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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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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Helen Clark: Lecture on The Future We Want – Can We Make it a Reality?

Helen Clark, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) gave a lecture on “The Future We Want – Can We Make it a Reality?” in memory of the life and work of Dag Hammarskjold, the 2^nd UN Secretary General, who lost his life in a plane tragedy 50 years ago. 

Progress on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

In reflecting on the Millennium Development goals (MDGs) Helen Clark said that the Millennium Declaration painted a broad canvas and that on development, “the Declaration was specific, and its elements formed the basis of what were to become the MDGs.” 

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