Civil society organisations and the 15-year Review of the Beijing Platform for Action (Beijing+15)

Siyanda Update: Civil society organisations and the 15-year Review of the Beijing Platform for Action (Beijing+15) Issue No. 86, April 2010 http://www.siyanda.org/ Past issues of the update are available at:

http://www.siyanda.org/archive.htm

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In This Issue:

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I.    Quick Guide: Civil society organisations and the 15-year Review of the Beijing Platform for Action (Beijing+15)

II.   Experts' and Consultants' Database: a selection of published work from Siyanda experts who have written on gender issues from civil society perspectives

III. Contribute section: share news, resources, opportunities and perspectives

I. Quick Guide: Civil society organisations and the 15-year Review of the Beijing Platform for Action (Beijing+15) ======================================

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) adopted during the IV World Conference on Women in 1995. A 15-year Review of the implementation of the BPfA (Beijing +15) has been undertaken. Civil society organisations have contributed to the Review with studies, reports, statements and updates on whether or not commitments made by governments to uphold the BPfA have been met. They have also offered recommendations on how to improve policy and practice to better implement the BPfA.

The following resources have been chosen from a selection of materials produced by civil society organisations for the Beijing +15 Review and recently added to the Siyanda database:

- Website: AWID blogging Beijing+15, Association of Women in Development (AWID), March 2010 This link to AWID's daily blog posts provides key insights from a range of the parallel and official sessions at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) 54th session.

http://www.siyanda.org/static/Beijing+15_AWIDblog.htm?em=1004&tag=QG 

- Civil Society Statement Concerning Beijing +15 Process Review at Commission on the Status of Women (in English and Spanish), Women in Development Europe (WIDE) et al., March 2010 This civil society statement expresses deep concern that the spaces for influencing decision-making by women's organisations at the Beijing+15 Review have been significantly reduced.

http://www.siyanda.org/static/Beijing+15_civsoc_statement.htm?em=1004&tag=QG 

- Videos: Talking about Section J, VIMEO, March 2010 This selection of video interviews contains experiences and testimonials on the role of the media and ICTs in promoting gender equality, with a specific focus on Section J of the Beijing Platform for Action, concerning women and the media.

http://www.siyanda.org/static/Beijing+15_sectionJ.htm?em=1004&tag=QG 

- Women and Gender Equality Texts Included in Outcome of Copenhagen: "Draft Decisions Presented to the Conference of the Parties at its Fifteenth Session for Consideration and Adoption", Women's Environment and Development Organisation (WEDO), February 2010 This document presents some recommendations put forward by the Women's Environment and Development Organisation (WEDO) to mainstream gender in the Outcome document of the Copenhagen summit on climate change.

http://www.siyanda.org/static/Beijing+15_copenhagen.htm?em=1004&tag=QG 

- Website: Archive for Gender Matters - CSW54, Society for International Development Forum (SID), January 2010 This site currently features in situ blogs of the 54th Commission of the Status of Women held in New York during the first two weeks of March 2010.

http://www.siyanda.org/static/Beijing+15_gendermatters.htm?em=1004&tag=QG 

- Costing and Financing 1325. Estimating the Resources Needed to Implement Women, Peace and Security Resolutions at the National Level (draft), Cordaid, January 2010 This paper, presented at the Commission on the Status of Women 54th session, focuses on the cost and funding of implementing resolution 1325 at national level.

http://www.siyanda.org/static/Beijing+15_1325.htm?em=1004&tag=QG 

- Chinese Women's NGOs Report on "Beijing+15", All-China Women's Federation (in Chinese and English), Chinese Women's Research Society, October 2009 This document provides an in-depth review and evaluation of the Chinese government's progress since the World Conference on Women, in particular since the "Beijing +10" Conference.

http://www.siyanda.org/static/Beijing+15_china.htm?em=1004&tag=QG 

You can find other resources from civil society organisations on Beijing+15 at:

http://www.siyanda.org/search/results_adv.cfm?Keywords=Beijing+15_NGO_10&Subject=0&Donor=0&Langu=E&StartRow=1&em=1004&tag=QG

The next Siyanda Update, covering May 2010, will contain new materials on Rwanda. Users are invited to suggest their resources for possible inclusion in this selection: http://www.siyanda.org/addinfo?em=1004&tag=QG

   

Please also visit the archive section to view past Quick Guide selections:

http://www.siyanda.org/quick_guide.htm?em=1004&tag=QG

II. Resources from the Experts' and Consultants' Database: a selection of published work from Siyanda experts who have written on gender issues from civil society perspectives ============================================================

The Siyanda Gender Experts' and Consultants' Database, with over 1,400 profiles, can be used as a networking tool for connecting practitioners, researchers, activists, students and experts with like-minded colleagues, persons working on similar themes, or in the same geographical location.

The database is also an excellent resource for those seeking experts for gender-focused consultancies.

Each profile contains the Expert's contact details and areas of expertise, and highlights their publications. The following resources have been selected from experts who have written on gender issues from civil society perspectives.

-Gender Mainstreaming in Institutions: Challenges from the Grassroots, Thekkudan, J., 2007 -Gender Mainstreaming and Analysis Checklists for Civil Society Projects, Frogh, W., 2007 -Women's Education and Civil Society in Sudan, Bonezzi, A., 2006 -Capability Assessment of Women Self Help Groups, Tewari, A., 2004 -Gender and Civil Society in the Middle East, Al-Ali, N., 2003 -Lessons Learned: The Struggle of Guatemalan Women's Organization in the Implementation of the Peace Accords, Jimeno, C., 2001

For further details on these publications, copy and paste or type the author's last name into either the Name or Search Words field on the Experts' and Consultants' search page:

http://www.siyanda.org/exps/?em=1004&tag=EX

- Enter your details in the database:

http://www.siyanda.org/exps/addexp.cfm?em=1004&tag=EX

- Or edit your existing profile:

http://www.siyanda.org/exps/editlogin.cfm?em=1004&tag=EX  (using your user name and password)

- Search the database:

http://www.siyanda.org/exps/?em=1004&tag=EX

SMOKE AND MIRRORS: A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE FOREST CARBON PARTNERSHIP FACILITY

SMOKE AND MIRRORS: A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE FOREST CARBON PARTNERSHIP FACILITY

This report from FERN and Forest Peoples Programme analyses eight of the Readiness Preparedness Plans (RPPs) submitted to the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and reviews current FCPF documents and policy debates. The review finds that rather than strengthening and implementing the Bank’s safeguards, the FCPF has created a dense set of guidelines that appear to water down existing policies and obfuscate minimum standards.

http://www.fern.org/sites/fern.org/files/Smokeandmirrors.pdf

Source: http://www.fern.org/smokeandmirrors

WEF, IWA Celebrate World Water Day by Announcing Winners of Second Annual World Water Monitoring Day™ Awards

WEF, IWA Celebrate World Water Day by Announcing Winners of Second Annual World Water Monitoring Day™ Awards

Recognized in two categories, winners participated in the 2010 monitoring period

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – In celebration of World Water Day 2011, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the International Water Association (IWA) proudly announce the winners of the second annual World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) Awards. Today also marks the start of the program’s 2011 monitoring period that will run through December 31, 2011.

http://www.wef.org/about/page.aspx?id=9745

RIO+20: Toward a new green economy—or a green-washed old economy?

Good news first. Next year, a honking big global Earth Summit is coming our way -- one with a proud heritage. Formally titled the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, the meeting is known as RIO+20 because it will come 20 years after the first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992.

More at:

http://www.grist.org/article/2011-03-24-rio-20-toward-a-new-green-economy-or-a-green-washed-old-economy

In water-rich DR Congo, 50 million people lack clean water to drink – UN

In water-rich DR Congo, 50 million people lack clean water to drink – UN

22 March 2011 – An estimated 51 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – or three quarters of the population – have no access to safe drinking water, even though the country holds over half of Africa’s water reserves, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a new study released today.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37850&Cr=DR+Congo&Cr1=

UN’s top climate change official calls on governments to maintain momentum in order to deliver on agreed timelines of Cancun Agreements

 UN’s top climate change official calls on governments to maintain momentum in order to deliver on agreed timelines of Cancun Agreements

(Mexico City, 24 March 2011) . Less than two weeks ahead of the UN Climate Change Change Conference in Bangkok (3-8 April 2011), the UN.s top climate change official has called on governments to maintain momentum to ensure that the timelines agreed at the UN Climate Change Conference in Cancun in December of 2010 are met.

.The world was at a crossroads in Cancun . and took a step forward towards a climate-safe world,. said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres. .Now governments must move purposefully down the path they have set, and that means maintaining momentum at Bangkok in order to take the next big climate step in Durban at the end of the year,. she said.

http://unfccc.int/files/press/press_releases_advisories/application/pdf/pr20112403mexico.pdf

Rio+20: Dancing to the tune of the green economy

http://www.euractiv.com/en/sustainability/rio20-dancing-tune-green-economy-linksdossier-502404

High-level public meetings, workshops and seminars at UK Overseas Development Institute (ODI):

http://www.odi.org.uk/events/

Preparatory Committee for United Nations Conference on Sustainable Developments

Preparatory Committee for United Nations Conference on Sustainable Developments Concludes by Adopting Decision Outlining Contents, Format of Outcome Document

Institutional Framework, Next Steps Discussed in Interactive Debates

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2011/envdev1201.doc.htm

Climate change debate must include women's voices, campaigners say

The debate over climate change is often dominated by carbon credits and emissions targets. But experts say it's time to put people at the center and, in particular, focus on one group that is most at risk - women.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14895970,00.html

Sarawak: Sarawak Natives File Historical Land Rights Case

 Sarawak: Sarawak Natives File Historical Land Rights Case

 Kelabit, Penan and Lun Bawang plaintiffs join forces to claim 1770 km2 of tropical rainforests in Upper Limbang, Sarawak – first land rights litigation uniting three ethnic groups in Malaysian Borneo

For the first time in the history of Malaysia, natives from three different tribes have filed a joint land rights litigation. This morning, representatives from the Kelabit, Penan and Lun Bawang communities of Upper Limbang, Sarawak, on the island of Borneo have filed a joint land rights litigation at the Miri High Court in which they are claiming native customary rights over 1770 km2 of tropical forests in the Limbang river basin. The case is being represented by native rights lawyer Baru Bian who also heads the Sarawak branch of the oppositional Justice Party (PKR).

http://indigenouspeoplesissues.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9237:sarawak-sarawak-natives-file-historical-land-rights-case&catid=62:southeast-asia-indigenous-peoples&Itemid=84

Patricia Okoed-Bukumunhe wins UNEP Young Environmental Journalist Award

Patricia Okoed-Bukumunhe wins UNEP Young Environmental Journalist Award

http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=659&ArticleID=6907&l=en&WT.rss_f=pr&WT.rss_a=659-6907