Friends--
This is an onsite report of the ongoing Asia Pacific Beijing + 10 Forum in
Thailand...colleagues are running several laudable ict-related
initiatives...
>This was written by Cheekay Cinco of the APC WNSP Asia Pacific.
>
>Hello, all
>
>Here is the first of the onsite reports that we will be delivering from
the Asia Pacific B+10 Forum. We will be publishing the reports here:
http://www.apcwomen.org/policy/news/.
>
>cheekay
>=====================
>
>B+10 NGO Forum Kicks Off
>
>Bangkok, Thailand
>
>The Asia Pacific NGO Forum on Beijing+10 officially opened last 30 June
at the Prof. Kasarn Chartikavanij Plenary Hall in Mahidol University. In
her Welcome Address, Dr. Patricia Licuanan, Chairperson of the Asia
Pacific NGO Forum, highlighted the role of the NGOs in the entire
Beijing process, stating that the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) is
as much a product of NGO lobbying and actual drafting as it that of
government negotiations. She also challenged NGOs from the Asia Pacific
region to take a lead in keeping the BPFA alive.
>
>The main output of the conference will be the Purple Book, which will
outline and detail the current, emerging and persistent women's issues in
the Asia Pacific region. The Purple Book will be based on the outputs of
the various workshops and discussions that will be held throughout the
conference, and will be the main lobbying document to be used by Asia
Pacific women's organisations for the Beijing+10 process. This will be
published and made available in time for the United Nations Economic and
Social Council for Asia Pacific (UNESCAP) Intergovernmental Meeting for
Beijing+10 which will be held in September this year.
>
>Throughout the conference, there will be various workshops and plenary
discussions on the different sections of the BPFA and other women's
issues. There is also an exhibition and gender market place, as well as
film showings of documentaries on women. The conference will run until 3
July 2004.
>
>APC WNSP in the Beijing+10 Conference
>
>Nine members of the Association for Progressive Communications Women's
Networking Support Programme from the Asia Pacific region are currently
at the conference to carry the network's planned activities. These
include: - Managing the Internet Access Centre
>- ICT Tutorials
>- Gender and ICT Policy Advocacy Workshop (2 July 2004, 3:30 - 5:30pm) -
Gender Evaluation Methodology Workshop (3 July, 10am - 1:00pm)
>- Leading in documentation and drafting of Section J (Women and Media)
for the Purple Book
>- Providing onsite reports from the forum
>
>The Asia Pacific WNSP Team in Bangkok consists of: Chat Ramilo, Angela
Kuga Thas, Pi Villanueva, Chan Yu, Nani Buntarian, Anna Hidalgo, Mylene
Sotto, Sara Escandor-Tomas and Cheekay Cinco.
>