The 16^th session of the RCM-Africa will take place on 28 and 29 March 2015 at UNCC under the theme “UN System Support to the AU’s 2015 Year of Women Empowerment and Development towards Africa's Agenda 2063”. The choice of the theme is in line with the Declaration of the 23rd Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government, held from 26 to 27 June 2014 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, to have 2015 as the Year of Women Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063. 2015 also marks the 20th Anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action (1995) and the 5th Anniversary of the African Women’s Decade (2010-2020). Four panel sessions are proposed for the discussion of the theme, namely on: (i) UN system Support to the AU’s 2015 Year of Women’s Empowerment and Development towards Africa's Agenda 2063; (ii) Gender Equality, Threats and Opportunities in the context of AU Agenda 2063; (iii) Women Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship in the context of AU Agenda 2063; and (iv) Women and Agriculture, Food Security and Environment in the context of AU Agenda 2063.

The objectives of the 16^th Session of RCM-Africa are to:

•    Assess and reflect on the progresses and constraints towards gender mainstreaming within the RCM-Africa and its clusters.
•    Chart the way forward to strengthen the tools and mechanisms for gender mainstreaming within the context of the revised cluster arrangements.
•    Identify the pertinent actions needed to eliminate the gender gaps in the areas of women’s economic empowerment; sanitation, maternal care, maternal mortality and reproductive rights of the woman; access to education as well as issues involving women’s voices and agency.
•    Consider a report on the proposed UN/AU Partnership on Africa's Integration and Development Agenda (PAIDA). As per the recommendation of the 15^th session of RCM-Africa, a Technical Working Group (TWG) was established to come up with a framework for a successor to the United Nations Ten-Year Capacity Building Programme for the African Union (TYCBP-AU), which will come to an end in 2016. The report of the TWG deals with the formulation of a new programme for the African Union, which should be ready for presentation at the Session.
•    Consider a framework for RCM-Africa to develop and implement clusters and sub-clusters business plans, including the possible configuration of clusters/sub-clusters of the RCM-Africa..
•    Consider an update on the operationalisation of MDG Africa Working Group and RCM-Africa with a view to enhancing synergies and aligning the work of both groups related to MDGs.

High level officials from the African Union Commission (AUC), African Development Bank (AfDB), NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Secretariat, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), East African Community (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community (SADC), Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), UN system agencies and organizations working in support of Africa, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as well as Partners and friends of RCM-Africa, including bilateral organizations will be invited at the meeting.

Documents

1.  Aide Memoire

2.  Draft Agenda

3.  Information for participants

4.  Registration form

5.  CoM registration link