Subject: [fem-women2000 238] IWTC Women's GlobalNet #145
From: lalamaziwa <lalamaziwa@jca.apc.org>
Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 13:18:55 +0900
Seq: 238
Forwarded by lalamaziwa <lalamaziwa@jca.apc.org> ---------------- Original message follows ---------------- From: iwtc <iwtc@iwtc.org> To: iwtc-womensglobalnet@igc.topica.com Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 16:13:23 -0700 Subject: Women's GlobalNet #145 -- IWTC Women's GlobalNet #145 Activities and Initiatives of Women Worldwide By Anne S. Walker and Megan Burke April 25, 2000 UPDATE ON PREPARATIONS FOR BEIJING PLUS FIVE SPECIAL SESSION NGOs MEET WITH UN DIVISION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN (UN/DAW) NGOs met with UN/DAW on Friday April 7th, and again with Angela King (UN Assistant Secretary General, Adviser to the SG on Gender Issues) on Thursday April 13th, to discuss plans and preparations for the UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on Beijing Plus Five, June 5-9, 2000. This issue of IWTC Women$BCT(B GlobalNet covers much of the information garnered form these meetings. ONGOING WORK ON THE "OUTCOME DOCUMENT": This UN document, still being worked on for the Special Session by an "Extended Bureau for the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom)", is entitled officially "Further Actions and Initiatives to Implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action". A series of meetings are underway to complete the document in time for the Special Session in June. An Inter-Sessional meeting of the PrepCom took place on 20 April, and more meetings are planned for the weeks of 8-12 May and 30 May - 2 June. The week of 15-19 May has also been identified if additional time is needed. A drafting group comprised of the Bureau of the PrepCom, Chairs of Regional Groups and other interested government delegations are reviewing the document according to the following schedule: 3 April: The Bureau began compiling and streamlining the outcome document, eliminating duplications and identifying new areas to be decided. 17 April: Review of compilation document was completed by the Bureau 17-19 April: Regional groups read the prepared text and compiled responses 20 April: The Bureau met to comment on the responses and the nature of the compilation document, and to approve the introduction 28 April: Final amendments to be submitted by the Group of 77 countries (G77) (which actually now stands at 133 countries from the Global South), given additional time by the UN because of a particularly heavy schedule of other commitments and meetings 5 May : The Compilation Text to be completed 8-12 May: Inter-sessional meetings, or "Resumed Session" to approve the text 15-19 May: Identified for possible continuation of "Resumed Session". 30 May-2 June: Final Meetings of the "Resumed Session" to work on document to be presented at the Special Session June 5-9, 2000. The Outcome Document is available on-line at: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw NEW PREPCOM BUREAU CHAIRPERSON APPOINTED: The former chair of the Bureau for the PrepCom, Roselyn Odera (Kenya) has now been replaced by Christine Kapalata (Tanzania) . Roselyn Odera has been appointed to a new post at the Kenya High Commission in Canada and our congratulations go to her in her new position. POSSIBLE PARTICIPATION OF HEADS OF STATE AND OTHER DIGNITARIES IN SPECIAL SESSION: It is anticipated that Heads of State from the following countries will participate: USA, Nigeria, Ghana, and Indonesia (Deputy Head of State). A Minister or equivalent will head most delegations. First Ladies who are also heads of national women's machineries or strong advocates of women's rights and gender issues are expected from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Malawi and Qatar. NUMBERS OF NGOs WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION AND/OR ACCREDITATION : As of April 25, 2000, 4,951 individual representatives representing 2,021 NGOs have applied for accreditation to the Special Session. However, 371 of these organizations have not yet completed their applications and the UN is waiting for more information from them. A final decision on accreditation of new groups (i.e., those who had to send additional information because they were a) not accredited to the Beijing meetings in 1995, or b) do not have Consultative Relationship with the UN) will be made by May 10. Invitations are now being sent out by the UN Division for the Advancement of Women to those NGOs who have applied and were accredited in Beijing or have consultative status. beijing5@un.org LOGISTICAL ARRANGEMENTS TO MEET SPACE PROBLEMS AT UN: With limited space available for NGOs, the estimates for accredited NGOs participating in the Special Session present logistical implications. NGOs have been informed that, according to UN security regulations, there is only space for 1,000 NGOs seated in UN conference halls at any one time, with an additional 1,000 anywhere else on UN premises (halls, cafeterias, coffee shops, etc.) With this in mind, it seems likely that entry to the UN may be suspended for "permanent" UN/NGO passes during the Special Session, and special photo-ID passes issued that will be valid for the week of the Special Session only. It also seems likely that in addition to the individual photo-ID special passes, there will be one organizational pass only for entry to the General Assembly Hall. Organizations will need to share this pass amongst their accredited representatives. BEIJING PLUS FIVE HOST COMMITTEE (US HOST COMMITTEE) REQUIRES NGOs TO REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES AT US CUSTOM HOUSE: For those NGOs who will not be accredited to the UN Special Session but who still plan to come to New York to take part in other NGO activities, we have been informed that registration is needed for activities at the US Custom House in lower Manhattan. In addition, due to limited space at the Custom House, tickets will be issued for each activity. Go to the web-site set up by the host committee to check the planned activities and events, and contact the organization running that activity for tickets. http://www.beijingplusfivehostcomm.com. The US Custom House is one of the off-site locations for NGO activities during the Special Session, and the deadline for registration for those activities is May 15. Credentials will be issued May 31 through June 8 >from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the US Custom House in New York, and at the Center for Policy Alternatives in Washington, DC. Addresses for these two groups are: US Custom House, 1 Bowling Green, New York, NY10004, USA. Center for Policy Alternatives, 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC, USA. International participants can pick up their credentials at the Custom House when they arrive. To register, send your name, organization, address, telephone number and e-mail to: Beijing Plus Five Host Committee, 116 E. 16th St, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10003 or you can register on-line at: http://www.beijingplus5hostcomm.com. Again, this is only for the NGO activities at the US Custom House. Other activities being undertaken at the Church Center at the UN and in other locations in New York (unless otherwise notified) do not need pre-registration. NGO ACTIVITIES THAT DO NOT REQUIRE REGISTRATION OR ACCREDITATION: Most other NGO activities , including outdoor events in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, caucuses, receptions, workshops and other activities at the Church Center at the UN (CCUN, 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017), the Internet Caf$B(B(B $BanMediCenterWomen,(B $BInk.(B $BBookstore,(B $Bevents(B $Bat(B $Bvariouuniversities(B $Bin(B $BthNeYork(B $Bareaanothelocation(B $Bundeconsideratiodo(B $Bnorequirregistration(B $Banwill(B $Bbe(B $Bopen(B $Bto(B $Ball.(B $BUPDATE(B $BON(B $BNGALTERNATIVREPORTS:(B $BMore(B $BNGAlternativReporthave(B $Bbeen(B $Breceived(B $Bby(B $BthConference(B $Bof(B $BNGOs(B $B(CONGOsincIWTC(B $BWome$BCT(B GlobalNet #143. These include: ECE Region (Europe and North America) Country Reports: 1. Austria : German only - Umsetzung der Aktionsplattform von Beijing in den Haustproblrmbereichen Armut, Wirtschaft und Umwelt - WIDE Osterreich. 2. Italy : NGO comments for Beijing +5- ARCIDONNA. 3. Kazakhstan . Feminist League Report. 4. Switzerland: NGO Coordination for the Follow-up of Pekin-French only. 5. Turkey: Flying News - paper version only and Capital City Women's Platform. ECLAC Region (Latin America and Caribbean) Regional Reports: 1. Education in the Andes Region -Flora Tristan - -Spanish only. 2. La Agencia Espagnola de Cooperation Internacional y la Igualidad de Genero en la Ayuda Oficial al Desarrolo. Country Reports: 1. Peru: Grupo Impulsor Nacional Mujeres por la Igualidad Real. Spanish only- ESCAP Region (Asia and the Pacific) Regional Reports: 1. Asian Indigenous Women Country Reports 1. Nepal: Beyond Beijing Committee 2. Philippines: NGO Beijing Scorecard Board 3. Tajikistan ESCWA Region (Western Asia) Regional Reports: 1. Arab Regional Report - JNCW, 2. IICWC Country Reports 1. Iran : NCWDI; Women's Solidarity Association; CNWN - paper version only THEMATIC REPORTS 1. Women and Armed Conflict: Madeleine Gilchrist , Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, (VOW); Joy Woolfrey (VOW); Macha Mackay (VOW); Bruna Nota, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, (WILPF); Rosalie Bertell , International Institute Center for Public Health, (IICPH) 2. 1999 Starr Symposium PICW Report (including Health, Education, Media) 3. Woman and Media: AMARC 4. Refugee Women and Children: Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children 5. Woman and Human Rights: Human Rights Advocates 6. The Girl Child: Namibian Women's Association - 7. Women and Health: ARROW: Monitoring the Beijing Platform for Action - Health Rights and Gender Sensitive Health Policies and Programmes, This brings the total number of NGO Alternative Reports so far received to 112. This total includes: 49 countries represented by 80 separate reports; 16 regional and sub-regional reports and 16 thematic issue reports. Please see IWTC Women$BCT(B GlobalNet #143 for the other reports received. NGO GLOBAL ALTERNATIVE REPORT: In March 2000, the International NGO Coordinating Committee (INCC) nominated a small sub-committee to compile all of the reports received and to work with regional representatives in putting together a final NGO Global Alternative Report. Romanita Iordache was taken on as Coordinator of Alternative Reports and to work with the sub-committee. The following is an outline for an NGO Global Alternative Report. 1. Introduction to the Beijing process 2. Methodology used in compiling the Global Report 3. Overview of obstacles encountered, progress made and emerging issues as contained in the reports, including the regional, sub-regional, country and thematic issue reports 4. Regional reports 5. Appendix, listing all country, regional and thematic issue reports and contacts, and where they can be located on the Internet. Most reports can already be found at <http://womenaction.org> Members of the Sub-Committee have already begun work on the first three sections and on the appendix. With regard to the fourth section on regional reports, it is not possible to include all reports received. Besides the size and volume of reports, there are obvious discrepancies, including the fact that some regions, countries and thematic issues are not represented at all. With this in mind, regional representatives on the INCC have been asked to prepare a 10-page report to include as far as possible the main points and concerns for their region. The deadline for receiving this is May 9th in order for the sub-committee to prepare final copy for the printer. The ultimate aim is to have printed copies available for the NGO Working Session on June 3rd. For more information about the NGO Global Alternative Report, contact: Romanita Iordache, Alternative Reports Coordinator. E-mail <ngointern@aol.com>. 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