Vol. 522 No. 2
409 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will identify the non-governmental organisations which were part of the official delegation to the Beijing + 5 Conference in New York; and the criteria used for choosing those particular NGOs as part of the official delegation. [18453/00]
The following non-governmental organisations were part of the official delegation to the UN General Assembly Special Session "Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-first Century" ( Beijing + 5): The National Women's Council of Ireland; Neart Coalition; and The Irish Countrywomen's Association.
In addition to representatives from my Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Education and Science, the Office of the Attorney General and the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence, Equality and Women's Rights, the official delegation also included representatives from the Equality Authority, the Women's Health Council, ICTU and IBEC.
The NGOs and the other organisations mentioned above were selected for participation in the official delegation on the basis of their interest in the critical areas of concern of the Beijing Platform for Action and to ensure representation of diverse viewpoints.
In addition to the inclusion of groups in the official delegation, my Department provided funding towards the attendance at the special session of the following NGOs, all of which had been accredited by the UN: Women in the Media and Entertainment; Women of the Northwest; Women's Aid; Women in the Home (WITH); and the ICA.
The Department of Foreign Affairs provided funding towards the attendance of a representative of Banúlacht, the Irish Women in Development NGO.
