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We appreciate the emphasis that is being made by certain governments and by Dr. Patricia Licuanan at this panel on the need to maintain the participative and consultative processes that brought forth the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA).
But NGOs would like to bring the discussions one step further by urging for specific and concrete processes and mechanisms that will ensure that the Beijing+5 review process indeed remains broad, participative, inclusive, democratic and meaningful for state parties and non-governmental organizations alike.
First, we urge for regional and global information exchanges and communication using all kinds of media - electronic, print and broadcast - that will provide women all over the world access to information on the review process and government reports on their implementation of the Platform, and provide women with the capacity to input and participate in the review process.
Second, we urge that there be a process and a mechanism for recognizing and acknowledging alternative reports that NGOs will be developing at the national, sub-regional and regional levels and for informing state parties of the production of these reports. The information from these alternative reports will provide a better and well-rounded picture of the challenges and obstacles, good practices and lessons, emerging issues and strategies related to the implementation of the Platform.
Third, we urge that resources be mobilized and made available for publicizing NGO positions, analyses, perspectives and alternative reports and for NGOs to be able to gather, discuss and dialogue among themselves and with state parties and international organizations such as the United Nations regarding the implementation of the Platform.
We believe that these processes, mechanisms and resources will enable the spirit of Beijing to live on and enable women to advance further and higher the ideals and actions that began five years ago in Beijing.
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