Modalities for Africa’s participation at the Global Mid-Term Review

A Drafting Group that included representatives from governments, subregional and regional NGOs and United Nations agencies reviewed a draft document prepared by the ECA secretariat. The Group was chaired by H.E. Mrs. Janat B. Mukwaya, Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Uganda and facilitated by Ms. Angela King and Ms. Rose Odera, Chairperson of the preparatory process of the Special Session of Beijing +5.

• To examine modalities for Africa’s Participation in the Special Session on Beijing +5.

Recommendations of the Group:

1. Participation of NGOs in the Plenary of the Special Session of Beijing +5

The group recommended that the NGOs holding consultative status with ECOSOC should select one representative to be their spokesperson in the Plenary, taking into consideration the subject area, geography and time allocated. In the event that the Global Meeting will recommend fewer than five NGOs to speak, all efforts must be made to ensure that Africa is represented.

2. Role of the Committee on Women and Development

In order to ensure co-ordination and harmonisation of the preparatory activities, the Committee on Women in Development (CWD) should work in collaboration with the OAU Secretariat in Addis Ababa and with its Permanent Mission in New York, to:

• Co-ordinate and harmonise the position of African States and;
• Ensure wide and active participation of African States at the Session of the Preparatory Committee in March and at the Special Session in June 2000.

The Secretariat of the CWD, that is the African Centre for Women/ECA and OAU are called upon to collaborate closely in order to ensure successful organisation of the two meetings of CWD and the African Group.

ECA’s representative to the UN in New York will be the focal point to work with the OAU Permanent Mission to the UN, in the preparations.

• Synthesis of National Reports on the Progress made in Implementation of the Dakar and Beijing Platforms for Action;

• The African Plan of Action to Accelerate Implementation of the Dakar and Beijing Platforms for Action;

• Declaration of the Sixth African Regional Conference on Women;

• Decisions regarding modalities for Africa’s Participation in the Special Session on Beijing +5.

ECA is also called upon to disseminate the relevant information and documents to the meeting of the preparatory committee in March 2000, to all mechanisms responsible for the advancement of women in ECA member States and other relevant actors. ECA will facilitate as much as possible the mobilisation of African participants to the Special Session of the General Assembly in June 2000.

ECA and OAU together will facilitate the consultations of the African Group during the session of the preparatory committee in March 2000 and the Special Session in June 2000 and ensure the integration of the outcome of the Sixth African Regional Conference on Women.

Member States should strive to expand their delegations to include Ministers of Finance and Planning, the youth and people with disabilities.