Enhancing the impact of the work of the Commission on the Status of Women Workshop/information sharing session

In order to support the Commission on the Status of Women’s consideration of its working methods, UN-Women is organizing a workshop to share information and discuss experiences and good practices in the use of working methods, from the ECOSOC system and beyond. It will also provide opportunity for stakeholders to discuss contributions to the work of the Commission. 

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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.

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Advocacy Workshop for Latin American and Caribbean Region Beijing+20 meeting

Women activists from Latin America and the Caribbean agreed on a regional advocacy strategy in order to ensure that the goals adopted almost 20 years ago at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing are incorporated into the Sustainable Development Goals.Members from more than 60 organizations of the national and regional civil society, representing all the diversity of women, were trained in a workshop given by the Committee of NGOs from Latin America and the Caribbean (CoNGO LAC) on the Status of Women (CSW), with the support of the Committee of NGO CSW New York and the cooperation of the governments of Switzerland and Norway.

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Civil society expresses disappointment that Asia-Pacific governments are not fulfilling commitments on women’s rights in the region and are failing to realise the promise of Beijing Platform for Action

(As reported on the Isis International website)

Following the Asia-Pacific Beijing+20 Review Conference, civil society organisations from across the Asia Pacific region expressed their disappointment at the regressive outcome document agreed by States at the intergovernmental meeting to review the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA). 

“The Beijing Platform for Action is an unfinished agenda,” said Abia Akram, representing civil society organisations in the region, “We therefore regret the lack of progress on women’s rights and the rollbacks in commitments we have seen here in the last two days, despite the support of the majority of governments for an advancement in gender equality and the realisation of women’s rights.” 

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Asia-Pacific Beijing+20 Review Pledges Strengthened Partnerships, Accountability, Funding

Over 700 participants attended the Asia-Pacific Beijing+20 Review Conference, which took place in Bangkok, Thailand, 17-20 November 2014. At the close of the Conference, Governments adopted the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Advancing Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. They pledged to strengthen institutions and partnerships, enhance accountability, support regional cooperation and increase resources to advance gender equality and women's empowerment across the Asia-Pacific region. 

The Queen Mother of Bhutan, Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuk, in her keynote address, said that the “eradication of violence from the lives of women and girls, along with peace, democracy and sustainable development in the region, will become possible when women and girls are valued, when their ability to fully and freely exercise their human rights is wholly supported, when there is equality in the exercise of power and when decisions are made to fully resource comprehensive and evidenced-based interventions."

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Asia Pacific Civil Society Forum on Beijing+20, 14-16 November 2014

Over 400 feminist women activists, working on women’s rights, participated in the Beijing+20 CSO Forum, at the end of which an outcome document was adopted by consensus. It contained recommendations to be to be forwarded to the governments meeting at the Asian and Pacific Conference on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Beijing+20 Review.

The CSO outcome document reiterated the need to address violence and discrimination against women, including migrant workers, sex workers, women with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, women living with disabilities, and women human rights defenders...

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Declaration of African ministers recommitting them to implementing Beijing Platform for Action

(based on Economic Commission for Africa report)

African ministers responsible for gender and women’s affairs, attending the 9th African Regional Conference on Women, as part of the 20 year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 19 November 2014 adopted a Declaration calling for their respective governments to achieve gender equality by 2030, as spelled out in the Agenda 2063. 

Despite progress in efforts for more gender equality, Ministers noted that daunting challenges to implementing BPfA remain, and that were compounded by emerging issues, such as climate change, terrorism, conflicts, global economic and financial crises and increasing inequality.

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Beijing+20 – Ninth African Regional Conference

The ninth African Regional Conference, under the aegis of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 17 to 19 November 2014. (See: http://www.uneca.org/beijing-plus-20) 

NGO Forum

Women’s rights organizations, taking part in an NGO Forum in Addis Ababa in advance of the ECA meeting, from 14-16, called on African governments to re-dedicate themselves to upholding national, regional and international laws and policies that advance women’s rights and gender equality on universal human rights standards already agreed upon and protect them from social moral and cultural arguments and positions. 

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Beijing+20 regional review UNECE region

Preceding the official Regional Review of Beijing+20 meeting for the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), a civil society forum was held which adopted a Declaration and Recommendations. (They are attached but can also be found at beijing20.ngocsw-geneva.ch) The recommendations include both sexual and reproductive health and rights and comprehensive sexuality education

The official sessions, held on 6 and 7 November, focussed on closing the gender gap through social and economic policies, women in policy, women and justice, women and violence, and the closing session on ways forward. On the first day Nyardazayi Gumbonzvanda, the chair of the CSO Forum Beijing+20, presented the results of the forum during the opening session. Other speakers included the Crown Princess of Denmark. (Videos of the session can be found on the twitter account of UNECE and #Beijing20ECE.) During the meeting there was harldy any possibilities for interventions from the floor, but when it was possible, no CSOs asked for the floor.

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Cross regional statement for annual full-day discussion on women’s rights during the 26th Human Rights Council

This statement was delivered by the Netherlands on behalf of Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Slovenia, Iceland, Italy, Finland, France, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Uruguay at the annual full-day discussion on women’s rights during the 26th Human Rights Council:

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