“REGIONAL CROSS-SECTORAL CONSULTATION MEETING” PILOT PROJECT: REGIONAL DIALOGUE SUPPORTING GENDER EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION IN CLIMATE ACTION PLANNING – MEKONG FOR THE FUTURE
Thursday 1st – Friday 2nd December 2022, 08:30-17:30 hrs. (GMT +7), Hybrid Platform, Montien Riverside Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand and Video Conference
BACKGROUND
1. The Research and Development for Society: Regional Dialogue Supporting Gender Equalityand Social Inclusion in Climate Action Planning – Mekong for the Future is a project initiatedby the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) and co-led by ACWC Cambodia and Thailand with the supports from WWF and USAID in collaboration with a strategic partner, Center of Excellence; the Asian Research
Center for Migration (ARCM), Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University.
2. The project is designed to promote collaboration between USAID Mekong for the Future and ACWC in order to develop policy pathways and influencing capacity of Civil Society Organizations operating throughout the Greater Mekong Subregion.
3. The project is intended to create synergies between civil society practitioners working in the nexus of natural resource governance and gender and social rights, together with experts in environmental policy frameworks, climate diplomacy, and gender equality and social inclusion (GESI). Together, they will develop their skills in mainstreaming social inclusion dimensions, specifically women’s rights and children’s rights, into National climate policy, as well as provide Regional ecommendations for guidelines on gender-responsive climate planning.
4. Therefore, the project affords the opportunity to utilize community-based research, interventions, and Regional Dialogue rooted in the relationship between GESI and conservation which is an essential contribution to Global Climate Justice.
5. Once implemented, the Regional Dialogue and Research Development will be documented for lessons learned to be adapted for future interventions throughout the Greater Mekong Subregion countries and across sectors.
6. Regional Cross-Sectoral Consultation Meeting is designed to enable the project researcher team to present findings, research analysis recommendations and the draft guideline on inclusion and engagement of CSOs and their contribution to the climate action planning for strengthening Civil Society’s institutional systems on GESI responsive climate action and natural resource governance to the key sectors across the Greater Mekong Subregion member states
7. The meeting is one of the project key deliverables that is intended to open a platform for experts, scholars, and/or academia across the key sectors in the Subregion who are specialized specifically on the field of GESI and climate change to validate and provide feedback on the research project as well as find area of improvement for drafting guideline on inclusion and engagement of CSOs and their contribution to the climate action planning for GESI mainstreaming in Climate Change, Natural Resource Governance, and Environmental Policies formulated from research data findings and recommendations received from one of
the project key deliverables, The Regional Data Sharing Workshop held on Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th August 2022 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and via video conference
8. The consultation meeting also offers opportunities for participants to expand understanding of the key highlights, nuanced and/or common practices, and challenges concerning mainstreaming GESI into Climate Action in the Greater Mekong Subregion paving the way for ASEAN Sectoral Bodies, key sectors especially the Civil Society, and experts or research institutions to have a continuous dialogues nationally, sub-nationally, and regionally with an intention to collaboratively and actively deliver gender-responsive and inclusive climate actions through development and/or advocacy work, the increase of research studies, and expanding community-led data
9. Furthermore, the information potentially provided by the participating experts coming from the key sectors will considerably support the work of the ACWC, as they also align with the strategic areas of the 2021-2025 Work plan
