The Office for Women would like to invite all interested individuals, non-government and civil society organisations to provide input into the Australian Government priorities for the 59th Session on the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW59), via a written submission process.
CSW59 will focus on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, including current challenges that affect its implementation and the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women. The Commission will undertake a review of progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 20 years after its adoption at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. The review (Beijing+20) will also include the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly, the first five-year assessment conducted after the adoption of the Platform for Action, which highlighted further actions and initiatives. The session will also address opportunities for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women in the post-2015 development agenda.
As you may be aware, the position taken by the Australian Government on various issues, guides our engagement in the annual CSW process, particularly during the negotiation of language in the Agreed Conclusions, the focus of discussions with other participating nations, and when determining Australia’s side events. The Office for Women would like to ensure that the views of Australia’s non-government community are taken into consideration during this process.
A template has been created as a guide in order to assist you or your organisation in making a submission. Use of the template (or similar document) is strongly recommended, but not essential. Submissions will be shared with the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women and relevant Departmental officials for their consideration during the whole-of-government consultation process for determining Australian Government negotiation priorities, and may also be used in development of briefings and background material for the delegation.
When drafting your submission please also note the following guidance:
- Submissions should be kept to six pages maximum, focussing on the key issues and suggestions for your organisation under one or more of the 12 critical areas under the Beijing Declaration and Platform for action – these are poverty, education and training, health, the economy, power and decision-making, human rights, armed conflict, institutional mechanisms, the environment, media, violence against women and the girl child.
- The OfW would prefer to receive one submission per organisation, however, where your organisation has a head office as well as regional sub groups or branches, separate submissions may be made by each
Please send all submissions via email. Submissions are due midnight Sunday 30 November 2014.