10) Stereotype of women and inequality in women's access to and participation in all communication systems, especially in the media;

11) Gender inequalities in the management of natural resources and in the safeguarding of the environment; and finally

12) Persistent discrimination against and violation of the rights of the girl child.

May I say something now on the implementation of the Platform for Action? Even before we reached Beijing, I used to say that the 4th World Conference on Women had already achieved one of its main objectives, and that is raising the level of awareness and discussion of gender issues globally. I think it was clear to me that if it were not for the fact that we were holding a world conference, all the discussion on women and women's issues would not have really reached the peak that they did. So already, even before we reached Beijing, I believe that one of the objectives set for the 4th World Conference had been achieved. In Beijing, on September 1 5, 1996, at 4:45 a.m. and I remember it well, when the main committee of the conference approved the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, there was truly a sense of shared success. However, having said that, no matter how successful the Conference may have been, the ultimate test has to be the implementation of the Platform for Action.

So, what do we know so far?

First of all, the United Nations General Assembly has just passed the resolution at the last GA on follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women. And the system-wide structure within the United Nations for this follow-up will be the focus of the next meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women in March. Right now, it is too soon to present actual results, but let me say that mechanisms for implementation are being set up at the national level. I am confident that this is taking place and you maybe aware of what is happening in your own particular setting, in your own particular countries.

In the Philippines, may I just introduce, perhaps, certain structural mechanism which will be pursued and which we will depend on for the implementation of the Platform for Action.

The first important mechanism is the Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development (1995-2025).

On September I l, 1995, President Fidel V. Ramos issued Executive Order 273 approving and adopting the Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development. I remember we were in Beijing at that time and we received the message that this had been, in fact, tasked. This is a 30-year plan formulated by the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women or the NCRFW which is the national focal point for women in the Philip-pine government, with the National Economic and Development Authority and with the participation of all government agencies and women NOO s. The Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development, is actually a national document, it's a blueprint embodying a comprehensive plan or program of action for ensuring that women and men equally