AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE UNIÃO AFRICANA Addis Ababa, Ethiopia P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: +251 11 551 7700 / +251 11 518 25 58/ Ext 2558 Web site: www. au.int.org DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION MEDIA ADVISORY What: African Regional Conference on the Beijing+20 Review When: Expert meeting– Ministerial meeting – Time: 8.30 a.m. – 17.30 Where: United Nations Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Participants: Ministers of Gender, Government representatives, observers from women’s groups, civil society organizations, academic institutions, media representatives, members of parliament and experts from other organizations. 17-18 November 2014 19 November 2014 Outcome document: African Regional Report on Beijing+20 Review Background : Over a hundred fifty women and men from across the African continent will be converging in Addis to discuss and deliberate on 20 years since the Beijing Platform for Action was adopted. Reviews are taking place across the globe. Civil society organizations (CSOs) have also submitted their shadow reports addressing successes, key challenges, emerging threats against women’s rights, as well as key recommendations. This conference offers delegates an opportunity to debate on topical issues in Africa and globally and how they impact the gender equality agenda and the advancement of women and girls rights. Running over three days, the Conference coincides with the ongoing global debates around the post 2015 development agenda and regional conversations around Agenda 2063, shaping Africa’s development for the next 50 years. In March 2015, at the fifty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW59), the world will gather to review the progress made in 20 years of implementing the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA). The platform had identified 12 critical areas of concern that needed to be addressed in order to guarantee the elimination of discrimination against women and girls and ensure their empowerment. Africa is well prepared for this process. 51 African Member States have submitted their national reviews which show their accomplishments in the implementation of the BPfA. A regional report is being prepared by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), analysing the information provided by member states. This report will be presented, discussed and endorsed by the African Regional Conference on Beijing+20 Review, to be held in Addis Ababa. This report will then be submitted to the fifty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women as Africa’s input into the global Beijing+20 report. Journalists should cover the event from 17 – 19 November 2014 at the ECA Conference Center, Addis Ababa Media Contacts : African Union Side: Mrs. Esther Azaa Tankou, Head of the Information Division, Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission: E-mail: [email protected] Ms, Oury Sene, DIC, Tel: +251 912640347 E-mail: [email protected] Ms. Adiam Assefa, DIC, Tel: +251 912205509, E-mail: [email protected] UN- ECA side: Ms. Sophia Denekew, +251 911197696 E-mail: [email protected] Mr. John Kaninda, Communications Specialist, E-mail: [email protected] Kindly RSVP to allow us to provide your names for security clearance. Please inform us if you would like to attend the duration of the conference. For further information contact Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: [email protected] I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia Follow us Face book: https://www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AfricanUnion YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/AUCommission Learn more at: http://www.au.int