Alert
about the Beijing + 5 Review Process
February
9, 2000
Dear
Friends:
As
you know, the Proposed "Outcomes Document" which will
be the text negotiated by the governments at the PrepCom has been
released. For those of you who do not have it, the Outcomes document
can be viewed at the website of the Division for the Advancement
of Women (DAW) at http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/outcome.htm.
Last
week the governments held informal intersessional meetings on Beijing
+5 for two and a half days in New York. They discussed the Outcomes
document, the negotiation of the Political Declaration and NGO participation
in the Special Session in June.
Summary
of Last Weeks Informal Meetings:
The
Outcomes Document:
| . |
They agreed to discard the organizing categories of section
IV (i.e. Gender Equality, Development and Peace). They
have decided, instead, to divide section IV into National Level
Actions and International Level Actions. |
| . |
The
also decided that the National Level Actions and International
Level Actions should correspond more closely with the Obstacles
and Challenges described in sections II & III. |
NGO
Participation:
| . |
While
there was much interest in allowing new NGOs (i.e. those who
do not have ECOSOC status and those who were not in Beijing)
to participate in the Special Session in June, some countries
created procedural barriers in the discussion. At the end
of the meeting, the issue of admitting new NGOs was still
unresolved.
|
Political
Declaration:
| . |
As
a result of last weeks meetings, more bracketed language was
included in the Political Declaration and the Declaration
has yet to be finalized.
|
Schedule
for Upcoming Weeks:
| . |
February
14: DAW will distribute an Outcomes Document which will merely
re-organize section IV based on suggestions put forth thus
far.
|
| . |
February 16: Governments must submit amendments to sections
I, II & III to DAW.
|
| . |
February
18: A document compiling the recommendations submitted on
|
| . |
February
16 will be distributed to governments.
|
| . |
There
will be no supplementary informals before the PrepCom.
|
WHAT
YOU CAN DO:
| . |
WEDO
has agreed to put together a comprehensive lobbying document
in time for the PrepCom. Some organizations have agreed to
work on gathering comments on specific issues.
|
| . |
WEDO
has also agreed to compile comments on Poverty and Economy,
Environment and Women in Decision making and you can send
any comments related to these issues to wedo@igc.org
(WEDO).
|
| . |
If
you have comments related to Health please send them to Francoise
Girard <fgirard@iwhc.org>
at the International Women's Health Coalition.
|
| . |
Any
comments on Women and Armed Conflict can be sent to Felicity
Hill <flick@igc.org>
at Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.
|
| . |
Please
send any edits or comments you have with regard to human rights
and violence against women no later than February 18th to
the Center for Women's Global Leadership. We will work
on compiling your commentaries related to human rights and
violence against women in one document and will forward it
to WEDO.
|
If
you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Best
regards,
The
Global Center Beijing +5 Team
Charlotte Bunch
elmira Nazombe
Cynthia Mellon
Linda Posluszny
Lisa M. Clarke
|
