The NGO CSW Geneva B+20
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20 IF NOT NOW, WHEN? GENEVA NGO FORUM BEIJING+20 – FINAL REPORT NGO COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, GENEVA www.ngocsw-geneva.ch / [email protected] © NGO Committee on the Status of Women, Geneva – 2015 First published in 2015 Contact Email: [email protected] Postal address Comité ONG de la Condition de la Femme, Genève CH-1200 Genève – Suisse Visit our website: www.ngocsw-geneva.ch 20 IF NOT NOW, WHEN? GENEVA NGO FORUM BEIJING+20 – FINAL REPORT NGO COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, GENEVA www.ngocsw-geneva.ch / [email protected] 20 IF NOT NOW, WHEN? ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The NGO CSW Geneva wishes to thank the nearly 700 women’s rights advocates and their organizations who committed time and resources to participate in the Forum and give substantive input for the Beijing+20 review process, including the speakers, moderators and rapporteurs of all the sessions, and all those who contributed abstracts, recommendations and other relevant information. The NGO CSW Geneva is most grateful to its financial sponsors, beginning with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Forum main sponsor, as well as the State of Geneva, the City of Geneva, UN Women and the Permanent Mission of the United States in Geneva. The NGO CSW Geneva wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) for the close collaboration in preparing for this Beijing+20 Regional Review, as well as to the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG) and the UN Women Office for Europe and Central Asia in Istanbul for their commit- ment and assistance in the organization of the Forum. Other forms of support were also received from the permanent missions of Canada and the Netherlands, as well as generous in-kind donations from individuals. Special thanks go to: • Martine Brunschwig Graf, former National Councillor and former President of the State Council of Geneva • Sandrine Burel, NGO Liaison Office, United Nations Office of Geneva • Louis Bosshard & UNICAM (invitation Video) III • Elissa Golberg, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations in Geneva • Enkhtsetseg Miyegombo, Programme Specialist, UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia • Ursula Funk, Senior Advisor, Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation • Ingibjorg Gisladotir, Director, UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia • Robin & Julia Goldsby, FAWCO Cultural & Youth Ambassadors (Forum Theme Song) • Tarja Halonen, former President of the Republic of Finland • Malinka Koparanova, Senior Social Affairs Officer & Gender Focal Point, UN ECE • Anna Krahotin, 2nd Secretary, Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations • Monika Linn, Principal Advisor, UN ECE • François Longchamp, President, State Council of the Canton of Geneva • Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director, UN Women • Michael Møller, Acting Director General, UNOG • Anastasia Outkina, Head of NGO Services, Geneva Welcome Center (CAGI) • Lakshmi Puri, UN Women Deputy Executive Director, • Reinout Vos, Deputy Permanent Representative, Kingdom of the Netherlands • Anne Woelfli, Interpretation Coordinator • Soon Young Yoon and Ilona Graenitz, Presidents of the NGO CSW New York and Vienna As well as all the volunteers and coordinators from IC Volunteers and Centre Genevois du Volontariat NGO COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, GENEVA 20 IF NOT NOW, WHEN? Geneva NGO Forum Beijing+20 Organizing Team NGO CSW GENEVA EXECUTIVE BUREAU President: Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, World YWCA Vice-President: Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas (FAWCO) / Sara von Moos Vice-President: Make Mothers Matter Intl. (MMM) / Valerie Bichelmeier Treasurer: The Salvation Army / Sylvette Huguenin Secretary: Soka Gakkai International (SGI) / Hayley Ramsay-Jones Secretary: Inter African Committee (IAC) / Adebisi Adebayo BEIJING+20 TASK FORCE Forum Chairs Editing Committee Chair: Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, World YWCA Chair: Manjit Dosanjh, IFUW Co-Chair: Simone Ovart, ZONTA International Krishna Ahoojapatel, WILPF Valerie Bichelmeier, Make Mothers Matter Substantive Issues Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, World YWCA Joyce Jett, Solar Cookers International / MCDI Chair: Elly Pradervand, WWSF Simone Ovart, ZONTA International Adebisi Adebayo, Inter African Committee Elly Pradervand, WWSF Krishna Ahoojapatel, WILPF Technical support: Catherine D’Arcangues, Global Fund for Women Mutua Kobia, Mothers Legacy Project IV Heli Bathija, Global Fund for Women Jessica Notwell, World YWCA Ursula Barter-Hemmerich, INPEA Afton Beutler, Mothers Legacy Project Finances & Sponsoring Valerie Bichelmeier, Make Mothers Matter Chair: Sara von Moos, FAWCO Catherine Bosshart, IFBPW Heli Bathija, Global Fund for Women Manjit Dosanjh, IFUW Catherine Bosshart, IFBPW Wilfrida Hendrickx, Soroptimist International Sylvette Huguenin, Salvation Army Lois Hermann, WUNRN Joyce Jett, Solar Cookers International / MCDI Joyce Jett, Solar Cookers International / MCDI Leonie de Picciotto, ICJW Marie-Claude Julsaint, World YWCA Anne Riz, FAWCO Sabine Kinzer, Soroptimist International Shannon Meehan, WWSF Communication, PR & Outreach Rita Muyambo, World YWCA Chair: Simone Ovart, ZONTA International Simone Ovart, ZONTA International Rachel Babecoff, International Council of Jewish Women Silvia Perel-Levin, INPEA Valerie Bichelmeier, Make Mothers Matter Hayley Ramsey-Jones, Soka Gakkai International Sabine Kinzer, Soroptimist International Colette Samoya, Bangwee & Dialogues Website Logistics Valerie Bichelmeier, Make Mothers Matter Chair: Arielle Wagenknecht, OCAPROCE International Secretariat Rachel Babecoff, International Council of Jewish Women Valerie Bichelmeier, Make Mothers Matter Valerie Bichelmeier, Make Mothers Matter Jocelyne Bruyère, Staff Joyce Jett, Solar Cookers International / MCDI Alice Santamaria, Tricia Cook & Thayvie Sinn, Interns Micheline Makou Djouma, OCAPROCE International Elly Pradervand, WWSF NGO COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, GENEVA 20 IF NOT NOW, WHEN? PREFACE Beijing Plus 20: If Not Now, When? knowing that each individual who participated in the Forum will always carry one all two lessons for The gathering at the NGO Forum convened by the applying in their own lives. NGO Committee on the Status of Women (NGO CSW Geneva) for the UN Economic Commission for As NGO CSW Geneva Members, Bureau, and Task Europe region on 4-6 November, 2014 sort to pre- Force members, we whole heartedly extend our ap- cisely answer that question of the moment. It has preciation to all the partners who sponsored this fo- been twenty years since the 4th Women’s World rum, through financial or in-kind contribution. We Conference was held in Beijing in 1995 where extend our special appreciation to the Swiss Federal the world governments under the auspices of the Government (SDC), the Canton of Geneva, and the United Nations adopted the Beijing Declaration and City of Geneva; UNECE, UNOG, UN Women, and the Platform for Action, in which twelve critical areas many volunteers and friends. of concern were identified, and strategies agreed on how to achieve women’s empowerment and human As Co-Chairs, we also want to extend a special rights and contribute to a world of development, acknowledgment to Valerie Bichelmeier, Make peace and equality. Mothers Matter, and Vice President of the NGO CSW who coordinated this report, worked tirelessly with The 700 participants who gathered in Geneva for all stakeholders to enable us publish this report. the NGO Forum represented the diversity of expe- riences, economies, realities and history within the We invite you to read and share, as well as use this UNECE region. The women came from civil society document in your daily efforts to advance gender networks, women’s national and community groups, equality and empowerment of women. If Not Today, including persons with disabilities, the elderly, When? V youth, rural and indigenous women. They gathered to claim the commitments of Beijing, to assert that Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda the issues raised then were still as important today, Chair, NGO Forum Beijing+20 UNECE Review and indeed that there are emerging issues and reali- President, NGO Committee on the Status ties that must be addressed or taken into account in of Women, Geneva the world of today. General Secretary, World YWCA This report captures the experiences that were Simone Ovart shared in the plenary sessions and the interactive Co-Chair NGO Forum Beijing+20 UNECE Review roundtables. It captures the discussions and the rec- Main Representative UN Geneva, ZONTA Intl. ommendations that shaped and formed the key rec- ommendations and the overall outcome document of the Forum. This report does not attempt to sum- marise all the details, but seeks to capture the key elements. We are all indebted to the extensive collaborative work that went into producing this report, especial- ly from the Task Force chairs, the roundtable con- venors, moderators, speakers and organisers. It was an extraordinary feat to put the event together and much more so the report together. This document is an attempt and effort to honour the special moment, NGO COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, GENEVA 20 IF NOT NOW, WHEN? TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements III Preface V Table of contents VII Introduction 1 Forum Program 3 Geneva NGO Declaration and Recommendation 13 French translation 27 Russian translation 41 Plenary Sessions Short Reports 57 Opening ceremony 59 act | advance | achieve women’s rights – where we stand in the UN ECE region 62 A call for transformation – Keynote by Prof Dr Ervin Laszlo