[Meeting-announcements] No. 07/02 - Third Pacific Ministers Meeting on Women - 1 June 2007

[Efi Rex]

43508
TO :
Representatives of Governments and Administrations
Women's Focal Points
Development Partners
No. :
07/02


FILE :
PRO 41/8/5/3
DATE :
15 February 2007


SUBJECT :
THIRD PACIFIC MINISTERS MEETING ON WOMEN - 1 June 2007



INTRODUCTION

1.	The Secretariat of the Pacific Community is pleased to advise Governments and Administrations that the Third Pacific Ministers Meeting on Women will be held on 1 June 2007. The 10th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women will precede the Meeting on 27-31 May.  SPC will host the Ministerial and the Triennial Conference.

2.	The overall aim of the Meeting is to discuss and endorse the outcomes and recommendations of the 10th Triennial Conference to ensure that progress on women's equality is accelerated.


BACKGROUND

3.	The first Pacific Ministerial Conference on Women and Sustainable Development was held in Noumea in 1994 to, among other objectives, endorse the Pacific Platform for Action (PPA).

4.	The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Pacific Women's Bureau (PWB) successfully coordinated the PPA that formed the basis of the Pacific region's contribution and participation to the Beijing Conference in 1995.

5.	The PPA identified thirteen (13) critical areas requiring immediate attention and called on the governments of the region and civil societies to make available the necessary resources, both financial and technical, to advance and address these concerns. The 13 critical areas included: health, education and training, economic empowerment, agriculture and fishing, legal and human rights, shared decision-making, environment, culture and the family, mechanisms to promote the advancement of women, violence, peace and justice, poverty and indigenous people's rights.

6.	The 9th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women reviewed the PPA - the achievements made, the challenges and obstacles encountered by PICTs in their efforts to implement the PPA and the Beijing Platform for Action, and the extent to which advancement of women and gender equality had been attained.

7.	The Conference agreed to the inclusion of gender indicators to be used as the basis of evaluating and monitoring progress under the Platform. Ministers reclustered the 13 critical areas of concern under four strategic themes across which poverty eradication will be a focus - Mechanisms to promote advancement of women; Women's legal and human rights; Women's access to services; Economic empowerment of women - in the Revised Pacific Platform for Action on Advancement of Women and Gender Equality 2005-2015 (RPPA).

8.	Critical emerging issues identified were: poverty eradication; globalization and trade liberalization; HIV/AIDS; labour migration; peace and security; tradition and religion; media, information, communication and technology; and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - making them more applicable for the Pacific.

9.	The 2nd Pacific Ministers Meeting on Women adopted the RPPA in August 2004.


THIRD PACIFIC MINISTERS MEETING ON WOMEN

10.	Outcomes of the Triennial will be presented to the Third Pacific Ministers Meeting on Women for consideration and endorsement.

11.	The objectives of the Meeting include:

* To consider and endorse the outcomes and recommendations of the 10th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women;
* To promote dialogue and networking among the Pacific Island countries and territories Ministers responsible for Women/Gender;
* To help each other by learning from one another and regional and international good practice;
* To recognize the urgent need to involve more women in all aspects and at all levels of decision-making and development;
* To face up to the fact that the role and contribution of women to development, although acknowledged by our leaders, governments, regional decision-makers and development partners, is not taken seriously enough.
* To commit to action to ensure more rapid progress to advancing gender equality in our region.


VENUE AND DATES

12.	The 3rd Pacific Ministers Meeting on Women will be held on 1 June 2007 at SPC Headquarters in Noumea, New Caledonia.


PARTICIPANTS

13.	The Governments and Administrations are invited to advise the SPC of the name of their nominated delegates, together with their full postal address, fax number and email address before Friday 16 March 2007, on the attached registration form. In the context of the SPC, attendance at Ministerial meetings is accorded to government officials/representatives.

14.	The nominated government delegate attending the 10th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women is invited to attend both the 3rd Pacific Ministers Meeting on Women and the 10th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women.


AGENDA

15.	The detailed agenda and timetable will be forwarded at a later date. The programme will include plenary discussions to consider the outcomes and recommendations of the 10th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women.


LANGUAGE

16.	The meeting will be conducted in English and French.  Simultaneous interpretation and translation services will be available.
TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

17.	A Prepaid Ticket Advice (PTA) for confirmed travel will be arranged by the SPC for the nominated delegates and forwarded to the Governments and Administrations concerned.  The SPC will provide a return economy class excursion air fare, including transit costs, to Noumea by the most direct route for the nominated delegates.

18.	Delegates who choose to travel by a route other than that proposed by SPC shall bear responsibility for all additional costs.

19. Travel arrangements and costs for additional representatives will be the responsibility of the respective Governments or Administrations.

20.	The Secretariat will arrange and pay for airport transfers to and from Tontouta Airport for all SPC-funded delegates.


ACCOMMODATION

21. The Secretariat of the Pacific Community is negotiating with several hotels close to SPC and will book and pay for accommodation for all SPC-funded delegates attending the Meeting (unless delegates explicitly inform the Secretariat to the contrary). For more details and other logistical arrangements please contact:

Elizabeth Mortland				Evelyne Kaspan
Email: elizabethm at spc.int			Email: evelynek at spc.int
Fax: (+687) 26 38 18				Fax: (+687) 26 38 18
Tel: (+687) 26 01 97				Tel: (+687) 26 01 33

22.	The Secretariat will book and pay for accommodation for all SPC-funded delegates attending the Conference. SPC will also pay for some meals for SPC-funded delegates.

23. Ministers/Government delegates will be booked into a single unit. Government officials will be booked on a share basis in a 2 bedroom unit, if possible, unless delegates request a single unit (the cost difference to be paid by the delegate).


PER DIEM

24.	A revised daily subsistence allowance (DSA), which takes into account pre-paid accommodation, transfers and some meals, will be paid during the period of the Meeting to SPC-funded delegates to cover remaining meals, telephones, laundry, bar and all miscellaneous costs.


OBSERVERS

25.	Observers from development partners are also invited. The SPC will assist with accommodation bookings and arranging airport transfers (at a cost of 6 000 cfp) but will not be responsible for any costs associated with their attendance to this Meeting.


VISA REQUIREMENTS

26.	Please note that New Caledonia requires the nationals of some SPC member countries to have a visa in their passports before arrival, and will not normally issue a visa upon arrival unless: 

a. reciprocal arrangements have been agreed (this applies to passport holders of Australia, New Zealand, USA, European Union member states, Canada, and Japan, who are not required to hold visas before entering New Caledonia)

b. there is no visa-issuing French Embassy or Consulate in the country of departure of the delegate, in which case, SPC will attempt to arrange for a visa to be issued on arrival in Noumea providing that the Secretariat is advised of the delegate's name, title, fax and phone numbers, flight number and dates of arrival/departure and receives by fax a copy of the delegate's passport's photo page at least two weeks prior to arrival in order to prepare the supporting documentation. This applies particularly to passport-holders of Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu, who will normally be issued with a visitor's visa on arrival in New Caledonia, provided sufficient notice is given to SPC.

French missions are present in the region in Australia (Sydney and Canberra), Fiji (Suva), New Zealand (Auckland and Wellington), Papua New Guinea (Port Moresby), and Vanuatu (Port Vila), thus Fiji, PNG and Vanuatu passport holders are required to obtain a visa before departure.


INSURANCE

27.	Please note that the Secretariat of the Pacific Community does not provide insurance for participants whilst traveling to and from the Conference, or during the period of attendance at the Conference. It is recommended that participants take out their own travel and medical insurance prior to the conference - to cover accidents, injuries, sickness, theft, loss, damage, delays or loss of monies by participants in the case of industrial disruption or other circumstances outside the control of SPC.


CONTACT

28.	Should any additional information be required, please contact:

  Elizabeth Mortland
  Conference Coordinator
  Secretariat of the Pacific Community
  B.P. D5
  98848 Noumea Cedex
  New Caledonia

  Email: elizabethm at spc.int
  Fax: (+687) 26 38 18
  Tel : (+687) 26 01 19








Richard Mann
 for Director-General

Attachs.

Original text : English

SECRETARIAT OF THE
PACIFIC COMMUNITY
BPD5
98848, Noumea Cedex
New Caledonia

TELEPHONE: +687 26.20.00
FAX: +687 26.38.18
E-mail: spc at spc.int
1

SECRÉTARIAT GÉNÉRAL DE LA COMMUNAUTÉ DU PACIFIQUE
BPD5
98848 Nouméa Cedex
Nouvelle-Calédonie

TÉLÉPHONE: +687 26.20.00
TÉLÉCOPIEUR: +687 26.38.18
Mél : spc at spc.int



THIRD PACIFIC MINISTERS MEETING ON WOMEN
Noumea, New Caledonia, 1 June 2007 
(In the context of the SPC, attendance at Ministerial meetings will be accorded 
to government officials)

REGISTRATION FORM
Last name: Ms/Mr/Dr


First Name:						Gender	Male	(	Female	      (

Position:                                                                    Ministry:

Government or Organisation:



Address:



Telephone:

Fax:

Email:


	YES, I will attend	(			NO, I will not attend		(
Accommodation:
SPC will make your hotel bookings: 
For Government officials, please tick below:
I wish a single room - Cost difference to a shared unit to be my responsibility	(
I wish to make my own arrangements			(  -  Please indicate your address where you will be staying in Noumea (we need it for your airport transfers): 
Information required for issuance of visas (only for those delegates who need visa - see p3-4 # 26)
Place and Date of birth:
Nationality:
Passport no.:				Date & Place of issue:				Expiry date:

(Please e-mail a scanned copy of your passport - 1st page only to Mrs Nicole Milot, Conference & Travel Officer, to: nicoleM at spc.int)

PLEASE SEND THIS REGISTRATION  FORM BY 15 MARCH  TO:
Ms Evelyne Kaspan, Fax : (687) 26 38 18; E-mail: evelyneK at spc.int