178. Telegram 119806 From the Department of State to All Diplomatic Posts, May 22, 1975, 1823Z.1 2
TELEGRAM
Department of State
119806
R 221823Z MAY 75
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC POSTS
INFO USMISSION
USUN NEW YORK
USMISSION
GENEVA
AMCONSUL PORT MORESBY
STATE 119806
E.O. 11652: NA
TAGS: OCON, IWY,
UN
SUBJECT: WORLD CONFERENCE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S YEAR (WCIWY)
REF: A-4568, JUNE 5, 1974,
A-2213, MARCH 28, 1975
1. THE UNITED NATIONS WILL CONVENE AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S YEAR (WCIWY) AT MEXICO CITY, JUNE 19 TO JULY 2 HOSTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO. IT WILL BE THE FIRST UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE DEVOTED TO WOMEN’S RIGHTS.
2. SUBSTANTIVE AGENDA ITEMS INCLUDE: THE OBJECTIVES AND GOALS OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S YEAR; THE INVOLVEMENT OF WOMEN IN STRENGTHENING INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND ELIMINATING RACIAL DISCRIMINATION; CURRENT TRENDS AND CHANGES IN THE STATUS AND ROLES OF WOMEN AND MEN, AND MAJOR OBSTACLES TO BE OVERCOME IN THE ACHIEVEMENT OF EQUAL RIGHTS, OPPORTUNITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES; AND THE INTEGRATION OF WOMEN IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AS EQUAL PARTNERS WITH MEN; AND THE WORLD PLAN OF ACTION.
3. WE ANTICIPATE, HOWEVER, THAT THE CONTENTIOUS AND EXTRANEOUS ISSUES OF THE CHARTER OF ECONOMIC RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF STATES (CERDS) PROPOSED BY THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT IN 1972 AND ADOPTED BY THE 29TH UNGA LAST DECEMBER AND THE DECLARATION AND PROGRAM OF ACTION ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORDER (NIEO) ADOPTED BY THE 6TH SPECIAL UNGA LAST MAY. BOTH AT THIRD WORLD INITIATIVES WILL BE RAISED AT THE CONFERENCE.
4. PRESIDENT ECHEVERRIA HAS ALREADY SAID THAT THIS CONFERENCE SHOULD NOT LIMIT ITSELF TO A DISCUSSION ON THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN AND THAT A NEW SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ORDER MUST FIRST BE CREATED BEFORE ATTENTION CAN BE DEVOTED TO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN. ALSO, THE ISSUE OF TOTAL DISARMAMENT, RAISED BY THE USSR AT THE WCIWY CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING IN NEW YORK IN MARCH, IS EXPECTED TO SURFACE AT THE CONFERENCE ALONG WITH DISCUSSIONS ON POPULATION POLICIES.
5. IN THE US VIEW WCIWY WILL PRESENT A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS AND ADVANCE THE GOALS OF ELIMINATING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN AND ACHIEVING THEIR FULL INTEGRATION INTO THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM OF WOMEN’S UNEQUAL STATUS CANNOT WAIT UNTIL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ARE ACHIEVED. IT WOULD BE HIGHLY REGRETTABLE AND COUNTER TO THE OBJECTIVES OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S YEAR IF THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE CONFERENCE IS SUBORDINATED TO ANOTHER ROUND OF DEBATE ON CERDS, NIEO, AND OTHER EXTRANEOUS, POLITICIZED ISSUES. WITHOUT MAKING SPECIAL OVERTURE TO FOREIGN OFFICE, POSTS SHOULD, AS OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF, AND IN THE COURSE OF OTHER BUSINESS, EMPHASIZE DESIRABILITY OF KEEPING WCIWY FOCUSED ON WOMEN’S ISSUES AND AVOIDING DEBATE BETTER SUITED TO OTHER UN FORA. REFAIRGRAMS GIVE US POSITIONS ON CERDS AND NIEO.
6. DELEGATIONS TO WCIWY, INCLUDING THAT OF THE US, WILL INCLUDE OUTSTANDING REPRESENTATIVES OF ORGANIZATIONS DEVOTED TO WOMEN’S ROLE IN SOCIETY. (WE UNDERSTAND THAT EGYPT’S WILL BE HEADED BY MRS. SADAT.)
7. POSTS ARE REQUESTED TO SUBMIT LOCAL DELEGATION LISTS WHEN KNOWN.
8. BACKGROUND: MRS. HELVI SIPILA, UN ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL, WILL SERVE AS SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE WCIWY. A PREPARATORY MEETING WAS HELD IN NEW YORK IN MARCH TO WHICH 24 COUNTRIES SELECTED BY THE UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL WERE INVITED TO COMMENT ON A DRAFT WORLD PLAN OF ACTION PREPARED BY THE UN SECRETARIAT. THE DRAFT PLAN OF ACTION AND THE PROVISIONAL ANNOTATED AGENDA HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED BY THE UN TO GOVERNMENTS. MOST CONFERENCE DOCUMENTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FROM THE UN, INCLUDING THE WORLD PLAN OF ACTION.
9. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS WITHOUT ACCREDITATION TO THE ECOSOC HAVE BEEN INVITED TO SEND REPRESENTATIVES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE IWY TRIBUNE DIRECTED BY MILDRED PERSINGER, NGO TRIBUNE, 345 EAST 46TH STREET, ROOM 815, NEW YORK 10017. SINCE THE UN CONFERENCE WILL CONSIST OF GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES, UNACCREDITED REPRESENTATIVES WILL NOT BE ADMITTED. THE TRIBUNE WAS ESTABLISHED TO MEET THEIR INTERESTS.
10. IN ADDITION TO ACCREDITED DELEGATIONS OF MEMBER STATES, THE UN WILL INVITE AS OBSERVERS REPRESENTATIVES OF LIBERATION MOVEMENTS, REPRESENTATIVES OF UN ORGANS AND AGENCIES, OBSERVERS FROM INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND OBSERVERS FROM INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ACCREDITED TO ECOSOC.
11. THE US DELEGATION WILL CONSIST OF APPROXIMATELY 28 REPRESENTATIVES OF WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS AND EXPERTS IN THE SUBSTANTIVE AGENDA FIELDS.
12. A PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION PROCLAIMING 1975 AS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES WAS ISSUED IN 1974. IN JANUARY 1975, PRESIDENT FORD SIGNED THE EXECUTIVE ORDER FOR IWY THAT ESTABLISHED A PRESIDENTIAL ADVISORY COMMISSION OF 35 PUBLIC MEMBERS AND FOUR CONGRESSIONAL ADVISERS TO CARRY OUT THE DOMESTIC OBSERVANCE OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S YEAR. AN IWY SECRETARIAT TO SERVE THE IWY COMMISSION HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE. A NUMBER OF OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE TAKEN SIMILAR STEPS IN OBSERVANCE OF IWY. INGERSOLL
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, D750181–0577. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Hendsch and Burgess; cleared in D/IWY, IO/CMD, ARA/MEX, IO/UNP, and L/UNA; and approved by Morey. Repeated to USUN, the Mission to the U.N. in Geneva, and Port Moresby. Presidential Proclamation 4262 of January 30, 1974 is published in Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Vol. 10, No. 5, p. 112. Executive Order 11832, January 9, 1975 is published in Department of State Bulletin, March 10, 1975, pp. 305–306.↩
- The Department described the background to the World Conference of the International Women’s Year and requested posts to communicate the U.S. position concerning extraneous politicized issues likely to arise at the Conference. ↩