when the objectives ofequality of opportunity and treatment have been achieved.

2. Adoption by States Parties of special measures, includ-ing those measures contained in the present Convention,aimed at protecting maternity shall not be considereddiscriminatory.

Article 5States Parties shall take all appropriate measures:(a) To modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct

of men and women, with a view to achieving the el imination ofprejudices and customary and al l other practices which arebased on the idea of the inferiority or the superiority of eitherof the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men and women;

(b) To ensure that fami ly education includes a proper un-derstanding of maternity as a social function and the recogni-tion of the common responsibility of men and women in theupbr ing ing and development of their chi ldren, it being under-

Status of women 897

stood that the interest of the children is the primordial consid-eration in all cases.

Article 6States Parties shall take all appropriate measures, includ-

ing legislation, to suppress all forms of traffic in women andexploitation of prostitution of women.

PART II

Article 7States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to el imi-

nate discrimination against women in the political and publiclife of the country and, in particular, shall ensure to women,on equal terms with men, the right:

(a) To vote in all elections and public referenda and to beeligible for election to all publicly elected bodies;

(b) To participate in the formulation of government policyand the implementation thereof and to hold publ ic office andperform all public functions at al l levels of government;

(c) To participate in non-governmental organizations andassociations concerned with the public and political l i fe ofthe country.

Article 8States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to

ensure to women, on equal terms with men and without anydiscrimination, the opportunity to represent their Govern-ments at the international level and to participate in the workof international organizations.

Article 91. States Parties shall grant women equal rights with men

to acquire, change or retain their nationality. They shallensure in particular that neither marriage to an alien norchange of nationality by the husband dur ing marriage shallautomatically change the nationality of the wife, render herstateless or force upon her the nationality of the husband.

2. States Parties shall grant women equal rights with menwith respect to the nationality of their children.

PART I I I


nate discrimination against women in order to ensure to themequal rights with men in the field of education and in particu-lar to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women:

(a) The same conditions for career and vocational guid-ance, for access to studies and for the achievement of diplo-mas in educational establishments of all categories in ruralas well as in urban areas; this equality shall be ensured inpre-school, general, technical, professional and highertechnical education, as well as in all types of vocationaltraining;

(b) Access to the same curricula, the same examinations,teaching staff with qualifications of the same standard andschool premises and equipment of the same quality;

(c) The elimination of any stereotyped concept of theroles of men and women at al l levels and in all forms of educa-tion by encouraging coeducation and other types of educationwhich wi l l help to achieve this aim and, in particular, by therevision of textbooks and school programmes and the adapta-tion of teaching methods;

(d) The same opportunities to benefit from scholarshipsand other study grants;

(e) The same opportunities for access to programmes ofcontinuing education, including adult and functional literacyprogrammes, particularly those aimed at reducing, at the ear-liest possible time, any gap in education existing betweenmen and women;

(f) The reduction of female student drop-out rates and theorganization of programmes for girls and women who haveleft school prematurely;

(g) The same opportunities to participate actively insports and physical education;

(h) Access to specific educational information to help toensure the health and well-being of famil ies, including infor-mation and advice on fami ly p lanning.

Article 111. States Parties shall take al l appropriate measures to

eliminate discrimination against women in the f ield of employ-ment in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men andwomen, the same rights, in particular:

(a) The right to work as an inalienable right of all humanbeings;

(b) The right to the same employment opportunities,including the application of the same criteria for selection inmatters of employment;

(c) The right to free choice of profession and employment,the right to promotion, job security and all benefits and condi-tions of service and the right to receive vocational trainingand retraining, inc lud ing apprenticeships, advanced voca-tional t raining and recurrent training;

(d) The right to equal remuneration, inc lud ing benefits,and to equal treatment in respect of work of equal value, as wellas equality of treatment in the evaluation of inequal i ty of work;

(e) The right to social security, particularly in cases ofretirement, unemployment, sickness, inval idi ty and old ageand other incapacity to work, as well as the right to paid leave;

(f) The right to protection of health and to safety in work-ing conditions, including the safeguarding of the function ofreproduction.

2. In order to prevent discrimination against women onthe grounds of marriage or maternity and to ensure their effec-tive right to work, States Parties shall take appropriatemeasures:

(a) To prohibit, subject to the imposition of sanctions, dis-missal on the grounds of pregnancy or of maternity leave anddiscrimination in dismissals on the basis of marital status;

(b) To introduce maternity leave with pay or with compara-ble social benefits without loss of former employment, senior-ity or social allowances;

(c) To encourage the provision of the necessary support-ing social services to enable parents to combine family obli-gations with work responsibilities and participation in publiclife, in particular through promoting the establishment anddevelopment of a network of child-care facilities;

(d) To provide special protection to women dur ingpregnancy in types of work proved to be harmfu l to them.

3. Protective legislation relating to matters covered in thisarticle shall be reviewed periodically in the l ight of scientificand technological knowledge and shall be revised, repealedor extended as necessary.

Article 121. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to

eliminate discrimination against women in the f ield of healthcare in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men andwomen, access to health care services, inc luding those relat-ed to family planning.

2. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1 of thisarticle, States Parties shall ensure to women appropriateservices in connexion with pregnancy, confinement and thepost-natal period, granting free services where necessary, aswell as adequate nutr i t ion during pregnancy and lactation.


nate discrimination against women in other areas of economicand social l ife in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of menand women, the same rights, in particular:

(a) The right to family benefits;(b) The right to bank loans, mortgages and other forms of

f inancial credit;(c) The right to participate in recreational activities,

sports and all aspects of cul tural l i fe.


Article 141. States Parties shall take into account the particular

problems faced by rural women and the significant roleswhich rural women play in the economic survival of their fami-lies, inc lud ing their work in the non-monetized sectors of theeconomy, and shall take al l appropriate measures to ensurethe application of the provisions of the present Convention towomen in rural areas.

2. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures toel iminate discrimination against women in rural areas inorder to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women,that they participate in and benefit from rural developmentand, in particular, shall ensure to such women the right:

(a) To participate in the elaboration and implementationof development p lanning at a l l levels;

(b) To have access to adequate health care facil i t ies,inc lud ing information, counsell ing and services in fami lyplanning;

(c) To benefit directly from social security programmes;(d) To obtain al l types of t ra in ing and education, formal

and non-formal, inc lud ing that relating to funct ional literacy,as well as, inter alia, the benefit of al l communi ty and exten-sion services, in order to increase their technical proficiency;

(e) To organize self-help groups and co-operatives inorder to obtain equal access to economic opportunitiesthrough employment or self-employment;

(f) To participate in al l communi ty activities;(g) To have access to agricultural credit and loans,

marketing facil i t ies, appropriate technology and equal treat-ment in land and agrarian reform as well as in land resettle-ment schemes;

(h) To enjoy adequate l iv ing conditions, part icularly in re-lation to housing, sanitation, electricity and water supply,transport and communications.

PART IV

Article 151. States Parties shall accord to women equality with men

before the law.2. States Parties shall accord to women, in civi l matters, a

legal capacity identical to that of men and the same oppor-tunit ies to exercise that capacity. In particular, they shall givewomen equal rights to conclude contracts and to administerproperty and shall treat them equal ly in al l stages of pro-cedure in courts and tr ibunals.

3. States Parties agree that all contracts and all other pri-vate instruments of any kind with a legal effect which isdirected at restricting the legal capacity of women shall bedeemed nu l l and void.

4. States Parties shall accord to men and women thesame rights with regard to the law relating to the movement ofpersons and the freedom to choose their residence anddomicile.

Article 161. States Parties shall take al l appropriate measures to

el iminate discr iminat ion against women in all matters relatingto marriage and fami ly relations and in particular shallensure, on a basis of equality of men and women:

(a) The same right to enter into marriage;(b) The same right freely to choose a spouse and to enter

into marriage only with their free and f u l l consent;(c) The same rights and responsibilities dur ing marriage

and at its dissolution;(d) The same rights and responsibilities as parents, irre-

spective of their mari tal status, in matters relating to theirchi ldren; in all cases the interests of the chi ldren shall beparamount;

(e) The same rights to decide freely and responsibly onthe number and spacing of their chi ldren and to have accessto the information, education and means to enable them to ex-ercise these rights;

(f) The same rights and responsibilities with regard toguardianship, wardship, trusteeship and adoption of chi l -dren, or similar institutions where these concepts exist in na-tional legislation; in all cases the interests of the chi ldrenshall be paramount;

(g) The same personal rights as husband and wife, includ-ing the right to choose a fami ly name, a profession and anoccupation;

(h) The same rights for both spouses in respect of theownership, acquisition, management, administrat ion, enjoy-ment and disposition of property, whether free of charge orfor a valuable consideration.

2. The betrothal and the marriage of a chi ld shall have nolegal effect, and al l necessary action, inc lud ing legislation,shall be taken to specify a minimum age for marriage and tomake the registration of marriages in an off ic ial registrycompulsory.

PART V

Article 171. For the purpose of considering the progress made in

the implementation of the present Convention, there shall beestablished a Committee on the El iminat ion of Discriminationagainst Women (hereinafter referred to as the Committee)consisting, at the t ime of entry into force of the Convention, ofeighteen and, after ratification of or accession to the Conven-tion by the thir ty-f i f th State Party, of twenty-three experts ofhigh moral standing and competence in the f ield covered bythe Convention. The experts shall be elected by States Par-ties from among their nationals and shall serve in their per-sonal capacity, consideration being given to equitablegeographical distr ibution and to the representation of the dif-ferent forms of civi l izat ion as well as the pr incipal legalsystems.

2. The members of the Committee shall be elected bysecret ballot from a list of persons nominated by States Par-ties. Each State Party may nominate one person from amongits own nationals.

3. The in i t ia l election shall be held six months after thedate of the entry into force of the present Convention. At leastthree months before the date of each election the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall address a letter to theState Parties inv i t ing them to submit their nominations wi th intwo months. The Secretary-General shall prepare a list in al-phabetical order of al l persons thus nominated, indicat ing theStates Parties which have nominated them, and shall submitit to the States Parties.

4. Elections of the members of the Committee shal l beheld at a meeting of States Parties convened by theSecretary-General at United Nations Headquarters. At thatmeeting, for which two thirds of the States Parties shall con-stitute a quorum, the persons elected to the Committee shallbe those nominees who obtain the largest number of votesand an absolute majority of the votes of the representatives ofStates Parties present and voting.

5. The members of the Committee shall be elected for aterm of four years. However, the terms of n ine of the memberselected at the first election shall expire at the end of twoyears; immediately after the first election the names of thesenine members shall be chosen by lot by the Chairman of theCommittee.

6. The election of the five addit ional members of the Com-mittee shall be held in accordance with the provisions ofparagraphs 2, 3 and 4 of this article, fol lowing the thir ty-f i f thratif ication or accession. The terms of two of the addit ionalmembers elected on this occasion shal l expire at the end oftwo years, the names of these two members having beenchosen by lot by the Chairman of the Committee.

7. For the f i l l i n g of casual vacancies, the State Partywhose expert has ceased to funct ion as a member of the Com-mittee shall appoint another expert from among its nationals,subject to the approval of the Committee.

Status of women 899

8. The members of the Committee shall, with the approvalof the General Assembly, receive emoluments from UnitedNations resources on such terms and conditions as the As-sembly may decide, having regard to the importance of theCommittee's responsibilities.

9. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall pro-vide the necessary staff and facilities for the effective perfor-mance of the functions of the Committee under the presentConvention.

Article 181. States Parties undertake to submit to the Secretary-

General of the United Nations, for consideration by the Com-mittee, a report on the legislative, judicial , administrative orother measures which they have adopted to give effect to theprovisions of the present Convention and on the progressmade in this respect:

(a) Within one year after the entry into force for the Stateconcerned;

(b) Thereafter at least every four years and further when-ever the Committee so requests.

2. Reports may indicate factors and difficulties affectingthe degree of fu l f i lment of obligations under the presentConvention.

Article 191. The Committee shall adopt its own rules of procedure.2. The Committee shall elect its officers for a term of two

years.

Article 201. The Committee shall normally meet for a period of not

more than two weeks annually in order to consider thereports submitted in accordance with article 18 of the presentConvention.

2. The meetings of the Committee shall normally be heldat United Nations Headquarters or at any other convenientplace as determined by the Committee.

Article 211. The Committee shall, through the Economic and Social

Council, report annually to the General Assembly of theUnited Nations on its activities and may make suggestionsand general recommendations based on the examination ofreports and information received from the States Parties.Such suggestions and general recommendations shall beincluded in the report of the Committee together with com-ments, if any, from States Parties.

2. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shalltransmit the reports of the Committee to the Commission onthe Status of Women for its information.

Article 22The specialized agencies shall be entitled to be represent-

ed at the consideration of the implementation of such provi-sions of the present Convention as fal l wi thin the scope oftheir activities. The Committee may invite the specializedagencies to submit reports on the implementation of the Con-vention in areas fa l l ing within the scope of their activities.

PART VI

Article 23Nothing in the present Convention shall affect any provi-

sions that are more conducive to the achievement of equalitybetween men and women which may be contained:

(a) In the legislation of a State Party; or(b) In any other international convention, treaty or agree-

ment in force for that State.

Article 24States Parties undertake to adopt all necessary measures

at the national level aimed at achieving the f u l l realization ofthe rights recognized in the present Convention.

Article 251. The present Convention shall be open for signature by

all States.2. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is

designated as the depositary of the present Convention.3. The present Convention is subject to ratification.

Instruments of ratification shall be deposited with theSecretary-General of the United Nations.

4. The present Convention shall be open to accession byall States. Accession shall be effected by the deposit of aninstrument of accession with the Secretary-General of theUnited Nations.

Article 261. A request for the revision of the present Convention

may be made at any time by any State Party by means of anotification in writing addressed to the Secretary-General ofthe United Nations.

2. The General Assembly of the United Nations shalldecide upon the steps, if any, to be taken in respect of such arequest.

Article 2 71. The present Convention shall enter into force on the

thirt ieth day after the date of deposit with the Secretary-General of the United Nations of the twentieth instrument ofratification or accession.

2. For each State ratifying the present Convention oracceding to it after the deposit of the twentieth instrument ofratification or accession, the Convention shall enter intoforce on the thirtieth day after the date of the deposit of itsown instrument of ratification or accession.

Article 281. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall re-

ceive and circulate to all States the text of reservations madeby States at the t ime of ratification or accession.

2. A reservation incompatible with the object and purposeof the present Convention shall not be permitted.

3. Reservations may be withdrawn at any t ime by notifica-tion to this effect addressed to the Secretary-General of theUnited Nations, who shall then inform all States thereof. Suchnotification shall take effect on the date on which it isreceived.

Article 291. Any dispute between two or more States Parties con-

cerning the interpretation or application of the present Con-vention which is not settled by negotiation shall, at the re-quest of one of them, be submitted to arbitration. I f within sixmonths from the date of the request for arbitration the partiesare unable to agree on the organization of the arbitration, anyone of those parties may refer the dispute to the InternationalCourt of Justice by request in conformity with the Statute ofthe Court.

2. Each State Party may at the t ime of signature or ratifica-tion of the present Convention or accession thereto declarethat it does not consider itself bound by paragraph 1 of thisarticle. The other States Parties shall not be bound by thatparagraph with respect to any State Party which has madesuch a reservation.

3. Any State Party which has made a reservation in accor-dance with paragraph 2 of this article may at any t ime with-draw that reservation by notification to the Secretary-Generalof the United Nations.

Article 30The present Convention, the Arabic, Chinese, English,

French, Russian and Spanish texts of which are equallyauthentic, shall be deposited with the Secretary-General ofthe United Nations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, duly authorized,have signed the present Convention.


Training of women for development

Mobilizatio n of women in developmen tThe Secretary-General reported to the Gener-

al Assembly at its regular 1979 session, whichopened in September, on the effective mobiliza-tion and integration of women in development,bringing to its attention, in accordance withan Assembly request of 29 January 1979,12

development-oriented studies by United Na-tions—related bodies focusing on the impactof policies aimed at mobilizing and integratingwomen in the development process and on waysof promoting such policies. Inasmuch as, by 31August 1979, only four United Nations organiza-tions had been able to provide him with the in-formation required for preparation of a compre-hensive report, the Secretary-General proposedthat the report be submitted to the Assembly atits 1980 session.

Noting that it had not been possible for theSecretary-General to submit the comprehensivereport as requested, the Assembly, by resolution34/204 of 19 December, urged him to prepare itas soon as possible and submit it to the Prepara-tory Committee for the New International De-velopment Strategy at its fifth session and to thePreparatory Committee for the World Confer-ence of the United Nations Decade for Women:Equality, Development and Peace at its third ses-sion—both sessions to be held in April 1980 —and to the 1980 regular Assembly session. It alsourged United Nations agencies that had notdone so to submit the information called for inits 29 January resolution.

The Assembly called on the World Conferenceto include in the programme of action for thesecond half of the Decade (1981-1985) concretemeasures for the effective mobilization and inte-gration of women in all sectors of development,stressed the important role in the Decade of theinteragency programme with regard to co-ordinating activities on this subject, and askedparticipating United Nations organizations toimplement the programme. It also asked Govern-ments to provide information on successful proj-ects or programmes aimed at ameliorating thecurrent situation of women in development.

By other provisions of resolution 34/204 onthe effective mobilization and integration ofwomen in development, the Assembly welcomedthe inclusion in the Programme of Action adopt-ed by the World Conference on AgrarianReform and Rural Development, held at Romein July 1979 (see p. 500), of special provisionsrelating to the integration of women in rural de-velopment. It called on the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations, the United

Nations Development Programme and otherUnited Nations organizations to aid Govern-ments in implementing those provisions and toinitiate research, projects and programmes tofacilitate the integration of women in rural devel-opment by examining inter alia women's rural-to-urban migration problems, training pro-grammes for them in new agro-technology, theimpact on them of agro-business, their participa-tion in the co-operative movement, and theiraccess to land, credit and marketing facilities.

The Assembly also welcomed and asked theSecretary-General to implement a resolution onwomen, science and technology (see p. 640),adopted by the August 1979 United NationsConference on Science and Technology for De-velopment, and to report thereon.

The Assembly emphasized the importance ofwomen's integration and participation in indus-trial development, and asked the United NationsIndustrial Development Organization to consid-er this question at its Third General Conferencein January/February 1980, particularly the im-pact of new technology and the deployment ofmodern industries on women's traditional skillsand occupations, and identification of ways toenhance their equal participation in industrialdevelopment.

The Assembly also welcomed Economic andSocial Council resolution 1979/11 of 9 May 1979relating to the International Research and Train-ing Institute for the Advancement of Women, itslocation and programme priority (see section im-mediately following).

Resolution 34/204 was adopted, without vote,on a recommendation by the Assembly's Second(Economic and Financial) Committee, whichhad approved it by consensus on 8 December ona proposal by 35 States (see DOCUMENTARYREFERENCES below). The original text was twicerevised, the second time taking into accountjoint amendments, concerning the establishment,location and activities of the International Re-search and Training Institute, by Colombia,Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, whichthen withdrew their amendments. The text wasfurther orally amended by the sponsors to in-corporate an Iraqi proposal to take note, by apreambular paragraph, of the part of theEconomic Declaration adopted by the SixthConference of Heads of State or Government ofNon-Aligned Countries, held at Havana, Cuba,in September 1979, relating to the role of womenin development.

12 See Y.U.N., 1978, p. 755, resolution 33/200.

Status of women 901

Israel, speaking after the vote, said that, al-though it had joined in the consensus, it hadreservations concerning the preambular refer-ence to the Economic Declaration. Egypt alsohad misgivings about the reference to a confer-ence that had made recommendations unaccept-able to Egypt. With reference to the World Con-ference of the United Nations Decade forWomen, Bulgaria, speaking also on behalf of theByelorussian SSR, Czechoslovakia, the GermanDemocratic Republic, Hungary, Mongolia,Poland, the Ukrainian SSR and the USSR, saidthose countries understood that the resolutionwould complement relevant resolutions ap-proved by the Third (Social, Humanitarian andCultural) Committee; to avoid duplication ofConference preparations and reports, accountshould be taken of existing documents andresolutions.

Other resolutions adopted in 1979 also dealtwith the integration of women in developmentefforts.

When the Economic and Social Council, on 9May, adopted recommendations on priorityareas for action to implement the 1974 WorldPopulation Plan of Action13 and to achieve itsgoals, it urged Governments to give high priorityto the full integration of women into the develop-ment process, particularly by greater participa-tion in educational, social, economic and politi-cal opportunities, and, when formulating policiesand programmes, to consider the relationship be-tween population structure and the changingrole and status of women.

These actions were contained in an annex toresolution 1979/32, dealing with strengtheningactions concerned with the fulfilment of theWorld Population Plan of Action. (For details,see p. 785.)

The General Assembly, by resolution 34/130of 14 December, commended Lesotho's efforts tointegrate women more fully into its developmentefforts and asked the Secretary-General to con-sult with the Government on the type andamount of assistance required to achieve this.(For details, see p. 240.)

International Research and TrainingInstitute for the Advancement of Women

Pursuant to a General Assembly resolution of29 January 1979,14 the Secretary-General report-ed in April 1979 on recent developments con-cerning the establishment of the InternationalResearch and Training Institute for the Ad-vancement of Women.

He reported that on 12 January he had re-ceived a note verbale from Iran informing him ofits decision to withdraw its offer to act as thehost country to the Institute. Alternative offers

of host facilities had been received from Austriathe Dominican Republic and Tunisia, and discussions were currently being held. Preparatorywork for the establishment of the Institute wascontinuing under the auspices of the UnitedNations Secretariat's Centre for Social Develop-ment and Humanitarian Affairs at Vienna, withresources provided by the Voluntary Fund forthe United Nations Decade for Women. TheSecretary-General reported that he had openeda United Nations Trust Fund for the Interna-tional Research and Training Institute for theAdvancement of Women to receive and adminis-ter contributions.

The Economic and Social Council, havingconsidered the Secretary-General's report at itsApril/May 1979 session and having taken notewith appreciation of the offers of host facilitiesrecommended that: the Institute be located inthe Dominican Republic; pending signature ofthe agreement with the host country, substantiveand administrative preparations for the establish-ment continue in New York; and the appoint-ment of the Board of Trustees be postponeduntil the Council's second regular 1979 sessionto allow for consultations to identify candidatesThe Council recommended termination of thearrangements whereby administrative costs forpreparatory work to establish the Institute werecharged against the Voluntary Fund and that allfurther expenditure, after the appointment ofBoard members, should be charged to the UnitedNations Trust Fund for the Institute.

The Council took these actions on 9 Maywhen it adopted resolution 1979/11, withoutvote, similarly approved by its Second (Social]Committee on 27 April. The text was sponsoredby Argentina, Barbados, Colombia, Spain, theUnited States and Venezuela.

The Secretary-General submitted a furtherreport on the Institute in October by which heinformed the General Assembly that facilitieshad been assigned for the Institute by the hostcountry, that by Council decision 1979/58 of 2August the members of the Board of Trusteeshad been appointed (see APPENDIX III), and thatthe first session of the Board had taken place atGeneva from 22 to 26 October to consider a pro-posed programme of operations and budget. Theamounts pledged to the Institute as at 30 June1979 were annexed to the report.

The Assembly, by resolution 34/157 of 17December, accepted with appreciation theDominican Republic's offer to act as host for theInstitute, invited Governments to contribute tothe United Nations Trust Fund for the Institute

13SeeY.U.N., 1974, p. 552.14 See Y.U.N., 1978, p. 757, resolution 33/187.


and requested the Secretary-General to consultMember States with a view to nominating theDirector of the Institute as soon as possible/TheSecretary-General was asked to submit a reportto the Assembly through the Economic andSocial Council on the work of the Institute,together with the Board's report.

Resolution 34/157 was adopted without voteby both the Assembly and its Third Committee,which considered the item. The Committee hadapproved the text on 28 November as sponsoredby 32 States (see DOCUMENTARY REFERENCESbelow).

By resolution 34/204 of 19 December, theGeneral Assembly asked the Institute to give pri-ority to the question of the effective mobilizationand integration of women in development (seesection immediately preceding).

Pledging ConferenceAt the 1979 United Nations Pledging Confer-

ence for Development Activities, held in NewYork on 6 November, voluntary contributionswere pledged to the United Nations Trust Fundfor the International Research and Training In-stitute for the Advancement of Women for 1980.As at 30 June 1980, amounts pledged or paid tothe Trust Fund totalled $137,579. (For details,see p. 558.)

Status and role of women in educationand in the economic and social fields

At its regular 1979 session, the General Assem-bly considered a report of the Secretary-Generalon the status and role of women in educationand in the economic and social fields. The reportexamined the situation of women both in less de-veloped and mere developed countries in each ofthese fields and concluded that the nature of theintegration of many developing countries intothe existing international economic order hadcaused the role and status of women in society todeteriorate. Conversely, the depressed status ofwomen and limitations on their productivity andeffective participation in the economy had con-strained many aspects of national development,

thereby contributing to the developing coun-tries' economic weaknesses and hence to themaintenance of an unbalanced internationaleconomic order. A simultaneous and closely co-ordinated strategy at both the international andnational levels was required to break the cycle;changes in both international and national devel-opment processes, together with special measureson behalf of women, would be needed to solvethe problems which were depressing the role andstatus of women. The report stressed the urgencyof the situation.

The report also presented, in an addendum,updated in May 1980, analytical information onfactors associated with the conditions of womenand their participation in development. Economicindicators, demographics of the female popula-tion, their enrolment in formal education, urbanemployment of women, the percentage of ruralwomen, international migration of women, theirilliteracy rate and reproductive behaviour werelisted separately by State.

On 17 December 1979, the General Assembly,by resolution 34/159, requested the Secretary-General to circulate his report as a backgrounddocument for the World Conference of theUnited Nations Decade for Women and invitedthe Conference to give due attention to this ques-tion for the achievement of the equality ofwomen with men. The Assembly urged States totake necessary measures to promote such equali-ty in education and in the economic and socialfields. It recommended that States should envis-age in their policies all appropriate measures tocreate the conditions necessary to enable womento participate in work on an equal footing withmen and should expand an exchange of experi-ences in matters concerning the improvement ofthe status and role of women in education and inthe economic and social fields for the achieve-ment of equality with men.

Resolution 34/159 was adopted without vote;it had been similarly approved on 29 Novemberby the Third Committee. The text was sponsoredby 38 States (see DOCUMENTARY REFERENCESbelow).

Documentary references and texts of resolutions

Mobilization of women in development

General Assembly— 34th sessionSecond Committee, meetings 54, 56.Plenary meetings 107, 109.

Report of the United Nations Conference on Science andTechnology for Development, Vienna, Austria, 20-31August 1979 (A/CONF.81/16 and Corr.1, 2), Chapter VI A.U.N.P. Sales No.: E.79.I.21 and corrigenda.

A/34/321 and Add.1. Notes verbales of 13 June (transmittingfinal report of Conference of Non-Aligned and Other Devel-oping Countries on Role of Women in Development, Bagh-dad, 6-13 May 1979) and of 4 December from Iraq.

A/34/485. Note by Secretary-General (transmitting Report ofthe World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Devel-opment, Rome, 12-20 July 1979 (WCARRD/REP)).

A/34/531. Report of Secretary-General.A/34/542. Letter of 1 October from Cuba (transmitting Final

Declaration of 6th Conference of Heads of State or Govern-ment of Non-Aligned Countries, Havana, 3-9 September1979), Annex, section IV (paras. 112 and 113).

Status of women

A/C.2/34/L.29. Barbados, Denmark, Ecuador, India, Nether-lands, Norway, Panama, Peru, Phil ippines, Singapore,United Republic of Tanzania, Upper Volta: draft resolution.

A/C.2/34/L.29/Rev.1. Revised draft resolution, sponsoredby above 12 powers and by Austria, Egypt, El Salvador, Fin-land, France, Germany, Federal Republic of, Guinea, In-donesia, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali,Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Venezuela, Yugoslavia.

A/C.2/34/L.29/Rev.2. Revised draft resolution, sponsoredby above 29 powers and by Canada, Congo, DominicanRepublic, Jamaica, Sierra Leone and United Republic ofCameroon, as further orally revised by Iraq and sponsors,approved by consensus by Second Committee on 8 Decem-ber 1979, meeting 56.

A/C.2/34/L.96. Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic:amendments to 29-power draft resolution, A/C.2/34/L.29/Rev.1.

A/34/676/Add.1. Report of Second Committee (part I I ) (ondevelopment and international economic co-operation),draft resolution IV.

Resolution 34/204, as recommended by Second Committee,A/34/676/Add.1, adopted without vote by Assembly on 19December 1979, meeting 109.

The General Assembly,Recalling its resolutions 2626(XXV) of 24 October 1970,

containing the International Development Strategy for theSecond United Nations Development Decade, 3517(XXX) of15 December 1975 on the mid-term review and appraisal ofprogress in the implementation of the International Develop-ment Strategy for the Second United Nations DevelopmentDecade, 3201 (S-VI) and 3202(S-VI) of 1 May 1974, contain-ing the Declaration and the Programme of Action on the Es-tablishment of a New International Economic Order,3281 (XXIX) of 12 December 1974, containing the Charter ofEconomic Rights and Duties of States, 3362(S-VII) of 16September 1975 on development and international economicco-operation and 2542(XXIV) of 11 December 1969, contain-ing the Declaration on Social Progress and Development,

Taking into consideration its resolution 3520(XXX) of 15December 1975 on the World Conference of the InternationalWomen's Year, in which it, inter alia, proclaimed the UnitedNations Decade for Women: Equality, Development andPeace and decided to establish the International Researchand Training Institute for the Advancement of Women,

Taking note of the part of the Economic Declaration adopt-ed by the Sixth Conference of Heads of State or Governmentof Non-Aligned Countries, held at Havana from 3 to 9 Septem-ber 1979, relating to the role of women in development,

Also taking into consideration its resolutions 3505(XXX) of15 December 1975 on the integration of women in the devel-opment process and 31/175 of 21 December 1976 and33/200 of 29 January 1979 on the effective mobilization ofwomen in development,

Affirming that women and men should participate and con-tribute on a basis of equality in the social, economic andpolitical processes of development, inc luding decision-making, and should share in improved conditions of life,

Aware of the need for continuing and increased measuresaimed at the effective participation of women in the over-alldevelopment of their countries,

Bearing in mind the preparations for the international de-velopment strategy for the third United Nations developmentdecade,

Bearing in mind also the preparations for the World Confer-ence of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, De-velopment and Peace, to be held at Copenhagen in 1980,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General onthe effective mobilization and integration of women indevelopment,

1. Welcomes the inclusion in the Programme of Actionadopted by the World Conference on Agrarian Reform andRural Development of special provisions relating to the inte-

gration of women in rural development and calls upon theFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, theUnited Nations Development Programme and other relevantUnited Nations agencies and organizations:

(a) To assist Governments in the implementation of thoseprovisions;

(b) To take all necessary measures to initiate research,projects and programmes which wil l facilitate the integrationof women in rural development, by addressing themselves,inter alia, to:

(i) The problems experienced by women as a result of mi-gration from rural to urban areas;

(ii) The need for training programmes which wil l enablewomen to take advantage of all aspects of newagro-technology;

( i i i ) The impact of agro-business on women's traditionalwork in rural areas;

(iv) The need to encourage women's participation in theco-operative movement and to ensure their access toland, credit and marketing facilities;

2. Welcomes also resolution 2, entitled "Women, scienceand technology," adopted by the United Nations Conferenceon Science and Technology for Development on 31 August1979, and requests the Secretary-General to proceed withthe implementation of that resolution and to report thereon tothe General Assembly at its thirty-sixth session;

3. Emphasizes the importance of the integration and par-ticipation of women in the process of industrial developmentand requests the United Nations Industrial Development Or-ganization at its Third General Conference, to be held atNew Delhi from 21 January to 8 February 1980, to considerthis question, giving particular attention to:

(a) The impact of new technology and the deployment ofmodern industries on women's traditional skills and occupa-tions, which may be endangered;

(b) The identification of ways and means to enhance andfacilitate the equal participation of women in industrial devel-opment, in both rural and urban areas;

4. Welcomes further Economic and Social Council resolu-tion 1979/11 of 9 May 1979, in which the Council recom-mended that the International Research and Training Institutefor the Advancement of Women should be located in a devel-oping country and requested the Institute to give priority in itsprogramme of work to the question of the effective mobiliza-tion and integration of women in development;

5. Calls upon the World Conference of the United NationsDecade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace to in-clude in the Programme of Action for the second half of theDecade concrete measures for the effective mobilization andintegration of women in all sectors of development, which willcontribute to the economic and social development of theircountries;

6. Stresses the important role of the interagency pro-gramme in the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality,Development and Peace with regard to the co-ordination ofactivities relating to the integration and participation ofwomen in the process of development and requests the par-ticipating United Nations agencies and organizations to pro-ceed with the implementation of the interagency programme;

7. Requests Governments to provide information on suc-cessful projects or programmes aimed at ameliorating thepresent situation of women in development through, inter alia:

(a) The effective mobilization of women in development;(b) The facilitation of the integration and active participa-

tion of women in development, including developmentplanning;

8. Notes with regret that it has not been possible for theSecretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at itsthirty-fourth session the comprehensive report requested inits resolution 33/200;

9. Urges the Secretary-General to prepare the report assoon as possible and to submit it to the Preparatory Commit-tee for the New International Development Strategy at its f i f thsession and to the Preparatory Committee for the World Con-

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ference of the United Nations Decade for Women at its thirdsession;

10. Urges the United Nations agencies that have not al-ready done so to submit to the Secretary-General withoutdelay the information called for in resolution 33/200 and re-quests the Secretary-General to submit the report to theGeneral Assembly at its thirty-fifth session;

11. Further requests the Secretary-General to pay due at-tention, in preparing his analytical report to the General As-sembly at its special session in 1980, to the importance ofthe effective mobilization and integration of women indevelopment.

International Research and TrainingInstitute for the Advancement of Women

Economic and Social Council— first regular session, 1979Second (Social) Committee, meetings 5-8,10,13,17, 18.Plenary meeting 14.

E/1979/27. Report of Secretary-General.E/1979/C.2/L.1 and Rev.1. Argentina, Barbados, Colombia,

Spain, United States, Venezuela: draft resolution and revi-sion, approved without vote by Second Committee on 27April 1979, meeting 17.

E/1979/54. Report of Second (Social) Committee, draftresolution.

Resolution 1979/11, as recommended by Second Commit-tee, E/1979/54, adopted without vote by Council on 9 May1979, meeting 14.

The Economic and Social Council,Recalling its resolution 1978/25 of 5 May 1978 on the In-

ternational Research and Training Institute for the Advance-ment of Women,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General sub-mitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 33/187 of29 January 1979,

Taking note with appreciation of the offers received fromGovernments to provide host facilities for the Institute,

Recalling its resolution 1998(LX) of 1 2 May 1976 in whichit decided, inter alia, that the Institute should direct its activi-ties with special attention to the needs of women in develop-ing countries and that it should develop its activities instages, starting by bui lding on the collection of already exist-ing data on ongoing research and training needs,

1. Recommends that the International Research andTraining Institute for the Advancement of Women should belocated in the Dominican Republic, a developing country;

2. Recommends also that, pending signature of the agree-ment between the host Government and the United Nations,the substantive and administrative preparations for the estab-lishment of the Institute should continue in New York;

3. Recommends further that the appointment of the Boardof Trustees should be postponed unt i l the second regularsession of 1979 of the Council, so that the Secretary-Generalmay hold consultations with Member States for the purposeof identifying candidates for the Board;

4. Recommends further the termination of the arrange-ments provided for in its resolution 1998(LX) whereby admin-istrative costs for preparatory work to establish the Institutewould be charged against the Voluntary Fund for the UnitedNations Decade for Women and decides that all further ex-penditures should be charged against the United NationsTrust Fund for the Institute, this decision to take effect im-mediately after the appointment of the Board of Trustees;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Gener-al Assembly at its thirty-fourth session on the progressachieved.

General Assembly— 34th sessionThird Committee, meetings 53-55, 60, 61.Plenary meeting 105.

A/34/579. Report of Secretary-General.A/C.3/34/L.47. Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Chile, Colom-

bia, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan,Nicaragua, Niger, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea,Peru, Phi l ippines, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Uganda, UnitedRepublic of Cameroon, United States, Upper Volta, Uru-guay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia: draft resolution, as orallyrevised by sponsors, approved without vote by Third Com-mittee on 28 November 1979, meeting 61.

A/34/821. Report of Third Committee, draft resolution I I I .


The General Assembly,Recalling its resolution 33/187 of 29 January 1979 on the

International Research and Training Institute for the Ad-vancement of Women,

Taking into consideration Economic and Social Councilresolution 1979/11 of 9 May 1979, concerning the establish-ment of the Institute in the Dominican Republic, and Econom-ic and Social Council decision 1979/58 of 2 August 1979 onthe appointment of the Board of Trustees of the Institute,

Noting that the first session of the Board of Trustees of theInstitute took place from 22 to 26 October 1979,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General onthe International Research and Training Institute for the Ad-vancement of Women,

1. Endorses Economic and Social Council resolution1979/11 and accepts with appreciation the offer of theGovernment of the Dominican Republic to act as host for theInternational Research and Training Institute for the Ad-vancement of Women;

2. Expresses its desire that the necessary consultationsconcerning the agreement with the Government of the hostcountry should be expeditiously concluded;

3. Invites Governments to contribute to the United NationsTrust Fund for the International Research and Training Insti-tute for the Advancement of Women;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to consult MemberStates with a view to nominating the Director of the Instituteas soon as possible;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report tothe General Assembly at its thirty-f i f th session, through theEconomic and Social Council, on the work of the Institute,together with the report to the Board of Trustees.

OTHER DOCUMENTSE/1979/31. Appointment of Board of Trustees of Internation-

al Research and Training Institute for Advancement ofWomen. Note by Secretary-General.

PLEDGING CONFERENCE

1979 United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activi-ties, meetings 1, 2 (A/CONF.98/SR.1,2) of 6 November 1979.

A/CONF.98/1. Final Act of 1979 United Nations PledgingConference for Development Activities. Done at UnitedNations, New York, 7 November 1979. (Para. 1 (i): UnitedNations Trust Fund for International Research and TrainingInstitute for Advancement of Women.)

A/CONF.98/2. Contributions pledged or paid at 1979 UnitedNations Pledging Conference for Development Activities asat 30 June 1980. Note by Secretary-General.

Status and role of women in educationand in the economic and social fields

General Assembly— 34th sessionThird Committee, meetings 53-58, 60-62.Plenary meeting 105.

Status of women 905

A/34/577 and Add.1 and Add.1/Rev.1. Report of Secretary-General.

A/C.3/34/L.49. Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh,Benin, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Demo-cratic Yemen, Ethiopia, German Democratic Republic,Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Ivory Coast,Jamaica, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Liberia,Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mongolia, Moroc-co, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Sao Tome andPrincipe, Senegal, Syrian Arab Republic, Togo, Uganda,Ukrainian SSR, Upper Volta, Viet Nam: draft resolution, ap-proved without vote by Third Committee on 29 November1979, meeting 62.

A/34/821. Report of Third Committee, draft resolution V.

Resolution 34/159, as recommended by Third Committee,A/34/821, adopted without vote by Assembly on 17December 1 979, meeting 105.

The General Assembly,Recalling its resolution 3520(XXX) of 15 December 1975,

in which it proclaimed the period from 1976 to 1985 theUnited Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Developmentand Peace,

Recalling also its resolutions 31/134 of 16 December1976 and 33/184, 33/185 and 33/189 of 29 January 1979,

Recognizing the urgent need to improve the status and roleof women in education and in the economic and social fields

for the achievement of the equality of women with men,Recognizing also the importance of the exchange of experi-

ence in these matters among States,Taking note of the analytical report of the Secretary-

General on the status and role of women in education and inthe economic and social fields,

1. Urges States to take necessary measures to promotefu l l equality of women with men in education and in theeconomic and social fields;

2. Recommends that States should envisage in their poli-cies all appropriate measures to create necessary conditionswhich wi l l enable women to participate in work on an equalfooting with men;

3. Recommends further that States should take measuresto expand the exchange of experience in matters concerningthe improvement of the status and role of women in educationand in the economic and social fields for the achievement ofthe equality of women with men;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to circulate his ana-lytical report on the status and role of women in educationand in the economic and social fields as a background docu-ment for the World Conference of the United Nations Decadefor Women: Equality, Development and Peace, under item 8of its provisional agenda;

5. Invites the Conference to give due attention to thequestion of the improvement of the status and role of womenin education and in the economic and social fields for theachievement of the equality of women with men.

Other action to promote the advancement of women

Technica l co-operatio n activitie sIn 1979, grants from the regular programme

of technical co-operation activities for the ad-vancement of women were made to women fromthe least developed countries and from thosemost seriously affected by economic crises toattend the regional preparatory meetings for the1980 World Conference of the United NationsDecade for Women.

For travel and subsistence costs, six countriesin the region of the Economic and Social Com-mission for Asia and the Pacific received sumsfor representatives to attend a meeting at NewDelhi, India, from 5 to 9 November; sevenEconomic Commission for Latin America mem-bers were granted funds to attend a meeting atCaracas, Venezuela, from 12 to 16 November;costs were defrayed for 32 countries in theEconomic Commission for Africa region for par-ticipation in a Lusaka, Zambia, meeting from 3to 7 December; and four members of theEconomic Commission for Western Asia receivedgrants to attend a meeting at Damascus, SyrianArab Republic, from 10 to 13 December.

These grants allowed women from the develop-ing countries to review the progress made and theobstacles encountered by their countries in imple-menting the World Plan of Action for the Imple-mentation of the Objectives of the InternationalWomen's Year,15 with attention to their respectiveregional plans of action on the integration of

women in development. They also examined theaccomplishments and problems associated withestablishing and strengthening national, sub-regional and regional machinery at governmental,intergovernmental and non-governmental levels,considered the role of United Nations interagencyco-operation in accelerating these trends andinnovations, and proposed programmes andstrategies for the second half of the United NationsDecade for Women.

Another regional preparatory meeting for theConference was held in Paris from 9 to 12 July1979.

Women and childre n unde r apartheidThe General Assembly, when it adopted reso-

lution 34/93 K on 12 December 1979, took anumber of actions concerning women and chil-dren under apartheid, requesting Governmentsand organizations to contribute generously toassist them. Other action to be taken includedpublicizing the oppression of such women andchildren and their heroic resistance, therebymobilizing world opinion for action againstapartheid, and promoting solidarity with themthrough conferences, seminars and other activi-ties. (For details, see p. 183.)

1 5 SeeY.U.N., 1975, p. 647.

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