Mr. President
Mr. Secretary-General
Excellencies
Distinguished Delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen
Mr. President
On behalf of my delegation, I wish to convey greetings of "YOKWE" by the President, the Government and peoples of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to this 23rd Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly entitled " Women 2000: gender, equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century." My delegation commends the organization of this Special Session.
Mr. President
The historic event of 1995, the Marshall Islands joined one hundred eighty-seven other member nations in adopting the Beijing Plan of Action for the advancement of women. The conference recognized numerous impediments to development facing women around the world and provided a sound basis for positive action for gender equality, social, economic and political empowerment of women worldwide. Those concerns highlighted critical areas and factors inhibiting women's empowerment such as poverty alleviation, equality in education, health care, gender-based violence, armed conflicts, limited access to economic resources, women's marginal role in power sharing and decision-making, as well as persistent discrimination against and violation of the human rights of women and the girl child.
Mr. President
Five years later women around the World are still faced with numerous constraints. But, we should never give up. We have much to gain from each other's experiences during this 23rd Special Session. Let us all move forward to further advance the Beijing +5 agenda, and to reach the goals we all share called for by the platform of action. At the same time, let us all celebrate for those achievements we have reached thus far. The light at the end of the tunnel is much brighter. We want a World in full compliance with Beijing +5.
As we begin the 21st century our small island nation, along with all developing countries, face fragile economic and institutional structures that affect our lives and influence our actions. Inadequate representation of women in government, few opportunities for employment of women, materialism and waste, alcoholism and abuse, breakdown of the support structure from the extended families, and deteriorating traditional culture and practices are among some of the challenges facing us today.
Mr. President,
The Marshall Islands recognizes the important role and potential of women as an integral part of the overall development of the country, and the traditional respect for their social status have long been imbedded in the cultural thinking and life of the peaceful people of this country. The active and equal participation of women in national development has never been alien to the people and Government, and yet it is felt that programs aimed at providing women with opportunities for education, involvement in political and productive economic process and developing their cultural awareness are still inadequate and limited. Further, the national Government recognizes that the increased and active involvement of women in the economic,) political, and social life of the country is most desirable and advantageous to the entire nation.
Mr. President
In addition to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Government is seriously considering, in the not too distance future, acceding to the other human rights instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, amongst other international legal instruments.
Mr. President
As guaranteed under the Constitution of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, women and men share equal rights to vote and to seek and hold public office. We are experiencing an increase in the interest of women seeking public office as evidence in our national and local elections. We are seeing more women in higher posts in a public service sector, as well as entering the private sector.
The women of the Marshall Islands, in collaboration with our Government, NGOs, regional organizations, international organizations and UN agencies, are committed to mainstreaming gender issues. With the adoption of our National Women's Policy, the women's groups are active partners in the sustainable development programs in our country.
Mr. President
The Government has taken significant steps and measures to integrate women by formulating policies to involve women as equal partners at all levels, upgrading their skills and training to improve their employment opportunities and to strengthen the coordination of women's activities. The formulation of the National Population and Development Policy, National Youth Policy, National Women's Policy, Food, Nutrition & Agriculture Policy and finally the preparation for the revitalization and reorganization of Women United Together Marshall Islands (WUTMI, an umbrella NGO uniting all women's organizations) are all convincing indications of the Government's serious commitments to strengthen the role of women in national building and to protect their rights.
To seal our commitment for the development of Marshallese women, a National Women Convention is scheduled for September 2000 where women from all over the Marshall Islands will to review the Nation 1 Women Policy and to map our course of action in the twenty first century. I would like to invite the international community to join us in our endeavor.
Mr. President,
I would be remiss if I did not touch upon the essence of empowering women, and that is education. There is a well known proverb which says "if you educate a man, you educate a person, but if you educate a woman, you educate a whole family!" Indeed, without a sound population and the base of educated women in the population work force structure, no society can liberate itself economically, politically, or socially. The Marshall Islands highly values education and women are fortunate to have equal access to education and training opportunities.
Mr. President,
The promise of significant progress for women through the continued implementation of the Platform of Action can be a reality through genuine efforts by all stakeholders. This includes the commitment of n w and additional resources from the international community, along with specific commitments by rational and regional organization governments. It is therefore, the hope and expectation of the Government of the Marshall Islands that the international community will pledge the necessary financial and technical resources necessary to implement the Platform of Action and the further initiatives resulting from this Conference.
In conclusion, Mr. President, I wish to acknowledge the assistance and contributions accorded to the Marshall Islands by our international development partners toward the advancement of women. The Marshall Islands remains committed to the Platform of Action and are prepared to meet the challenges as outlined by this Conference and anticipate progress towards equity, development and peace. Kommol tat aim Iokwe nan aolep armij in Majol.
