Pacific NGOs and CSOs at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

The Pacific Centre will support the participation of four non government organizations (NGOs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) from the Pacific at the 52nd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). This has been underway at the United Nations headquarters in New York from February 25 and will continue until March 7.

The CSW is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. It is the principal global policy-making body.

The NGOs and CSOs include the Cook Islands Women’s Counselling Centre, Pacific Islands News Association, Solomon Islands National Council of Women, and Vois Blong Mere. After attending the CSW, these organisations will be required to undertake CSW related activities at the local, national or regional level.

This year, the CSW priority theme is “Financing for gender equality and empowerment of women.” There will also be an interactive dialogue on women’s equal participation in conflict prevention, management and conflict resolution and on post-conflict peacebuilding.

The Pacific Centre’s support to NGOs and CSOs to attend the CSW is part of a larger project aimed at building the capacity of Pacific NGOs and CSOs. More proactive and stengthened Pacific NGO/CSO involvement will complement strengthened Pacific Island government engagement with the CSW and related processes. The four NGOs/CSOs who will attend the CSW will also receive a small grant that is dedicated to CSW follow up activities. more

NZAID Funds Pacific Centre Programmes

The UNDP Pacific Centre has benefited from a grant of USD $900,000 from the New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID) for use in the implementation of its Democratic Governance; and Crisis Prevention and Recovery programmes. Both programmes will receive USD $450,000 each.

This funding covers a period of one year. The Democratic Governance programme focuses on strengthening Parliaments and democratic institutions; justice and human rights; accountability and transparency frameworks; anti-corruption; and support for civil society and non government organizations and local level governments. The Crisis Prevention and Recovery programme works in the area of peace building and conflict prevention; human security; and disaster risk reduction.

NZAID along with AusAID have been funding partners for Pacific Centre programmes since the inception of the Centre in 2005. more

 

UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. The Pacific Centre, UNDP’s knowledge and regional programme centre in Suva, Fiji is focused on Small Islands Developing States in the Pacific and serves 15 Pacific Island countries. The Centre aims to boost aid efficiency in the Pacific by providing policy advice and technical back stopping in the areas of Crisis Prevention and Recovery, Democratic Governance and Poverty Alleviation and Millennium Development Goals Achievement. Pacific Centre is complemented by two additional centres, one in Colombo focusing on trade, human development, and HIV/AIDS prevention, and a centre in Bangkok focusing on knowledge development.