CSW59 Orientation
7 March 2015
Mission Statement
Zonta International is a leading global
organization of professionals
empowering women through service
and advocacy.
Vision
Zonta International envisions a world in
which women's rights are recognized as
human rights and every woman is able
to achieve her full potential.
In such a world, women have access to all
resources and are represented in decision
making positions on an equal basis with men.
In such a world, no woman
lives in fear of violence.
Purpose of this Training
• Basic introduction to the UN structure
• The UN Commission on the Status of
Women
• Your role at the UN CSW in New York
Remembering the UN
Remember the Number 6
• 6 official languages
English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic
• 6 main organs of the UN
• 6 Committees of the General Assembly
Emergency phone # in New York Headquarters
+1 212-963-6666
6 Principle Organs of the UN
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Security Council
Secretariat
General Assembly (GA)
Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC)
• International Court of Justice
• Trusteeship Council
6 Committees of the GA
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First - Disarmament/Security
Second - Economic/Financial
Third - Social, Humanitarian, Cultural
Fourth - Special political
Fifth - Administrative and Budget
Sixth - Legal
Functional Commissions of ECOSOC
Where the UN Committee Works
• New York UN Headquarters, Unicef, UN
Women, UNFPA, Department of Public
Information (DPI), special meetings
• Geneva UN office and International
Labour Organization (ILO), Human
Rights
• Vienna UN office
• Council of Europe
• Unesco - United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization
(Paris)
Regional Commissions of ECOSOC
Other Bodies of ECOSOC
Specialized Agencies - coordinating body
of interest to Zonta International:
Questions
?
Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
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1945 UN charter
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1946 Commission on Human Rights
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1947 CSW established
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1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights
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1948 – 58 UN Decade for Human Rights
Women’s Conferences
• Mexico City - 1975 - Helvi Sipilä, Secretary
General - World Plan of Action
• Copenhagen - 1980 - Programme of Action
• Nairobi - 1985 - Forward Looking Strategies
for the Advancement of Women
• Beijing - 1995 - Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action
• New York - 2000 - 23rd Special Session of
the General Assembly • Five-year review process:
2005, 2010, 2015
CSW59
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Theme: review and appraisal of the
implementation of the Beijing
Declaration and Platform for Action and
the outcomes of the twenty-third special
session of the General Assembly
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Methods of Work
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Post 2015 Agenda
Beijing Platform for Action
12 Critical Areas of Concern
Women and the environment
Women in power and decision-making
The girl child
Women and the economy
Women and poverty
Violence against women
Human rights of women
Education and training of women
Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women
Women and health
Women and the media
Women and armed conflict
Methods of Work
• How and what they will work on
• Our interests include:
• Strong role for the CSW
• NGO speaking opportunities
• NGO access to rooms
• NGO access to negotiations
• NGO participation
Post-2015 Agenda
• SDGs (Sustainable Development
process)
• Women’s Major Group; NGO Major Group
• Assuring that women’s agenda is met
before 2030
• 17 Goals - Goal 5 for women, and
mainstreaming all the rest through targets
and indicators
• Secretary General’s report
• High Level Political Forum
Official Meetings of the CSW
• Not a conference, but a meeting of
governments
• Limited ability to be in the room
• Webcast on unwebtv
• Organized by the Bureau
• 45 member states participating with large
delegations
• Supported by UN Women
Bureau of the CSW59
• Ms. Kanda Vajrabhaya (Thailand), Chairdesignate (Asia-Pacific States Group)
• Mr. Mohamed Elbahi (Sudan), Vice-Chair
(African States Group)
• Ms. Pille Kesler (Estonia), Vice-Chair (Eastern
European States Group)
• H.E. Mr. Rubén Ignacio Zamora Rivas (El
Salvador), Vice-Chair designate (Latin
American and Caribbean States Group)
• Ms. Christine Löw (Switzerland),
Vice-Chair (Western European and other
States Group)
Member States of the CSW
• 45 Members
• Elected by region
– 13 members from Africa
– 11 from Asia
– 9 from Latin America and Caribbean
– 8 from Western Europe and other States
– 4 from Eastern Europe
• 1/3 elected each year
Member States of the CSW
Outcome Document vs. Political Declaration
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5-year reviews with political declarations
Outcome documents in other years
Resolutions
Negotiated process - time consuming, but
there is a need to start in your country
• Caucuses keep NGOs informed
Who are the government delegates?
• Head of Delegation - Minister from the Capital
• Other ministers, public delegates, experts,
other government officials
• Supported by staff from the Mission
What is UN Women?
• 1976 Unifem and Instraw formed
• Office of the Assistant Secretary General for
Women’s Issues
• Division for the Advancement of Women
• Combined in 2012 to form UN Women,
Secretariat to CSW
• Executive Committee, Ambassador Ib
Petersen, Denmark, President
Questions
?
How to Prepare Yourself for CSW
• Read documents - UN Women website
• Sign up for events
• Learn - plan to attend caucuses, training
sessions
• Network - bring cards to exchange,
promote Zonta
• Share information with the UN
Committee
NGO Participation
• 20-member delegation - grounds pass
• Official meetings - Conference room,
overflow room, webcast
• Side events - on the UN Campus tickets/special events pass
• Parallel events - off campus, organized
by NGOs and coordinated by
NGOCSWNY
• Zonta events
• Visiting delegations or missions
NGO CSW NY
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3 Committees (NY, Geneva, Vienna)
Arrangements for NGO Forum
Produces Booklet of information
Organized Consultation Day at the
Apollo
• Collaborated on the March and Rally in
Times Square
• Organized reception for NGOs
• Organizes morning briefings
Things to Remember
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Follow the UN rules – e.g. NO cell phone conversations in
conferences, NO demonstrations
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NO food or beverages in conference rooms
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Computers are for UN delegates only. You may bring in your
own laptop.
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Encourage government delegates to attend the NGO the events
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Be a bridge of information between the UN CSW and NGOs
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Update NGOs back home on progress at the CSW – blog and
tweet
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Ask permission to take videos and photos; you must get written
consent for children’s photos
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NEVER sit at a Member State’s seat. Please sit in areas
designated for NGOs
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NEVER LET ANYONE ELSE USE YOUR UN BADGE
Represent Zonta!
Meeting your Minister / Delegation /
Ambassador / Mission Staff
1.
2.
3.
4.
Be clear about the message(s)
Be short and concise
Leave behind your information
Be sure to thank the official - also send
a note!
Take the Zonta Message
• Strong Proclamation: emphasize gender
equality and women’s human rights
• Strong Methods of Work: give CSW
authority to review and voice to NGOs
• Post 2015 Agenda:
- emphasize Goal 5
- mainstreaming women human rights
and gender equality
- indicators that can track success
- strong role for ALL stakeholders
Have Fun!
• Dress appropriately for the meeting
• Bring your business cards and literature
• Speak only about authorized positions
of the organization
• Listen carefully and take notes
• Do not argue with the official, but do
take note of any official positions
• Share your information with Megan
Radavich at Zonta Headquarters –
mradavich@zonta.org
Representing Zonta
• Meet new people and
make the most of it!
• Spread the Zonta message - be part of
the common voice of all Zontians
• Report back to your club the main
outcomes of the negotiations and
propose actions at local level
www.zonta.org