A Fifteen-Year Review of the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in Africa (BPfA) +15

The accountability process of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) developed and agreed upon in 1995 requires member States of the United Nations to meet on a five-yearly basis to review their implementation of the Platform for Action with a view to fine tuning, remapping progress and reactivating commitment, taking into account prevailing global and local conditions. Such reviews are required to take place at both global and regional levels. Hence since the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, stakeholders have met on two occasions at the regional and global levels, in 1999/2000 (Beijing +5) and in 2004/2005 (Beijing +10) in fulfilment of this review process.

In line with this sequence, the next major review process will take place in 2010 (Beijing+15) to review progress made in the achievement of gender equality, development and peace. As a prelude to this global event, the Africa regional review of Beijing +15 took place in Banjul, Gambia in November 2009 to undertake a specific examination of continent-wide progress since 1995, but more specifically, within the time frame of 2005-2009. The regional review focussed generally on the 12 thematic areas of concern around which the BPfA revolves and, more specifically, on the key outcomes of the 1999 and 2004 regional review process.