ISO: SWZ
***************************************************************************
The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth
World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
Secretariat.
***************************************************************************
AS WRITTEN


KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND
STATEMENT BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
PRINCE SOBANDLA DLAMINI
HONOURABLE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS

AT THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN HELD IN BEIJING, CHINA
6 SEPTEMBER, 1995


MADAM PRESIDENT,
DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

ON BEHALF OF MY DELEGATION, MAY I EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE GOVERNMENT 
AND PEOPLE OF THE PEOPLE' S REPUBLIC OF CHINA FOR HOSTING US AND FOR THE 
WARM WELCOME AND HOSPITALITY WE HAVE ENJOYED SINCE OUR ARRIVAL. 

WE JOIN THE REST OF THE WORLD IN CONGRATULATING YOU MADAM CHEN MUHUA ON 
YOUR ELECTION TO THE PRESIDENCY OF THIS CONFERENCE. WE ARE CONFIDENT OF 
YOUR ABILITY TO GUIDE OUR DELIBERATIONS TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION. MAY 
I ALSO OFFER OUR CONGRATULATIONS TO THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BUREAU. 

MADAM PRESIDENT,

ALLOW ME TO OFFER MY SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS TO MRS. GERTRUDE MONGELLA, 
SECRETARY—GENERAL FOR THE CONFERENCE AND HER STAFF FOR THEIR TIRELESS 
EFFORTS IN ENSURING THE SUCCESS OF THIS CONFERENCE.

MADAM PRESIDENT, 

THE UNITED NATIONS PLACED THE EQUALITY BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN ON THE 
INTERNATIONAL AGENDA TWENTY YEARS AGO, WHEN 1975 WAS PROCLAIMED THE 
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S YEAR BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 

SWAZILAND VIEWS THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN AS A WAY TO 
ACCELERATE THE PROCESS THAT STARTED IN 1975. 

THE CALL FOR EQUALITY HAS INFLUENCED OUR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THROUGH 
RECOGNIZING THAT REVERSING INEQUALITY BETWEEN MEN  AND WOMEN AND ACCESS 
TO OPPORTUNITY INV0LVES REORDERING PRIORITIES, REDITRIBUTING SCARCE 
RESOURCES, CHALLENGING AND CHANGING LAWS AND CUSTOMS FAVOURED FOR 
CENTURIES. 

GRADUALLY MADAM PRESIDENT, THE REALIZATION THAT, ALTHOUGH A MODEST START 
HAS BEEN MADE IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, THERE 
STILL EXIST A GAP BETWEEN INTENTIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS, IT IS EVERYONE’S 
RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT THIS EFFORT IS TRANSFORMED INTO REALITY; 
GOVERNMENTS, INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS THE PRIVATE SECTOR, 
NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, BILATERAL AND MULTILATERAL DONORS SHOULD 
BE COMMITTED TO TRANSFORMING OUR AGREEMENTS INTO ACTION. 

WHILST PREPARING FOR THIS CONFERENCE IT WAS CLEARLY POINTED OUT THAT THE 
NAIROBI FORWARD-LOOKING STRATEGIES WERE NOT FULLY IMPLEMENTED AND IT IS 
OUR AIM TO ACCELERATE THEIR IMPLEMENTATION. AS WE USHER IN THE 21ST 
CENTURY THERE IS AN OBVIOUS NEED FOR SERIOUS POLITICAL WILL AND 
FINANCIAL COMMITMENT TO ADDRESS THE CRITICAL AREAS OF CONCERN FOR WOMEN 
ABLY INDICATED IN THE PLATFORM FOR ACTION.

SWAZILAND RECOGNIZES THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR INTENSIVE GENDER 
SENSITIZATION OF THE WHOLE POPULATION AND THIS WILL RECEIVE PRIORITY 
ATTETEION. WE IN SWAZILAND, BOTH WOMEN AND MEN STRONGLY VALUE OUR 
TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL BELIEFS; HOWEVER A NEED TO SINGLE OUT THOSE 
BELIEFS THAT HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE STATUS OF 
WOMEN HAS BEEN EXPRESSED AND THESE WILL BE ADDRESSED AT NATIONAL LEVEL. 

MADAM PRESIDENT, 

SWAZILAND VIEWS THE PLATFORM FOR ACTION AS A VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT 
THAT MAPS OUT STRATEGIES AND PROVIDES GUIDELINES FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF 
WOMEN. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE UNANIMOUS ADOPTION OF THIS DOCUMENT WITH A 
VIEW TO SETTING NATIONAL GOALS FOR EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE.

WE BELIEVE THAT ALL THE CRITICAL AREAS OF CONCERN ARE CRUCIAL TO THE 
ADVANCEMENT OF THE STATUS OF WOMEN. ALTHOUGH POVERTY IS NOT THE ONLY 
CONCERN, IT REMAINS THE MOST SERIOUS. THE NUMBER OF WOMEN LIVING IN 
POVERTY HAS INCREASED, YET GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY WOMEN ARE KEY 
CONTRIBUTORS  TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TO COMBATING POVERTY THROUGH 
BOTH REMUNERATED AND UNREMUNERATED WORK AT HOME, IN THE COMMUNITY, AND 
IN THE WORKPLACE. INSUFFICIENT FOOD SECURITY, LACK OF ECONOMIC 
EMPOWERMENT AS WELL AS THE ISSUE OF LACK OF ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND 
HEALTH, AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, IN ALL ITS FORMS ALSO DESERVE OUR 
SPECIAL ATTENTION.

ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF THE GIRL-CHILD IS A PRACTICAL WAY OF DEALING 
WITH THE OVERALL PROBLEM FROM ITS SOURCE AND ALL EFFORTS SHOULD NOT BE 
SPARED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, MADAM PRESIDENT. IN THIS CONFERENCE, 
EXPERIENCES ARE BEING EXCHANGED AND A NEW AGENDA WILL BE DRAFTED TO 
ENSURE RESULTS IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY THE FOURTH WOULD CONFERENCE ON 
WOMEN, WE BELIEVE, SHOULD BE A BOOSTER TO WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT.

SWAZILAND, MADAM PRESIDENT, BELIEVES THAT THIS CONFERENCE SHOULD TAKE 
COGNISANCE AND BUILD ON THE AGREEMENTS REACHED AT THE PREVIOUS WORLD 
CONFERENCE TO INCLUDE THE WORLD SUBMMIT FOR CHILDREN, THE UNITED NATIONS 
CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT, THE WORLD CONFERENCE ON HUMAN 
RIGHTS, THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT AND 
THE WORLD SUMMIT FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.

MADAM PRESIDENT,

MY DELEGATION WISHES US ALL SUCCESS IN OUR NEGOTIATIONS ON THE TEXT THAT 
STILL REMAINS IN BRACKETS, AND AS WE ARE ALL COMMITTED TO ENSURING THE 
EQUALITY BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN; GIRLS AND BOYS TO BRING ABOUT PEACE AND 
DEVELOPMENT, WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THIS CONFERENCE WILL BRING ABOUT 
SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSIONS.

I THANK YOU.