The Regional NGO ASIA-PACIFIC SYMPOSIUM on the BEIJING PLUS FIVE REVIEW

Prepared by Isis International Manila

From August 31 to September 3, 1999, Women's NGOs from the Asia-Pacific region will be hosting a 3 and half day Symposium on the Beijing Plus Five Review. The Symposium will cover the 12 critical areas plus additional emerging issues in the region that are not covered in the Beijing Platform for Action.

Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand will serve as the venue accomodating up to 500 women from the region.

On June 11-12 28 representatives from women's NGOs in the region attended a planning meeting for the NGO Symposium. The identified framework and recommendations from the planning group are: Ø To inform as many women as possible throughout the region on the UN Review process as well as to have them participate in the NGO Symposium, especially groups that are often marginalized such as the indigenous, handicapped, elderly, youth, etc.

• Each country in the region should try to be involved at some level of review within their own governmental system.
• National reports to be fed into a sub-regional process.
• At the Symposium the countries and sub-regions will present their finding which will then all go into a regional report that will be presented to members of UN ESCAP in October 26-29 when the region will bring together high level governmental representatives to review their progress on the BPFA.
• In addition, lobbying strategies and critical areas of concern will be identified from the women's groups to make sure that women's voices are heard at the UN ESCAP meeting.
• The reports from the NGO community will be to document best practices in the region. Giving credit where credit is due. Identifying obstacles that are preventing the full implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and recommendations which take into consideration the emerging issues.

At the planning meeting, representatives provided updates as to what is happening in their countries and regions. Several sub-regional meetings are upcoming. For example:

• The Nationonal Alliance of Women in India will meet with UNIFEM on June 18 regarding the BPFA Review. For more information regarding this meeting contact Ruth Manorama of the National Alliance of Women.

  National Alliance of Women (NAWO)
  47 Marks Road, Bangalore, Kanataka, India 560001
  Tel/Fax: (080)663-0262
  E-mail: ruth@bir.vsnl.net.in or naworuth@hotmail.com

• The South Asia Regional Meeting is scheduled for August 11-14 in Kathmandu, Nepal. For more information on the South Asia Regional Meeting contact Anjana Shakya of Asia Pacific Watch at:

  NGO Ad Hoc Committee Beyond Beijing
  P.O. Box 2125, Kathmandu, Nepal
  Tel.: (9771) 523805
  Fax: (9771) 520042
  E-mail: shakyaanjana@hotmail.com

• Japan will hold a national meeting in June. For more information on the Japan meeting contact Mitchiko Nakamura at:

  Japan NGO Report Preparatory Committee
  Tel.: (81334) 821476
  Fax: (81334)821454
  E-mail: seijo@mitchiko@mvb.biglobe.ne.jp

  The East Asia Women are engaged in their own country process at this time and will meet at the Symposium to share their findings.

• The Pacific Islands have already held a sub-regional meeting and are now engaged in writing their report which will be presented at the NGO Symposium. For more information on the Pacific Island report contact:

  Amelia Rokotuivuna
  Pacific YWCA
  24 Disraeli Road, Suva, Fiji
  Tel: (679) 3011352 / 304961
  Fax: (679) 301222
  E-mail: pac-ywca@mailhost.sopac.org.fj

  And/Or

  Virada Somsawdi
  Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
  305-7 Santhitham, YMCA Building
  11 Sermsuk Road, Soi Mengarairasmi, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand
  Tel: (6653) 404613
  Fax: (6653) 404615
  E-mail: apwld@loxinfo.co.th

• Australia and New Zealand along with groups from the Pacific Islands will hold a sub-regional meeting in Sydney, Australia from July 8-11, 1999. For more information on this meeting contact:

  Eileen Pittaway
  CAPOW
  11 Valley Road, Forestville, NSW 2087, Australia
  Tel: (612) 6494066
  Fax:(612) 96628991
  E-mail: ancrow@ozemail.com.au

  And/Or

  Barbara Mckenzie
  National Council of Women of New Zealand
  8 Sharpe Road, Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand
  Tel/Fax: (649) 6302241

• The other regions are still in the process of organizing the reviews and meetings. For ongoing information on the plans for the regions not mentioned, contact Isis International-Manila.

What to expect at the Symposium

Registration and opening presentations will begin the afternoon of August 31, 1999. September 1 will be dedicated to the country sub-regional presentations. Day two will be a series of workshops on the Platform and emerging issues in the region. Day 3 will have the participants working on merging the existing country and sub-regional reports with the related and emerging issues. September 3 in the afternoon will have the adoption of recommendations and cultural activities.

A Steering Committee of 13 women's groups in the region has been selected by the Planning Committee to provide the necessary structure and functionality that is necessary to carry out the Symposium.

• Fundraising Committee headed by Thai Women's Watch will work on identifying and raising funds for the Symposium, women's participation report writing and lobbying ESCAP.
• Communications Committee headed by Isis International-Manila will take the responsibility of providing information and communication support on the Symposium to women's groups throughout the region.
• Participation Committee chaired by Thai Women's Watch will provide the guidance for application and selection of participants to the Symposium.
• Drafting Committee chaired by a faculty member of the University of North South Wales in Australia.
• Programme Committee chaired by the YWCA-Fiji will work out the programme logistics.
• Youth Committee chaired by ARROW in Malaysia will work on involving young women in this process. Representatives from South Asia, Central Asia and East Asia will be identified at a latter date.

The Chair to the Steering Committee is Patricia Licuanan of the Philippines. The Secretariat is Kasetsart University. For more information, contact Tara Sawanyatipat at the University at:

Regional NGO Symposium Secretariat
53/1 Sukumit Soi
53 Sukhumvit Road 10110, Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: (662) 3144316 / 7180373
Fax: (662) 2596171 / 2249428

See also Calendar of Activities for more information