From March 1st to 12th, 2010, government delegations attending the UN Commission on the Status of Women will assess progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) 15 years since it was adopted at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China in 1995.  

The BPFA is considered the most comprehensive agenda for women’s empowerment. It contains strategic objectives and actions on the 12 critical issues of concern to women. In anticipation of Beijing +15, governments and NGOs around the world are engaged in preparatory activities to assess progress made at both national and regional levels to identify gaps and challenges requiring accelerated action in the years ahead.    

In Africa, the UNECA is spearheading the review process in collaboration with the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW). The review process presents challenges of measuring not just progress, but accountability towards the various Conventions, Protocols, Treaties and documents ratified by African member States. The focus of the review will be on the 12 critical areas of concern, the MDGs, and other frameworks that have a bearing on African development.  

The 8th Africa regional conference for the review of Beijing + 15 will be held In Banjul, The Gambia, from the 16th to the 20th of November 2009. The compendium will give special recognition to the efforts employed by respective governments and institutions to mainstream gender in policy formulation and implementation. This is a critical time for taking stock and determining the next steps to be taken towards achieving gender equality and women's empowerment.

The agenda for the African review is to inform the global report for review in 2010. The aim is to ensure that all 53 member states report on their levels of gender equality and women's empowerment. Numerous lessons were learnt from previous reviews. The BPFA provides the actions for the implementation of commitments made by member states to the regional and global declaration as well as to meet the Millennium Development Goals. (MDGS).  

The Being+15 Africa Review and its findings will be presented at a four-day Regional Ministerial Review Conference that will consist of two segments, namely a three-day Expert Group Meeting (EGM) to be followed by a one day Ministerial Conference. Representatives from Governments, Women’s Networks, NGOs, Gender Institutions and Experts from various organizations will attend the EGM to debate and validate the Beijing+ 15 Review, consolidate its main findings and outcomes, and prepare a draft Ministerial Declaration, actionable recommendations and the way forward.

The recommendations will form the basis for the Plan of Action to be implemented by member states. These will be articulated at country, sub-regional and regional levels. At the one-day conference of Ministers, the Member States will endorse the Beijing+15 review and adopt a final Ministerial Declaration, and formally adopt the Regional Review as Africa’s input to the Global Review.