UNESCAP, in collaboration with civil society partners, convened the Asia-Pacific Civil Society Forum on Sustainable Development in Bangkok on 15-17 May, as a preparatory event for the Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) scheduled on 19-21 May. The Forum brought together civil society organizations from different sectors and countries to explore common ground and actions, to develop common messages for the APFSD, and coordinate strategies for more effective participation in the post-2015 process. The forum also discussed the establishment of a Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism for sustainable development in Asia-Pacific.
Maria Lee, WOCAN Program Coordinator and Meena Bilgi, WOCAN Core Associate, represented WOCAN at the 3-days forum. On the first day, presenters from ESCAP, Asia Pacific Women Law and Development (APWLD) and Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) gave participants an overview of the Rio and Rio+20 process and presented some opportunities for engagement and influencing the Sustainable Development agenda and processes at global, regional and national level. Opportunities for engagement include the Post 2015 framework mandated by 2010 MDG Summit (High Level Political Forum ); the Sustainable Development Goal process mandated by Rio + 20, and national level consultation processes and dialogues on the implementation of the post-2015 agenda.
APWLD shared an inspirational video on development justice with a clear call to reduce inequalities of wealth, power and resources between countries, between rich and poor and between men and women.
The second day focused on the sustainable development challenges and the post-2015 development agenda in Asia-Pacific. A panel discussion with Roots for Equity, Forum for Women NGOs in Kyrgysztan, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, and Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants shared their thoughts on Civil Society recommendations on Means of Implementation to attain sustainable development in Asia-Pacific. The participants developed regional recommendations to be shared at the APFSD on the following topics:
• Shared planetary boundaries
• Integration and Transformation
• Governance, Peace, Stability and the Rule of Law
The third day started with an open dialogue on a proposal prepared by an Interim Group of CSOs, to create a Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism. Meena Bilgi is part of the Interim Group. Participants were then given the opportunity to discuss the characteristics; structure and processes of what would be a possible transitioned mechanism. Indeed, the idea is to start a process with an experimental/incubator phase to design, test and adapt a CSO mechanism that will build coordinated and coherent engagement with the UN system. This mechanism will gather different constituencies and sub-regions representing the diversity of Asia-Pacific realities and a variety of expertise related to sustainable development (from local organizations to academia).
WOCAN will continue to be represented in the transitioned mechanism with Meena Bilgi, who is participating in the Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development on 19-21 May in Pattaya, Thailand.
Statement and Final Declaration:Advancing a Peoples’ Agenda for Development Justice:Summary of Civil Society Recommendations for the APFSD