Addis Ababa — Some 1,500 participants drawn from senior levels of governments, civil society, regional institutions, bilateral agencies, agencies of the United Nations, and multilateral partners will meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 22-27 November 1999 to take stock of progress made by African countries in implementing strategies for the empowerment of women agreed in Beijing in 1995.

The Sixth African Regional Conference on Women, organized by the African Centre for Women (ACW) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), comes five years after the adoption of the Dakar and Beijing Platforms for Action - which laid down concrete targets for countries to meet in 12 critical areas of concern. ECA is mandated by the General Assembly and African governments to monitor the implementation of regional and global conventions for the advancement of women in Africa.

Participants at the Conference will be able to share information, assess the priorities different countries have set for themselves, and review the specific programmes being implemented at national level. It will also provide an advocacy opportunity to kick-start the implementation of national strategies in countries lagging behind in their Beijing commitments.

The Conference has three main objectives:

- To evaluate the implementation of the Dakar and Beijing Platforms for Action from National Progress Reports and Thematic Evaluation Reports;

- To formulate a plan of action for the next five years; and

- To develop modalities for Africa's participation at the Global Review (Beijing +5), to take place in the year 2000 in New York as part of the Special Session of the UN General Assembly.

The Conference also aims to contribute to the enhancement of dialogue between governments and the civil society; sensitize actors working on the 12 critical areas of concern of the Beijing Platform for Action, on their roles and responsibilities, as well as on the 'gender' approach to development; and strengthen partnerships and South-South exchange of experiences.

The Conference will involve plenary presentations of progress reports on the implementation of the Platforms for Action, twelve workshops for thematic evaluation, and the joint preparation of a Plan of Action for the next five years, as well as agreement on of modalities for Africa's participation at the Global Review (Beijing +5).

The five-year action plan due to be adopted at the end of the proceedings is expected to provide appropriate adjustment strategies and redirect efforts towards greater achievement of the targets set out in the Platform for Action. Participants are also expected to adopt a Declaration of commitment by all actors to the implementation of the Platform for Action.

For further information please contact Peter da Costa, Cabinet Office of the Executive Secretary, UN ECA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel: +251-1- 51-58-26 (direct) or 251-1-51-72-00 (main switchboard), Ext. 354866 Fax: +251-1-51-22-33 E-Mail: ecainfo@un.org