APEC Gender Focal Point Network Meeting - Dr Soon-Young Jung
To create more stability in leadership, communications and coordination within the GFPN, Member Economies were invited to voluntarily act as a Friend of the Chair. It was suggested that succeeding Host Economies to the GFPN Secretariat would participate in this initiative to facilitate the yearly transitions in leadership, ensuring continuity and building upon existing progress. Three Economies currently act as Friends of the Chair, providing input and support in the GFPN's activities.
Strengthening the GFPN has included improving and further developing the GFPN's processes and activities. Prior to this, there was a need to clearly identify the GFPN's challenges as a coordinating mechanism for gender issues in APEC and find solutions to meet these issues. This work was conducted through the dissemination of the Questionnaire to GFPN Members. This allowed Members the opportunity to evaluate the GFPN to date, provide detailed input and make recommendations on how to address our challenges. Based on inter-sessional communications and outcomes of the Questionnaire, it is suggested that a review of the Terms of Reference is required to effectively and efficiently advance gender integration in APEC.
Further to strengthening the GFPN, we are providing support and guidance to Members in project proposals for gender information sessions and gender analysis training for 2006.
Apart from this, we have organized four gender information sessions (GIS) this year. Given the constant turnover in APEC officials, we felt it was necessary to deliver at least a few gender information sessions this year, despite budget constraints. Dr. Yeongran Park has already successfully delivered a session at Social Security Net Symposium in Seoul and will hold another two sessions for ECSG and CTI. Furthermore, Patricia Hinnen, an AGGI alumnus, has graciously stepped in to help and has also delivered a gender information session for the SMEWG last week in Daegu.
In addition, we have sought to promote awareness on gender issues and the GFPN, including its activities within APEC. Most recently, the GFPN was featured in the July issue of the APEC E-newsletter which is sent to subscription database in excess of 2000 journalists, business people, government officials and academics in nearly all the APEC Economies. I have delivered presentations whenever possible, representing the GFPN and the significance of integrating women into the mainstream of APEC processes and activities. Presentations were made at the Workshop on the Best Practices in Capacity Building for Trade Facilitation in Jeju and the Forum on ICTs & Gender for WSIS 2005 at Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul.
Together with the efforts aforementioned, we have focused on developing virtual communications between the Members and the GFPN Secretariat. For this purpose, we have sought to encourage the use of the technology to facilitate inter-sessional communications. We established the 2005 GFPN website where Members can access key GFPN information and interact with GFPN Secretariat and Members. We also created the GFPN E-bulletin, which is intended to benefit Members, designed to engage and inform Members on gender-related activities in APEC, encourage gender integration and promote the work of the GFPN.
I commend the past achievements made on gender integration in APEC. The Ad Hoc Task Force on the Integration of Women in APEC and the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Gender Integration have made significant developments providing the necessary tools for gender integration in APEC processes and activities. I also recognize the efforts made by past Host Economies of the GFPN Secretariat and GFPN Members to integrate gender in APEC Fora and advance the Framework for Integration of Women in APEC.
Despite the progress that has been made, the GFPN in its third year, has yet to achieve its full potential in mainstreaming gender into APEC processes and activities. In order to sustain existing achievements and advance our work, the GFPN needs to address its challenges. I expect that our discussions during the next two days will be fruitful. And I sincerely hope that we can collaboratively find solutions to effectively meet our challenges and advance gender integration in APEC. Thank you for your time.