GEAR Caucus - Tuesday 4:00

The GEAR (Gender Equality Architecture Reform) caucus met for an hour and a half, and was very useful.

Charlotte Bunch represented GEAR, and Christine Arab represented UN Women  

Discussion was mainly around UN Women and engaging with civil society, and the development of the Strategic Plan.

• Thematic areas included leadership, economic, planning and policy, violence against women
• Consultation is by geographic regions.
• Partnerships – crosscutting – UN Women can be the catalyst. Not directly implementing. We provide the base –  Consultations – not enough information out there
• Strategic planning – flexibility of program – opportunities for country programs – development of civil society, maintain regional programming. Regional programming affords flexibility
• Campaign after strategic  plan – will be another Strategic Plan -2014-2018 starting 2013 for that plan. Strategic plan that is being developed – how will we engage with civil society. Other global networks
• Monitor issues, like UNICEF. Have National Committees – Large conference with CIDA – more dynamic – local level partnerships. Means going beyond partners. Mix and match dialogue. Partnerships are important. How to navigate that
• Campaign – GEAR – not only of women’s rights, but human rights where women’s rights part of what they do. How does the women’s movement giving leadership, women led. And build partnerships. GEAR develop options, mechanisms that work well, or not worked well thru the UN

Begin to open a new dialogue – who are the partners – want people in the private partners – Consultation.  What are programmatic deliverables – nature of national partnerships. After strategic planning process, a decision on formal agreements. Do we set up an advisory group? ECOSOC bodies, regional level – interagency mechanisms – minimum co chair.

Schedule of consultations – reports available? Field capacity assessment – Strategic plan assessment – Techno blogging may happen. Compile the findings – cross country context.

Policy – rather than thematic.  Go regional rather than thematic. Advisory Body – who is on it. No answer yet. Strategic development fund – confusion around interaction – lots of entry points, not just one entry. Compared to Human Rights Council communication – has been very positive. More systematic check in body. Issue about partnerships – restructure – Globally looking at it both national, and regional.

National bodies – use them for advocacy platforms. We do not want to centralize communication. Clumping countries together – Asia Pacific – boundaries – Europe and CIS – Europe and central asia, 5 Regions – attacking gender stereotype – part of culture – Focal point not updated.