Bangladesh and other UN member countries are preparing country papers containing information about the status of women in their individual countries. Following a resolution of the UN general assembly in December 1990 the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was entrusted with the responsibility of holding a world conference on the theme. Prior to that regional meetings were held; the first one was for Europe in Vienna and the second in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1994 for Asia and Pacific region ? the meeting held was of the Ministerial level. Conferences for Latin zone, Africa and more than one for Arab zones were held. Each meeting adopted a regional platform identifying specific problems confronted by women of its own region.
The fourth conference titled Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW) was crucial ?  that was held in 1995 in Beijing, the year was the 50th founding year of the United Nations Organisation. The 15-day conference before winding up adopted a 38-point programme titled Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action pledging (we are) 'determined to advance the goals of equality, development and peace for all women everywhere in the interest of all humanity.' This was in a sense an epoch making decision on the attaining year of half century of the world body as it is commonly understood that women constitute almost half of human race and but for their advancement civilisation shall remain a lame duck.
Inequality or lack of parity between man and woman is much pronounced especially in the developing countries of the world but it should not be forgotten that there is formidable gap between the two genders even in the developed West and curiously male chauvinism is not less prominent there than in the less developed or developing part of the globe. The UN, hence, has in its purview has included the whole globe in its programme.
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action gained concrete steps with the framing of the UN Millennium Development Goals abbreviated as MDGs which has set certain targets for individual member countries and offered certain guidelines the tenure of the first phase of which shall expire at the end of this year. The Beijing Declaration is reviewed after intervals and that kind of the review meeting ? 59th CSW ? will be held in New York from 9 to 20 March next. In this effort UN Women ? the non-official affiliated forum ? is also assisting the official that is the governmental and the UN activities.
Bangladesh's achievements in MDG areas are generally good and for certain of its performances it has been adorned but in its own admission it may not be able to make targeted progress in three areas. These areas are gender disparity, eradication of extreme poverty and ensuring of universal literacy. In the given circumstances the preparation for CSW 59 should be such that will correct the earlier lacuna and make outstanding progress in due course.