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>
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 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
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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>.

IWTC Women's GlobalNet is a production of:

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