You are viewing our old site. See the new one here

ENB:14:19 [Next] . [Previous] . [Contents]

IN THE CORRIDORS

As the Contact Group struggled unsuccessfully to reach agreement on the draft Beijing Declaration, the possibility of no declaration was discussed elsewhere. NGOs and some delegations say they prefer no declaration to the one that has been drafted so far. They feel that the need to accommodate various views has left the declaration long and unfocused. In the more contentious areas like sexual and reproductive rights, NGOs in particular fear that the Declaration could adopt weaker language than the Platform of Action, undermining the FWCW's outcome. The host government, however, is said to support a declaration. Other delegates say although neither the Nairobi women's conference nor ICPD produced a declaration, participants will eventually embrace the one drafted in Beijing.