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Preparatory Meeting 2004

The Gender Section of the Social Transformations Programmes Division of Commonwealth Secretariat held a preparatory meeting of Heads of National Womens' Machineries in New York from 28-29 February 2004, in the wings of the 48th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

Representatives of National Women's Machineries from Ghana and the GambiaThe aim of this preparatory meeting was to discuss the draft Commonwealth Gender Plan of Action (2005-2025) which will be presented to Ministers in Fiji. The Plan will provide the guidelines on implementation and action in member countries.

A Partner's Forum comprising delegates from civil society organisations and other Commonwealth bodies participated in the deliberations and had an opportunity to contribute to the draft Plan of Action.
Representatives of the UN Division for the Advancement of Women (UNDAW) and other agencies, including regional bodies,attended to share their experiences.

These consultations provided member countries and their partners with opportunities for enhanced dialogue and consultations. This vibrant haring of ideas and experiences, and re-positioning of their work is important to promote gender equality as one of the pillars of development and democracy, good governance and the rule of law, and economic growth and peace.

It was a good consultative meeting allowing a forum for Women's Ministers, Heads of NWMs, and other government delegates, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and Civil Society Organisations delegates as well as representatives of UN and other development agencies to plan for a common (& Commonwealth) strategy to advance gender equality. It forms part of the process for the Beijing + 10 Global Review. 

This Commonwealth Meeting also allowed NWMs and other delegates the opportunity to attend and participate at the Un Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) session taking place.