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The 5th World Conference/Beijing + 10 Debate
Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID)
December 05, 2002

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With the proliferation of resources, energy and participation of NGOs in the numerous UN system world conferences, it is time that the feminist movement begin to ask important questions around not only the efficacy of such world conferences in securing the economic, political and social rights of women, but the strategic roles that feminist activists can play at such events. It is time that we ask ourselves how we are benefiting from such participation. Do these events truly strengthen co-operation with governments in support of a united feminist agenda? Alternately, how can we make our continued participation in world conferences more strategic? What new and increasingly relevant issues need to be reframed and revisited both by the movement and by states? This reflection is of greater saliency given the current political context of the internationalisation of right wing, neoliberal governments and policies.

AWID's 9th International Forum, Reinventing Globalisation, fostered the ongoing and critical debate of whether we, as an international feminist movement, should be concentrating our energies on yet another world conference. A Beijing +10 meeting, though an opportunity to re-group and re-prioritise, may also be redundant given that much of the Beijing Platform for Action (PFA) remains to be achieved. In the opening plenary, Joanna Kerr, Executive Director of AWID, stated, that she personally does not
support a fifth world conference on women in 2005 given the effort and resources required merely to defend the gains made in previous UN Conferences. Until we have more gender equality governments in power, perhaps it is too dangerous to allow governments now to renegotiate our rights, a meeting in 2010 is perhaps more appropriate. Do our members agree? This comment, as well as some of the materials that arose out of Forum sessions generated a great deal of input and debate.

The responses of forum participants and members have varied from overwhelming support for the postponement of a fifth world conference on women to 2010 (when there might be a better political environment) to the active preparation for a world conference in 2005, and alternative suggestions such as a women's conference on the world.

Now that we have had some time to reflect on much of the dialogue generated at the Forum, what discussions, dilemmas and ideas are surfacing around the Beijing +10/Fifth World Conference debate? We at AWID, would like to invite and engage you, our members and forum participants, in a timely and ongoing dialogue around the pros, cons and alternatives to the proposed 2005 Conference.

This four-week online discussion will be moderated and will include weekly summaries and discussion topics relevant to the individual postings and contributions made throughout the week. To participate please subscribe by sending a message to lists@awid.org.

Please leave the subject line blank and write "subscribe 5worldconferencewomen" (without quotes) in the text of the message.
Contributions can be made in either French, Spanish and English.

We look forward to yet another diverse, engaging and provocative dialogue!!

And to start us thinking, here are some of the already articulated pros and cons of participating in Beijing +10 in 2005:
A Fifth World Conference on Women may:

• Bring new voices, new states and new issues to the table for negotiation;
• Provide access to state representatives, strengthen state commitments to women s human rights, or at least maintain women s human rights on the state agenda;
• Strengthen women s groups in working together towards assessing their successes and challenges, locally, regionally and internationally;
• Harness widespread international media coverage and attention;
• Increase the international women’s movement’s momentum and commitment.
  

Alternately, it may:

• Allow governments to back out of previously made commitments, thereby weakening their commitment to the PFA;
• Not be the most strategic use of NGO financial and personnel resources, as the preparations are often costly and time consuming;
• Take energy away from the timely and necessary front line services and projects being carried out by women s NGOs internationally;
• Distract women s organisations and the larger movement from their independent (of states) and united processes of strategizing;
• The above are increasingly salient given the spread of right wing conservatism throughout states around the globe as well as in the UN.

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