[Wigsat-l] UN TO ESTABLISH SINGLE NEW AGENCY TO DEAL WITH RIGHTS OF WOMEN

[Sophia Huyer]

UN TO ESTABLISH SINGLE NEW AGENCY TO DEAL WITH RIGHTS OF WOMEN
New York, Sep 15 2009  5:05PM
Four United Nations agencies and offices will be amalgamated to create  
a new single entity within the Organization to promote the rights and  
well-being of women worldwide and to work towards gender equality.

The General Assembly <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2009/ga10854.doc.htm 
">adopted a resolution late yesterday on improving system-wide  
coherence within the UN, and the text spells out the support of Member  
States for a new consolidated body – to be headed by an under- 
secretary-general – to deal with issues concerning women.

The resolution means the UN Development Fund for Women (<"http://www.unifem.org/news_events/story_detail.php?StoryID=931 
">UNIFEM), the Division for the Advancement of Women, the Office of  
the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the UN International Research  
and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (<"http://www.un-instraw.org/ 
">UN-INSTRAW) will be merged.

In a statement issued today by his spokesperson, Secretary-General Ban  
Ki-moon said he was “particularly gratified” that the Assembly had  
accepted his proposal for “a more robust promotion” of women’s rights  
under the new entity.

“An important step has been made in strengthening the United Nations’  
work in the area of gender equality and empowerment of women, as well  
as in ensuring the effective delivery of its operational activities  
for development, which constitutes the other key components of the  
resolution,” the statement noted.

Mr. Ban said in the <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp? 
nid=4066">statement that he had appointed more women to senior posts  
than at any other time in the history of the UN, including nine women  
to the rank of under-secretary-general. The number of women in senior  
posts has increased by 40 per cent under his tenure.

The Assembly’s resolution tasks Mr. Ban with providing Member States  
with a comprehensive proposal outlining the mission statement,  
structure, funding and oversight of the new entity so that it can be  
created as soon as possible.

The resolution also calls for greater measures to harmonize business  
practices within the UN development system, ways to improve the  
funding system for such activities, and other steps to streamline  
practices within the world body.

After the resolution, UNIFEM – which currently operates in autonomous  
association with the UN Development Programme (<"http:// 
www.undp.org/">UNDP) – issued a statement welcoming “the unanimous  
strong support” among Member States, which follow three years of  
extensive consultations on the structure and operational details of  
the new body.

“UNIFEM trusts that deliberations can resume soon to ensure an  
informed and swift establishment of the composite entity,” the  
statement said.
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