International Work Update

Work has begun on updating the WNC CEDAW Shadow Report. Following a meeting with Joyce, the report would be circulated to partners for their input in the 2^nd week of December. The deadline for submission of the report is 14 April 2008. The UK will be examined in the 41^st session which takes place from 30 June -18 July.

The WNC and the Women's Budget Group will be submitting a joint written statement to CSW on the main theme of Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women. Commissioners and Partners should have all received an early draft of this statement. The final statement would be submitted to the UN on Monday 10 December (deadline). Resources permitting, we are also hoping to stage a parallel side event with the WBG in the first week of CSW. The annual pre-CSW meeting which the WNC co-hosts with GEO is tentatively scheduled to take place on 18 January. Details of this will be circulated in due course.

The last meeting of the APG on Women, Peace and Security took on 21 November and was chaired by Baroness Uddin. The main purpose of the meeting was to review the UK's Action Plan on 1325 and outline the current measures for implementation. There was also feedback on the UN's day long debate on Women, Peace and Security which took place on 23 October in New York and was intended to take stock of progress in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).

WNC/07/5/08