Mainstreaming Gender and Human Rights in Post-2015 Agenda are reaffirmed at the Beijing+20 review for Latin America and the Caribbean

The Latin America and Caribbean Special Session on the Beijing Platform for Action was held in Santiago, Chile, on 18-19 November 2014. The event was inaugurated by Chilean President and founding Executive Director of UN Women, Michelle Bachelet. ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Barcena, Minister Alejandrina German, Chair of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean and Gülden Türköz-Cosslett, Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programmes at UN Women were in attendance. 

Delegates from 21 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean reaffirmed in an outcome statement their commitment to the Beijing Platform for Action and the removal of barriers to women's active participation in public and private life. They also called for a specific target on gender equality in the post-2015 development agenda, and for mainstreaming gender and human rights in all the objectives, targets and indicators.

They recognized that the human rights of women and girls are fundamental to eradicating poverty, achieving gender equality, peace and security and promote sustainable development. The post-2015 development agenda, moreover, is a strategic opportunity to address gender equality and empower women, and they reaffirmed the importance of gender statistics and indicators for tracking and monitoring progress. In the outcome document they also underscore the importance of adequate resources to develop and implement gender equality policies for post-2015.

They also called on the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), UN Women and the region's governments to establish a technical working group to address gender-sensitive budgeting and financing.

UN Women is also supporting civil society organizations in the region to prepare a common position document on the achievements and gaps in the implementation of the BPfA, to be completed by CSW 59. 

For Declaration (only available in Spanish at this time) click here.

For further information see: http://sd.iisd.org/news/lac-review-supports-mainstreaming-gender-human-rights-in-post-2015-agenda/