SUMMARY

See the December 1, 2004 IGLHRC Action Alert: "Advocate for Sexual Rights at the Beijing +10 Review” available at http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/article/takeaction/globalactionalerts/516.html for background information, resources and other suggested actions.

ACTIONS

1. Remember that 31 DECEMBER 2004 is the final DEADLINE for registering delegates to the Beijing 10 Review/ 2005 Commission on the Status of Women . Check the website of the Division for the Advancement of Women for detailed information on how to register: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/Review/ngo.htm#ngo2.

   Also remember that only NGOs that are accredited to ECOSOC or that participated in Beijing and/or Beijing +5 will be permitted to register. Other representatives wishing to participate need to request sponsorship from accredited NGOs. For a list of ECOSOC accredited NGOs go to: http://www.un.org/esa/coordination/ngo/ and click on "Search Engine & NGO Database" on the upper right-hand corner, then click "Full List".

2. Coordinate activities in conjunction with women’s rights activists across the world: The Global Week of Action for Women’s Rights set for March 1-8, 2005 (during the official B10 Review) is an opportunity to coordinate local, national, regional and global efforts-- in one’s own community as well as in New York— in order to bring renewed energy and strength to women’s movements around the world.

   The Global Week of Action is coordinated at the global level by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL), Development Alternatives With Women For A New Era (DAWN) and Women’s Environment & Development Organization (WEDO) and will be co-sponsored by women’s and social justice groups across the world. A web page highlighting the various activities will be launched soon on the following websites:

   • www.wedo.org
   • www.cwgl.rutgers.edu
   • www.dawn.org.fj

   Also see http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/2360.html for some initial information on the campaign.

3. Help organize and plan for an LBTI women/Sexual Rights Caucus at the B10 Review. Contact Susana Fried (sfried@iglhrc.org) if you are interested in mobilizing and coordinating activities for an LBTI women/ Sexual Rights Caucus.
4. For information and analysis on the Latin American and Caribbean process towards Beijing+10 see
   www.feministasbeijing10.org.uy.
5. Stay informed of recent developments in preparatory activities leading up to the B10 Review. The final regional preparatory meeting for the B10 review was just completed - the Economic Commission for Europe – and including North America, Australia and New Zealand concluded on 15 December in Geneva with Chairperson’s summary (see IGLHRC's 1 December Action Alert for information about the other four regional preparatory sessions with weblinks to the outcome documents). The summary referred to discussions about sexual rights, particularly in the context of HIV/AIDS (the summary will soon be available at: http://www.unece.org/oes/gender/beijing10.htm). The NGO Forum held in conjunction with the ECE meeting included strong statements in support of the rights of diverse women, including lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex, as well as sexual rights more generally. We will post the final NGO Forum statement as soon as it is available. For information about the results of formal and NGO forums at other regional meetings, please refer to IGLHRC’s 1 December Action Alert.