Twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women

Between 1975 and 1995, there were four World Conferences on Women, which pushed the agenda forward on women’s human rights. Since the Fourth World Conference in Beijing in 1995, there has been continued debate over when to hold a Fifth World conference. On one hand, there is clear need for increased action to realise women’s human rights. On the other hand, existing commitments are still not yet realised, and concerns have been raised that a new conference might actually reopen and move backward existing normative frameworks.

At the CSW62, Member States decided that at the 25th Anniversary of Beijing in 2020, there would be a review meeting on Beijing+25 in the form of a one-day high-level meeting of the General Assembly, on the margins of the general debate. WILPF joins activists in calling for this to focus on accountability, rather than agenda-setting, and to ensure women’s meaningful participation in the process. Twenty-three years after Beijing, we have a strong normative framework on women’s human rights. What we need is action.