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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Co-facilitators issue ‘food for thought’ paper on modalities for negotiations on post-2015 development agenda

Sam K Kutesa, President of the General Assembly has transmitted a letter from the Co-facilitators for the post-2015 development agenda and their ‘food for thought’ paper to all UN Permanent Representatives. It provides a basis, based on views expressed by Member States during the consultations held on 4 and 10 November, for further discussions that will take place on 3 and 16 December. It is then hoped that the modalities will be finalized by the end of December so that the substantive consultation can begin in January 2015.

According to the Co-facilitators the objective is to “agree an ambitious and transformative agenda with a view to ensuring the eradication of poverty and the achievement of sustainable development by 2030.”

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UN Regional Commissions and the post-2015 development agenda

To ensure that Member States and other stakeholders gain “a better understanding of how the regional dimension can continue playing a critical role in catalyzing and mobilizing the means of implementation for the achievement of the post‐2015 development agenda”, the Executive Secretaries of the UN Regional Commissions held a discussion with the UN General Assembly's Second Committee (Economic and Financial) on 5 November under the title ‘Development Agenda: Regional Perspectives'. 

According to the Concept Note, there is recognition that regional frameworks can help to translate sustainable development policies into national-level action. The outcome document of the Open Working Group (OWG) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), however, does not fully reflect the potential of the regional dimension, particularly in "facilitating and mobilizing the means of implementation and towards helping to consolidate a global partnership for development."

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Initial exchange of views on post-2015 negotiations concluded

Two informal meetings of the plenary have been have been convened by the co-facilitators, Ambassador David Donoghue of Ireland, and Ambassador Macharia Kamau of Kenya, on the organization and modalities of intergovernmental negotiations and the remaining issues related to the Summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda.  

The co-facilitators expect to issue a “starting document” during the week of 17 November that will cover the process, road map, and scope of work for intergovernmental negotiations.

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NGOs speak out on post-2015 synthesis report

The UN Secretary-General’s synthesis report is due to be published before the end of December. A number of NGOs and civil society organizations have written to the Secretary-General and to Amina Mohammed, the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning to comment on issues that wish to see reflected in the report and to make suggestions on the accountability, implementation, and framework of the agenda.

Among those contributing was the Civil Society Platform to Promote Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Beyond 2015. In their letter to the Secretary-General, they called for the full recognition of sexual and reproductive health and rights.

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Major Groups write to co-facilitators of the post-2015 intergovernmental process on civil society access

Two informal meetings have been convened by the co-facilitators of the post-2015 intergovernmental process during which there have been discussions on civil society access to the negotiations that will start early in 2015, probably in February.

In their letter to the co-facilitators, Ambassadors Macharia Kamau and David Donoghue, the Major Groups, in addition to congratulating them on their appointments, have pointed out the calls in outcome document for the UN General Assembly Special Event and the resolution on the organization of the UN Summit for the involvement of civil society in the process leading up to the Summit in September 2015. While civil society participation is set out for the Summit itself, it has yet to be defined for the process in the interim. 

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