Finnish Efforts for a
Fifth World Conference on Women

The Finnish Government and NGOs in Finland
are accelerating their efforts for the
Fifth World Conference on Women

January 6, 2003
It is well known that the Finnish NGOs have been campaigning for the Fifth World Conference on Women in 2005 since the beginning of the Beijing+5 process. This suggestion received broad support of the NGO Community already in ECE Regional Conference for Beijing+5 in January 2000. Since then it has been widely supported by the NGOs during the preparatory process for the 23rd General Assembly Special Session on Women 2000 as well as in the Special Session itself. It has also been discussed in innumerable NGO events and conferences in various places and during the CSW and ECOSOC sessions last year.

The Government taking firm steps

On the 31 May 2002 the Finnish Government has firmly decided to pursue an active policy for the Fifth UN World Conference on Women. It supports the efforts to develop further the substantive aims and forms of the Conference. And it also works actively for achieving the widest possible support of other UN Member States to this goal, first with the particular emphases on the other Nordic governments and the governments of EU countries.

We also recall that the Governments adopted in the Special Session 2000 a Political Declaration where they agreed "to assess regularly further implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action with a view of bringing together all parties involved in 2005 to assess progress and consider new initiatives, as appropriate, ten years after the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action and twenty years after the adoption of the Nairobi forward-looking "Strategies for the Advancement of Women."

A new NGO Committee in Finland

The Finnish NGOs have now established a new national Committee for the Fifth World Conference on Women 2005 under the auspices of the Finnish UN Association. The purpose of this Committee is to continue the NGO Campaign for the World Conference, and cooperate and support the efforts of the Finnish Government for this goal. We know that also many of you have been working in various ways for the Fifth World Conference on Women in 2005. Now we appeal to all of you that we join our efforts towards making this aim to become true. A particular task in every country is to persuade the national government to see the purpose and importance of having the UN World Conference on Women in 2005 and be prepared to support this issue when it comes to the decision table in the UN either in the 57th session of General Assembly this year or in the Commission on Status of Women next year.

In the spirit of Sisterhood and Cooperation for the common aim,
Helsinki
June 20, 2002

On behalf of Finnish NGO Committee for UN World Conference on Women 2005

Eila Alanko, Chair,
Päivi Varpasuo , Vice Chair,
Hilkka Pietilä, Senior Advisor
Eeva-Maria Vuorenmaa, Secretary of the Committee

For more information contact Eeva-Maria Vuorenmaa, Secretary of the Committee
Finnish NGO Committee for UN/WCW 2005
c/o Finnish United Nations Association
Unioninkatu 45 B, Helsinki
Tel: 358-9-135 1402;
Fax: 358-9-135 2173