WOMEN 2000: GENDER EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE

VATICAN CITY, OCT 10, 2000 (VIS) - Lisa D'Urso, member of the Holy See delegation, yesterday addressed the Third Committee of the 55th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Item 108, Review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the 23rd Special Session of the General Assembly "Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace in the 21st Century."

She began by pointing out that, "despite efforts to implement the Beijing Platform for Action, the scourges of poverty, of illiteracy, of social, political and economic inequalities and of injustice, violence and discrimination still exist." She also spoke of "the increasing numbers of women driven from their homes and families by war," and the impact of globalization and the spread of AIDS.

Ms. D'Urso stated the "the Holy See was pleased with the outcome document adopted by the Special Session," including the need for a "holistic view" of women's health needs and "provisions addressing violence against women and trafficking of women and girls." It was "especially pleased to see a clear acknowledgement of the need for all women to have access to basic social services, including education, clean water, adequate nutrition and safe sanitation."

The Holy See delegate, however, did say that it was "disconcerting to observe the determined efforts of some countries" to remove references to these issues and to others such as "the critical role of women in the family, the basic unit of society," women's overall contributions to society and the need for "programs which enable men and women to reconcile their work and family responsibilities."

She added that "a growing number of countries are firmly committed to addressing the root factors of trafficking in women and girls for prostitution and other forms of commercialized sex, forced marriages and forced labor. It was very unfortunate, therefore, that a few countries attempted ... to limit references to" these issues and "to diminish the Beijing language in order to suit their own national situation."

Ms. D'urso expressed disappointment that consensus could not be reached on a few important issues, including the question of "protecting the right of any health care professional or health facility who refuses to perform, cooperate with, refer or arrange for services to which they have objections on the basis of religious belief, or moral or ethical convictions." This right, she affirmed, "is assured by, inter alia, Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

DELSS;WOMEN 2000;...;UN; D'URSO;VIS;20001010;Word: 390;