A/RES/59/314 Declaration and Platform for Action 22 and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly is an essential contribution to achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration, and we resolve to promote gender equality and eliminate pervasive gender discrimination by: (a) Eliminating gender inequalities in primary and secondary education by the earliest possible date and at all educational levels by 2015; (b) Guaranteeing the free and equal right of women to own and inherit property and ensuring secure tenure of property and housing by women; (c) Ensuring equal access to reproductive health; (d) Promoting women’s equal access to labour markets, sustainable employment and adequate labour protection; (e) Ensuring equal access of women to productive assets and resources, including land, credit and technology; (f) Eliminating all forms of discrimination and violence against women and the girl child, including by ending impunity and by ensuring the protection of civilians, in particular women and the girl child, during and after armed conflicts in accordance with the obligations of States under international humanitarian law and international human rights law; (g) Promoting increased representation of women in Government decisionmaking bodies, including through ensuring their equal opportunity to participate fully in the political process. 59. We recognize the importance of gender mainstreaming as a tool for achieving gender equality. To that end, we undertake to actively promote the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and social spheres, and further undertake to strengthen the capabilities of the United Nations system in the area of gender. Science and technology for development 60. We recognize that science and technology, including information and communication technology, are vital for the achievement of the development goals and that international support can help developing countries to benefit from technological advancements and enhance their productive capacity. We therefore commit ourselves to: (a) Strengthening and enhancing existing mechanisms and supporting initiatives for research and development, including through voluntary partnerships between the public and private sectors, to address the special needs of developing countries in the areas of health, agriculture, conservation, sustainable use of natural resources and environmental management, energy, forestry and the impact of climate change; _______________ 22 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II. 17