To: President Donald Trump
President Obama: This time support a UN 5th World Conference on Women (5WCW)!
The UN Secretary General and the President of the General Assembly in a Joint Statement (3/8/12) asked for a resolution from General Assembly to have a Global Conference on Women, the first since Beijing, 1995. It had some strong support until the USA and the EU were against it. It is time now, to take this up again. Once passed, 5WCW would likely be held in 2017.
Why is this important?
4WCW was in Beijing, 1995. 5WCW would be a 21st Century conference with the internet, smart phones, satellite technology, simultaneous conferences; fostering feminist networks, ongoing women's circles including virtual ones. This would energize a global women's movement, which creates political will, without which women and women's issues are sidelined. Since 2009, I have been working toward this at the UN. Active support from the White House looks to be all that is needed for passage of a consensus resolution in the General Assembly, preparation takes 2 -3 years, with 2017 the likely date.