4 March 2009: The UN Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the International Alliance of Women, IUCN, the UN Environment Programme, the Gender and Climate Change Alliance, the Heinrich Boll Foundation and the Center for Asia-Pacific Women in Politics, held an event on “The Climate Change Negotiations: an Action Agenda” on 3 March 2009, at UN Headquarters, in New York, US. The event was held in parallel to the 53rd Commission on the Status of Women (CSW53), which is convening from 2-13 March 2009.

The event addressed gender and climate change from the point of view of climate change experts, women leaders, government representatives, and UN agencies leading up to the negotiations on a new climate agreement in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 2009. Panelists provided an overview of issues, a review and roadmap of the treaty negotiations, and formulated recommendations for action by governments and NGOs. Rebecca Pearl, Coordinator, Global Gender Climate Alliance, provided an update on the status of the climate change negotiations and the progress on gender. Anamah Tan, President of the International Council of Women and former CEDAW expert, stressed the human rights perspective on climate change. Amb. Carsten Staur, Denmark, highlighted issues that need to be dealt with on the road to Copenhagen 2009. Jung-Sook Kim, President, Center for Asia-Pacific Women in Politics, spoke on the Manila Declaration on Gender and Climate Change and its implications for the climate change negotiations. [CSW53] [Side Event Website]