United Nations (UN), Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995, A/CONF.177/20/Rev.1 (1996)

The Fourth World Conference on Women adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The Beijing Declaration reaffirms the equal rights and the inherent human dignity of women and men, and other purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments, in particular, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women and the Declaration on the Right to Development. Thus, the participants are determined to intensify efforts and actions to achieve the goals of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women by the end of this century. They are likewise determined to ensure the full enjoyment by women and the girl child of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, take effective action against violations of these rights and freedoms, take all necessary measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and the girl child, and remove all obstacles to gender equality and the advancement and empowerment of women, among others. The Platform for Action annexed to the Declaration identifies critical areas of concern including:

• Poverty
• Education health car
• Violence on women
• Armed conflict
• Inequality of economic structures
• Sharing of power and decision-making
• Advancement of women
• Human rights of women
• Stereotyping
• Management of natural resources
• Discrimination and violation of rights of the girl child

The Platform for Action then provides strategic objectives and corresponding action in relation to these critical areas.