Meena Bilgi, WOCAN Core Associate and Nisha Onta, Knowledge Management Coordinator attended the Asia-Pacific Civil Society Forum on Sustainable Development held on 16-18 May in Bangkok, Thailand. This forum was convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commissions for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) on behalf of Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (AP-RCEM) and other civil society partners. The objectives of the forum were as follows:
- Inform and build capacity of civil society participants on sustainable development at the global and regional levels, and on the opportunities and modalities for engaging these processes;
- Provide a space for dialogue on the content and substance of the APFSD and UNEP Forum of Environment Ministers and Environmental Authorities, formulate civil society positions building on Asia-Pacific civil society messages on post-Rio+20 and post-2015 development agenda and strategize interventions at the APFSD and the UNEP Forum;
- Reflect on the work of Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism 2014-2015, and elect the new committee of AP-RCEM and UNEP Alternate Regional Representative
- Agree on joint actions and follow up to civil society positions adopted.
Meena Bilgi as a member of the Advisory Group of the AP-RCEM was on the selection committee for the participants of the Forum. There were representatives from all seventeen constituencies and sub-regions. The forum provided an inclusive space for CSOs, UNESCAP and UNEP to discuss regional priority issues and review the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The constituencies discussed various issues such as the issues of accountability, Financing for Development (FfD) and partnerships. The seventeen constituencies also developed the Asia Pacific CSO Statement on Sustainable Development.
The transitional committee also reflected on the achievements of the AP-RCEM. In just a year since the formation of the AP-RCEM, the transitional committee has been actively involved with all regional processes and there has been a steady growth in the number of CSOs registered as RCEM members. Currently there are 179 CSOs from South and South- West Asia, 127 CSOs from South East Asia, 21CSOs from East and North-East Asia, 15 CSOs from North and Central Asia, 10 CSOs from the Pacific, 22 CSOs are not affiliated to any sub region.
The transitional committee also presented the result of the survey conducted to understand the expectations of all members. The main conclusion was the need for stronger collaboration among the various constituencies and continued spaces for effective participation of CSOs in all regional consultations organized by the UNESCAP.