1. COMMCA Preparatory Process for the Summit on Gender, Integration and Development Inter-American Commission of Women Organization of American States Washington,D.C., USA 05 October 2009

2. COMMCA in the Central American Integration System (SICA) Subregional Network of National Mechanisms for the Advancement of Women of Mexico, CA and the Caribbean, created in 1990 Arises from the need to create closer ties of cooperation among the National Mechanisms and the urgency to include womens institutionality in the integration process Incorporated in SICA at the 26 th Meeting of Presidents and Heads of Government of the Member Countries of the System. Decision 13 signed on 30 June 2005 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras

3. Attributes Sectoral body of SICA governing gender matters, its aims are to: Open an institutional space for women in the regional decision process Incorporate and mainstream gender vision in integration themes

4. Mission Under the powers granted under the Tegucigalpa Protocol and the Rules of Regulatory Acts of SICA, COMMCA: Makes determinations regarding political, economic, social and cultural matters that promote and link the development of the countries making up SICA Promotes policy proposals in the regional sphere aimed at transforming the condition, situation and position of Central American women for gender equity

5. Strategic Plan 2006-2009 Signature of agreements with SICA (establishment of the TS and the Spain- SICA Fund) Multi-annual Plan 2009-2011 Studies (trade and trafficking of women, femicide, non-remunerated domestic work, gender profiling) supported by: UNIFEM, IOM, INSTRAW, others) Justice Observatory Internal coordination of SICA Training of SICA officers Participation in the Forum on Alignment and Harmonization of International Cooperation Coordination with womens organizations having regional presence Summit on Gender, Integration and Development Positioning 2005-2009 Strategic Plan 2009-2013 Promote and drive new policies and lines of action responding to gender priorities and strengthen COMMCA capacities in SICA institutionality Crosscutting themes: economic autonomy, political participation, gender violence and gender institutionality in SICA Monitoring of the Multi-annual Plan 2009- 2011 Incorporate gender equality and equity as basic principles of the SICA countries process of Central American integration Execution and coordination of the theme of gender with SICA institutionality Political and technical backing for the theme of gender Articulation of processes for international funding Coordination with womens organizations having regional presence Consolidaction 2009-2013 COMMCA ADVANCES AND CHALLENGES

6. UNIFEMINSTRAWAECIDUNDPPAHO/WHOIOMUNFPA COMMCA INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCES (to date)

7. COMMCA INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCES (in process) ILO EUROPEAN UNIO CIM/OASREMMAMERCOSURCHILEJICA

8. Regional Agenda on Gender We face a new stage aimed at consolidating not only the advances obtained thus far, but also a Regional Agenda on Gender. This will require combining between our own agenda of themes of interest to COMMCA and to the women of the region, and the regional integration agenda. We consider that three actions are important in order to move ahead in this direction: – Execution of the Strategic Plan 2009-2013 – Hold the Summit on Gender, Integration and Development 2009 – Strategic alliances with political and social entities in and outside of SICA

9. Work Priorities Second Half of 2009 1. Institutional strengthening of COMMCA 2. Regional Strategic Planning 3. Celebration of the Summit on Gender, Integration and Development

10. The Summit Mandate : Decision 50 from the Minutes of the 33rd Meeting of Heads of State and Government of SICA, December 2008: Instruct the SG-SICA to, in coordination with COMMCA and the Chair pro tempore, initiate as soon as possible the intersectoral preparatory work with the Councils of Ministers that may be necessary in order to celebrate, in the second half of 2009, an Extraordinary Meeting of Presidents for debate on the theme of gender, integration and development and to prepare the Inter-American Year of Women in 2010

11. Summit Objectives From the regional arena, drive actions that promote dialogue and convergence for presidential agreements on gender, integration and development, in the context of the world economic crisis, such that the different SICA bodies and international donors commit to giving their support for the agreed actions. Prepare for the celebration in 2010 of the Inter- American Year of Women proclaimed by the Organization of American States (OAS)

12. Relevance for the Region The mandate sets a high-impact precedent with respect to decision making and policy design from a gender perspective in the region. Holding the Summit will make it possible to address themes of special interest for the promotion and advancement of womens rights in the region.

13. Relevance for the region The countries commitment to gender will be ratified in both the regional and international sphere. Aimed at the articulation of themes of interest for the region that will strengthen gender institutionality in the countries and in the region as a whole, with the accompaniment of different actors and alliances that drive gender themes.

14. Crosscutting Themes Economic Autonomy Political Participation Gender Mainstreaming Gender Violence 123

15. Economic Autonomy The Summit will come about with the commitment of Member States and Associates that guarantee and strengthen the advances obtained in womens economic rights. It is essential that issues such as employment, productive assets (access to credit, land tenure), public budgets and care economy be addressed in the current context.

16. Political Participation In institutionality, it is necessary to move forward in the search for mechanisms so that special attention is given to ensuring equal opportunities in selection and administrative processes to designate decision- making posts, as well as those at other levels in SICA. Assess the feasibility of harmonizing the legislation, institutions and instruments of SICA Member States, in the area of gender

17. SICA Institutionality Have a gender mainstreaming strategy in SICA, combined between the COMMCA agenda and the Central American integration agenda in different areas of interest for the region

18. National Mechanisms Womens organizations Council of Ministers of Foreign Relations Institutions involved in the themes SICA/COMMCA AGREEMENTS FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT IDENTIFICATION OF INPUTS Strategic Crosscutting Themes (CONCEPTUAL, ASPECTS, EXPECTATIONS AND OTHERS) IDENTIFICATION OF INPUTS Strategic Crosscutting Themes (CONCEPTUAL, ASPECTS, EXPECTATIONS AND OTHERS) PROCESS OF DISCUSSION AND SOCIALIZATION FOR CONSENSUS Regional political, technical and communication strategy July to December 2009

19. SUMMIT AGENDA 07 December 2005 Intersectoral preparatory meetings 8 December 2009 Inaugural session Panels (5) Simultaneous forums (4) on themes of interest for the region 07 December 2005 Intersectoral preparatory meetings 8 December 2009 Inaugural session Panels (5) Simultaneous forums (4) on themes of interest for the region 9 December 2009 Extraordinary Meeting of SICA Presidents – COMMCA video (3 minutes) – Expert presentation – Dialogue between Presidents and Ministers – Reading and signature of presidential agreements Press conference Space for CIM (to be determined) COMMCA Ministers/CIM meeting Closing session 9 December 2009 Extraordinary Meeting of SICA Presidents – COMMCA video (3 minutes) – Expert presentation – Dialogue between Presidents and Ministers – Reading and signature of presidential agreements Press conference Space for CIM (to be determined) COMMCA Ministers/CIM meeting Closing session

20. AdvancesChallengeAchievement PROCESS OF CENTRAL AMERICAN INTEGRATION GENDER AGENDA IN SICA GENDER AGENDA IN SICA to 2013 1.COMMCA (TS in SICA) 2.Consideration of women and their demands 3.Articulation of key actors Gender mainstreaming in processes of integration Gender equality and equity in the region

21. Thank you very much! E-mail INAMU PPT-COMMCA despacho@inamu.go.cr http: www.sica.org/commcawww.sica.org/commca