Commission on the Status of Women (Hansard, 26 January 1995)

§ Mr. Worthington
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries are currently members of the UN Commission on the Status of Women; how countries have achieved membership; and what is the position of the United Kingdom in respect of membership criteria.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
Membership of the UN Commission on the Status of Women is by election on a regional basis by the UN Economic and Social Council. The United Kingdom will seek election in 1996. The current members areAfrican States (13 seats): Algeria, Angola, Congo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Namibia, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Zambia Asian States (11 seats): China, Cyprus, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand Eastern European States (4 seats): Belarus, Bulgaria, Russian Federation, Slovakia Latin American and Caribbean States (9 seats): Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela. Western European and Other States (8 seats): Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Greece, Portugal, Spain

§ Mr. Worthington
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs to what extent the United Kingdom will be represented at the meeting in March of the Commission on the Status of Women when the draft platform for action for the fourth world conference on women in Beijing in September 1995 is discussed; which Government Departments will be represented and by whom; who will lead the delegation; and if the delegation will include non-governmental organisation representatives.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
Although not a member of the UN Commission on the Status of Women at the moment, the United Kingdom will play an active role as observers at the meeting of the commission in March and at the parallel drafting group for the platform for action for the fourth world conference on women. The United Kingdom will be represented by officials from the Department of Employment, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Overseas Development Administration, who will work closely with NGOs.

§ Mr. Worthington
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when joint discussions have been held with the European Union member states on the draft platform for action for the 1995 fourth world conference on women in Beijing; and which states were represented.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
There have been no discussions with our European Union partners about the platform for action for the fourth world conference on women because the draft has not yet been circulated by the conference secretariat.