Commission on the Status of Women

Fifty-second Session

15^th Meeting (PM)

Women’s commission discusses United Nations 2010-2011 strategic Framework

on gender issues, advancement of women

 

Postpones until Next Session Consideration

Of Future Work of Working Group on Communications

The Commission on the Status of Women met briefly this afternoon to consider the Organization’s strategic objectives and expected outcomes in the area of gender equality and women’s advancement through 2011.

Rachel Mayanja, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, introduced “sub-programme 2” of the United Nations Strategic Framework for 2010-2011 (document E/CN.6/2008/CRP.4), which charts the world body’s stated objective, in that time frame, “to strengthen achievement of gender equality and the advancement of women and, including women’s full enjoyment of their human rights”.

The Special Adviser’s Office and the Division for the Advancement of Women are responsible for the sub-programme and, according to the document, their 2010-2011 strategy will include promoting the commitments and actions of Member States and intergovernmental bodies for full and effective implementation of mandates related to gender equality, and the mainstreaming of gender perspectives emanating from, among others, the United Nations 2005 World Summit, the Millennium Declaration, the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women, and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security.

The strategy would also include promoting the understanding of emerging gender equality issues through research, analysis and the provision of evidence-based policy options, and monitoring implementation and enhanced dissemination of intergovernmental recommendations and outcomes.  It would also promote the improvement of the status of women within the United Nations system, including by promoting and monitoring the achievement of the gender balance and a gender-sensitive work environment throughout the Organization.

Ms. Mayanja introduced two technical amendments to the document under “expected achievements of the Secretariat” and “indicators of achievement”, both having to do with implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000).

Responding to a query from Cuba’s representative as to the motivation for the change under “indicators of achievement”, Ms. Mayanja said she had come up with new language because the original text had mistakenly cited objectives for “ Member States” rather than the Secretariat.

She added that she would take note of a request by the representative of the Russian Federation to include, under “indicators of achievement”, a reference to increased numbers of high-level Member State delegations participating in the work of the Commission on the Status of Women, rather than citing only the “increased number of non-governmental organizations participating in that body’s work”.

Commission Chairman Olivier Belle ( Belgium) said that the comments on the document would be forwarded to the Secretary-General ahead of appropriate action on the document by the Committee for Programme and Coordination.

In other business today, the Commission took up matters related to the future work of its Working Group on Communications.  It adopted an oral decision proposed by Vice-Chairperson Enna Park ( Republic of Korea), to postpone consideration of the matter until its next session and request the Secretary-General to “prepare an addendum to report E/CN.6/2008/CRP.4, and Add.1 and Add.2, on the functioning of the Working Group, compiling additional or updated written views of Member States”.

The Commission will meet again at 10 a.m. Friday, 7 March, to take action on draft resolutions dealing with women’s empowerment issues, including on health care, violence against women and women in conflict situations.

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For information media • not an official record