Vienna, Austria
The Vienna Policy Dialogue will explore the contribution that international development cooperation and the DCF itself can make to position gender equality at the heart of the post- 2015 development agenda. The DCF of ECOSOC is well-placed to engage all relevant
development actors in an inclusive and transparent dialogue on this important issue. The overarching objective of the Vienna Policy Dialogue is to discuss how the gender equality and women’s empowerment agenda can be promoted in international development
cooperation and the post-2015 development framework. The meeting will be an opportunity to discuss among key stakeholder groups from gender and development portfolios how best to nurture gender equality and the empowerment of women in light of new and emerging
development challenges and the evolving landscape and architecture of development cooperation. It will also be the first event in the fourth DCF cycle (2012-14) and therefore an opportunity to inform subsequent DCF deliberations in other areas as well.
The Vienna Policy Dialogue particularly aims to:
· Identify practical solutions and good practices in gender-responsive development cooperation policies and programmes that work and deliver sustainable results from the perspective of all stakeholders and taking into account new financing realities;
· Revitalize the momentum on gender equality and women’s rights with a view to promoting internationally agreed development goals (IADGs) including MDG achievement and a gender-sensitive post-2015 development agenda that addresses financing gaps and capacity needs;
· Discuss how gender equality and women’s empowerment can be placed at the centre of the post-2015 development;
· Identify how national and global mutual accountability mechanisms can help reinforce efforts to promote development cooperation focused on promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women;
· Assess progress and challenges in collecting timely information on the volume and results of development cooperation related to gender equality and women’s empowerment;
· Encourage greater inclusion of all advocates for women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women in national and international policy dialogue and decision-making processes.
The deliberations in Vienna will build on outcomes and recommendations of the 2008 and 2010 DCF and previous DCF High-level Symposia, in particular the 2010 DCF High-level Symposium on “Coherent development cooperation: maximizing impact in a changing
environment” in Helsinki that focused on making development cooperation more responsive to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women.