The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), often referred to simply as 'Beijing', is one of the key guiding documents on gender equality and women's empowerment. The BPfA was adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. It outlines 12 "critical areas of concern" that are considered vital to the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The BPfA requires all governments who have ratified the document to develop policies and national plans of action detailing which steps will be taken to implement the BPfA locally.

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) monitors the implementation of the BPfA. Each year, the CSW adopts action-oriented recommendations in the form of agreed conclusions on one of the 12 critical areas of concern, and reviews progress on the implementation of agreed conclusions adopted in previous years.