The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) organized an Expert Group Meeting on 13-15 May 2009 to discuss the conceptual and organizational framework for the High Level Regional Meeting on Beijing + 15 to be held 16-18 November 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. To access selected papers presented at the Expert Group Meeting see: http://www.unescap.org/esid/GAD/index.asp

Also to support the High Level Regional Meeting, an Expert Group Meeting on gender statistics and the use of violence against women indicators in support of CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action was convened by UNESCAP on 1-3 October 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand. For details see: http://www.unescap.org/stat/meet/egm2008/index.asp

UNESCAP circulated questionnaires to governments in Asia and the Pacific to aid in the appraisal of progress in implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the UN General Assembly (2000) over the five-year period from 2004 to 2009. The process will identify achievements, gaps and challenges as well as provide an indication of areas where actions and initiatives are most urgent to further implementation. The questionnaire can be found at: http://www.unescap.org/ESID/GAD/Issues/Beijing+15/index_questionaire.asp

For more on the High Level Meeting and responses to the questionnaire see: http://www.unescap.org/esid/gad/Issues/Beijing+15/index.asp

(Source: IWTC WOMEN'S GLOBALNET #361 ACTIVITIES & INITIATIVES OF WOMEN WORLDWIDE, BEIJING +15: NGOS PREPARE IN ASIA & THE PACIFIC, 26 August 2009 Mavic Cabrera-Balleza, Iskra Sajor & Tina Johnson)