Daily Archives: May 13, 2014

Preparations have begun for CSW 59

Preparations are already underway for CSW (Commission on the Status of Women) 59 tentatively scheduled for 9-20 March 2015. Read more   The Commission will undertake a review and appraisal of the progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. This will mark 20 years after its adoption at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995.   Member states have been invited to do a review.  Guidelines have been provided by UN Women in all 6 languages of the United Nations.   English     French    Spanish   Arabic   Chineese

It is a 13 page document with background and introduction and guidance on the content of national reviews proposing 4 sections.

  • Overview analysis of achievements and challenges since 1995
  • Progress in implementation of the critical areas of concern of the Platform for Action since 2009
  • Data and Statistics
  • Emerging priorities

Pages 11,12 & 13 outline the critical areas of concern and strategic objectives.

  • A. Women and poverty
  • B. Education and training of women
  • C. Women and health
  • D. Violence against women
  • E. Women and armed conflict
  • F. Women and the economy
  • G. Women in power and decision-making
  • H. Institutional mechanisms for advancement of women
  • I.  Human rights of women
  • J. Women and media
  • K. Women and the environment
  • L. The girl-child

In Africa, Member States have been requested to submit reports to UN Women and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) by June 30th 2014. This provides time for analysis and compilation of the regional report ahead of the review process scheduled to take place in November 2014.  FEMNET (Africa) make the following suggestions for engaging in the process.  See here for more details including   Ninth Regional Conference on Women (Beijing+20), which will take place 11–14 November 2014 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 

How to engage in the process?

Given the deadline for submission of country/national reports is 30 June 2014, please contact the Ministry of Gender or Gender focal in your country to make submissions and get involved in the process of developing the reports. Additionally, this is an opportunity to mobilize other women’s rights organizations to submit shadow reports following the submission of the national reports.

ESCAP (Asia Pacific) the date is passed April 15.   See   See more  Asian and Pacific Conference on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Beijing +20 Review (17-20 November 2014)

ECE (Europe) date is passed May 1st See  The Beijing+20 Regional Review Meeting will be held on 6 – 7 November 2014 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

ESCWA: (Western Asia)  A consultative regional workshop is tentatively scheduled for April 2014. A high-level regional conference is tentatively scheduled to take place in June 2014, at a venue to be determined. – 

Already some national reports have been posted See drop down box

Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ireland, Paraguay, and Senegal.