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IN THE CORRIDORS

An alliance of NGOs and delegations, with the backing of Secretary-General Mongella, is lining up behind the Australian initiative for a "Conference of Commitments." The delegations support references to the initiative in the order of business for Beijing and in Chapter V. Governments will commit to draw up programmes with practical outcomes for women. The initiative is being viewed as a "key instrument for political mobilization, in advance of the FWCW, among Governments and civil society." For some NGO representatives, the importance of the initiative has grown as a number of commitments in the draft Platform have been "dropped through a glass ceiling."

On the issue of NGO accreditation, no final decision on procedures is expected before the end of conference, but key delegates believe that a number of issues have been cleared up. A bilateral involving the US and China Friday morning was the culmination of a process of high-level diplomatic exchanges. The meeting will be followed-up with a draft resolution Monday, requesting the CSW Secretariat to invite NGOs who had not received accreditation by March 15 to submit further information, and that the Secretariat forward their recommendations to ECOSOC.