GOOD MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES IS NOT POSSIBLE UNLESS FULL ATTENTION IS PAID TO DIMENSION OF GENDER

Press Release
SG/SM/6178
WOM/954

GOOD MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES IS NOT POSSIBLE UNLESS FULL ATTENTION IS PAID TO DIMENSION OF GENDER

Following is the statement of Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the Group on Equal Rights for Women in the United Nations delivered in New York today:

Thank you for inviting me to join you in this week's celebration of International Women's Day.

I salute the Group on Equal Rights for Women in the United Nations. Your efforts in stimulating discussion, in presenting issues, in pressing for change are not only a vital spur to the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat: they also provide impetus to the reform effort as a whole.

I believe there is much we can accomplish together.

The message of women's rights and women's advancement has been heard around the world. But now we must turn legal instruments and agreements, like the Beijing Platform, into tangible and effective action. And we must look towards our own institutions.

Within the United Nations, the status of women is continuing to improve. But there is still a long way to go.

The General Assembly lent its moral and political weight to the cause of women's advancement by endorsing the Strategic Plan of Action to Improve the Status of Women in the Secretariat during the period from 1995 to 2000. We have achieved the first goal: an overall female staff representation of 35 per cent in posts subject to geographical distribution. But more effort is needed if we are to reach the twin targets of 25 per cent women in all senior positions and attaining complete gender equality -- that is, 50 per cent women -- in the Secretariat by the year 2000. Full equality, of course, means more than the accomplishment of statistical objectives. The culture has to change. Management must show a sensitivity overall to the needs of women as staff members.

I wish to restate my total commitment, both to the targets and, more generally, to the achievement of full equality between women and men in the Secretariat of the United Nations.

I have acted on this principle throughout my career. In 1986, I was among the first members of the Steering Committee for the Improvement of the Status of Women in the Secretariat. While serving as Assistant Secretary- General for the Office of Human Resources Management, I instituted the first series of special measures for the advancement of women. As Under-Secretary- General for Peace-keeping Operations, I encouraged governments to send women police and soldiers to serve in United Nations peace-keeping operations.

I have appointed Angela E.V. King, at Assistant Secretary-General level, as my Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. Ms. King reports directly to me. She will assist me in ensuring the system-wide coordination of policy for implementing the Beijing Platform, as well as for mainstreaming a gender perspective in all United Nations activities.

I am actively seeking names of qualified women candidates for senior posts. Judge me not on the basis of these first few weeks in office, but on what my cabinet and administration will look like in the months to come.

Judge me, too, by how effectively, over the long term, my administration supports women's equal rights. Allow me to mention a few specific issues and plans.

I intend to hold senior managers accountable for the implementation and success of the personnel policies put in place to fulfil the goals set by the General Assembly. These policies are outlined in two documents, "Policies to achieve gender equality in the United Nations" and "Special measures for the achievement of gender equality". No department will be exempted.

I look forward to working closely with the Steering Committee for the Improvement of the Status of Women in the Secretariat. Already, thanks to its work and that of the Office of Human Resources Management, a number of the Committee's recommendations have been incorporated into the "special measures" policy. I will rely on the Committee to propose further remedial action, and to monitor progress closely.

Affirmative action is not a United Nations mandate. But the Charter establishes the basis for our actions in Article 8. It states that the "United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs". This principle was reaffirmed by the Administrative Tribunal in two recent cases. In them, the Tribunal upheld the legitimacy of affirmative action measures. It established a right to

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preferential treatment for women whose qualifications are equal or superior to the qualifications of competing male candidates.

I am also aware of the concerns of the General Service staff. I know of their frustration over limited prospects for advancement, especially from the General Service to the Professional category. I hope we can ensure that women in the General Service category have access to a full range of career development opportunities. At the same time, there should be more lateral and interdepartmental movements. I will encourage the Office of Human Resources Management to make immediate improvements in this area.

The working environment must be free of bias and harassment, especially sexual harassment. I will not tolerate any such abuse. The Office of Human Resources Management, in consultation with the Staff-Management Coordination Committee and the New York Joint Advisory Committee Task Force on Harassment, has prepared a questionnaire on harassment in the workplace. It will be used to develop policies, complaints procedures, training programmes and means of redress when harassment occurs. The data, analyses and recommendations are expected to be presented later this year.

The goal of women's equality and advancement is not only a key part of our Charter mandate; it is also good management. Good management of human resources is not possible unless full attention is paid to the dimension of gender. An Organization that is sensitive to women's needs is one which is well managed and clear-headed about its role and function.

Dear colleagues, change requires commitment from the top. I pledge that established policies and targets will be implemented aggressively. That there will be a change in the organizational culture. That this will be an organization in which men and women are represented equally at all levels of employment and decision-making.

The United Nations must become a role model for efficient, modern, gender-enlightened and multi-cultural management for all its Member States. That, no less, is my aim.

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