Bangkok, September 5--- Ministers, UNESCAP and WOMEN'S NGOs of the Asia Pacific region gear up to review the gains and challenges of the ten years that came after the last women’s world conference in 1995. Commitments made during this conference are embodied in the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA), a document that asks for action in twelve critical areas of women’s development. Women activists within the Asia Pacific region are being vigilant during these days of the High Level Meeting (Sept. 7-10) in making sure that there will be no renegotiations of commitments made
during the regional and global review processes.

At the NGO Regional Forum held June 30-July 3, 2004 over 700 women came together and compiled their own assessments of BPFA implementation, its successes and failures. Their assessment has been compiled in the Purple Book. The Purple Book will be presented to country delegates at the High Level Ministerial Meeting.

ThE PURPLE BOOK also highlights pressing factors that have arisen in the last decade, such as globalisation, growing migrant labour, conflict and militarisation, and technology-mediated trafficking of women.

Feminists and activists attending the High Level Meeting are being vigilant that the gains made by women over the past 10 years with the BPFA are not watered down or lost by having the BPFA reopened and that there is no shuffling priorities where women are concerned.

The final copy of the Purple Book will be made available on the APNGO website in the next few days-- a notice will be posted on APWW-Meet to advise women of when it is up. Also daily reports will be posted from the HLM and your comments are welcome.

--Aileen Familara of Isis International Manila and APWW