Ruth E. Zeller, Main Representative
Since the last report presented at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors in June 2006, one or more of our representatives attended the September Conference held by the Department of Public Information (DPI) of the United Nations for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) worldwide, meetings of the Commission on the Status of Women, weekly DPI briefings at the United Nations and meetings of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, the NGO Committee on UNIFEM and the NGO Committee on Migration.
The United Nations (UN) and its Future vis-a -vis Women
Although the UN’s established channels of multilateral diplomacy and the international sharing of expertise make it a valuable asset to the world, there is a great need for reform, especially in regard to women’s issues. There is widespread support for strengthening the UN Gender Equality Architecture as recommended in the report of the Coherence Panel. However, many member states want the report to be considered as a whole, rather than studying each recommendation separately, and gender issues are stalled. Therefore, women’s groups are urging that the Gender Equality section be separated from other recommendations and be negotiated now. Currently, there are several under-resourced agencies focused on women’s issues and several larger agencies which only do some work on gender equality. Support is given to the recommendation that there be one strong entity led by an Under Secretary-General, but there are differences of opinion on how to implement this idea. Many voices are being heard on this subject, and there is a distinct possibility of there being one large agency for women but no guarantee as to when it will happen or how it will be constructed. Therefore, women’s organizations are being urged to pressure their governments to not only support the Gender Equality Architecture but to separate it out from the other recommendations of the Coherence Panel Report.
UNIFEM (www.unifem.org)
UNIFEM places the advancement of women’s human rights at the center of all its efforts, and all of its programs contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
UNIFEM continues to focus on four strategic areas that are of critical concern for the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment and which guide its work:
In order to be up-to-date on all of UNIFEM’s activities, please visit its website often.
International NGOs (civil society) and the UN
There are over 2700 international NGOs accredited to the UN, of which we are one. It is important for us to collaborate with representatives of other international organizations concerning women worldwide since action is taken only when many voices are joined together. For the benefit of those who may not be familiar with the workings of the United Nations, following is a description of the Committees mentioned earlier and the Conferences held at the United Nations during the year.
Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
The CSW is charged with making recommendations to the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC) on urgent problems requiring immediate attention in the field of women’s rights. The selected (2 year term limit) Bureau of the Commission which chairs the program and experts from many countries meet at the UN every year in March to prepare recommendations and reports for the ECOSOC on promoting women’s political, economic, civil, social and educational rights. Observers are representatives from many NGOs worldwide including UNIFEM/USA. The thematic issue for the recent 51st session of this Commission held from 26 February – March 9, 2007 focused on "the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child." It is during these meetings that the NY Chapter of UNIFEM/USA hosts its annual UN Luncheon enabling delegates, observers and other guests to come together informally. It is also the time when leaders of other National Committees for UNIFEM have an opportunity to meet with each other and UNIFEM staff to gather information and compare activities promoting our goals. This year the meeting was hosted by UNIFEM/USA at UNIFEM Headquarters.
NGO Committee on the Status of Women
Member of Conference of NGOs in Consultative Status with the UN (CONGO) – www.ngocongo.org. This Committee, of which UNIFEM/USA is a member, works closely with UNIFEM, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the UN Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) See www.un.org/womenwatch/daw. It is most effective during the meetings of the CSW. On the weekend prior to the annual meetings, it hosts a lively, informative consultation for NGO representatives as well as daily briefings during the CSW. In addition, it facilitates thematic caucuses, a craft fair, a reception and other events. This Committee also works with the experts on the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) bringing the experts together with NGOs informally. The CEDAW experts meet three times per year. They have met at UN Headquarters in New York in the past but will now hold two meetings at the UN in Geneva and one in New York.
See www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw
NGO Committee on UNIFEM
This is a small working committee which meets monthly and is attended by representatives of UNIFEM/USA and 29 other NGOs in consultative status with UNIFEM. A long-term member of the UNIFEM/USA team is on its Executive Committee. A member of the UNIFEM staff usually briefs the group on various issues which concern UNIFEM. Representatives to the Committee are charged with keeping its member organizations current on issues concerning the work of UNIFEM. It organizes workshops at some UN conferences and collaborates with the NGO Committee on the Status of Women in hosting receptions for experts attending CEDAW meetings.
NGO Committee on Migration
This committee was established in September 2006, and its application to become an NGO Committee was supported by UNIFEM/USA along with 25 other NGOs. Its purpose is to encourage the promotion and protection of migrants and their human rights in accordance with the UN Charter. Because UNIFEM is concerned about the rights of women migrant workers, we felt that it was important that such a committee be established and responded immediately to its request for support. Its Chair and Vice-Chair will be delegates attending the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Brussels from 9-11 July 2007. Prior to discussions by Governments, there will be a day set aside for comments and questions from civil society, all of which will be reported to committee members.
UN Department of Public Information (DPI)
(www.un.org/dpi/ngosection)
An Annual DPI/NGO Conference is organized by DPI. It is a large NGO event usually attended by over 2000 NGO international representatives. The 59th Conference was held September 6-8, 2006 and was entitled "Unfinished Business: Effective Partnerships for Human Security and Sustainable Development." The 60th Conference will be held from 5-7 September 2007 and will focus on "Climate Change: How It Impacts Us All." Further information on the Conferences including the programs, photos, and speeches can be accessed at DPI’s website. There is an attempt to ensure that one-third of the attendees be under age 30 and very strict rules as to the number of attendees from each NGO (limit is five). N.B.: You can review all activities of the Conference on the internet while it is in session.
In addition to the annual conference, DPI presents weekly briefings at the UN touching on all aspects of the work of the UN. The DPI/NGO Resource Center is a friendly office ready to be of assistance to NGO representatives and keeps an informational listserv. to keep us up-to-date on current issues.
In order to be better informed on the work of the United Nations, it would be good if you were to take the time to visit the websites included in this report.