UN may shelve creation of new women's body

A coalition of over 300 international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is "outraged" that an impending decision to create a new women's entity at the United Nations is being postponed once again. "If the General Assembly fails to act, it will send a very negative signal to women around the world who are now beginning to engage in national and regional reviews of the 1995 Bejing Platform for Action for Women," says Charlotte Bunch, executive director of the Centre for Women's Global Leadership at Rutgers University. The proposal to set up a new gender entity, to be headed by an under-secretary-general, was expected to be approved by the 192-member General Assembly before it concludes its current sessions on Sep. 14. But the longstanding proposal is now expected to be passed onto the next session of the General Assembly beginning Sep.15 through September 2010. "NGOs are outraged that this would continue to be postponed," Bunch told IPS. "No further delay is justified when no government has said they are opposed to taking this step."