| United Nations | A/RES/39/125 |
General Assembly
Distr. GENERAL
14 December 1984
ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH
A/RES/39/125
14 December 1984
Meeting no. 101
Future arrangements for the management of the Voluntary
Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 31/133 of 16 December 1976, containing the
criteria and arrangements for the management of the Voluntary Fund for the
United Nations Decade for Women,
Recalling also its resolution 36/129 of 14 December 1981, in which it
decided that the Fund should continue its activities beyond the United Nations
Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace,
Stressing the urgency of determining at its current session the most
effective arrangements for continuing the activities of the Fund beyond the
Decade in view of the need for ensuring the long-term stability of the Fund,
Recalling further its resolution 38/106 of 16 December 1983, in which,
inter alia, it decided that, when considering the reports of the
Secretary-General on the future of the Fund, all possible options would be
reviewed in depth,
Reaffirming that the Fund has a unique contribution to make to the
achievement of the goals of the Third United Nations Development Decade, and
even beyond it,
Recognizing the important actual and potential contribution by women to
development, as evidenced in the forward-looking assessment of the activities
assisted by the Fund and the crucial role of the Fund as a specialized
resource base for development co-operation, and the need for continued
assistance to activities directly benefiting women,
Considering it, accordingly, to be of paramount importance to establish a
future organizational framework that will secure the ability of the Fund to
act as a catalytic agent on the main United Nations development co-operation
system,
Considering also the innovative and experimental activities of the Fund
directed to strengthening both governmental and non-governmental institutional
capacities to ensure access for women to development co-operation resources
and their full participation at all levels in the development process,
Stressing that general questions of development and access of women to
development resources have, as a common objective, to create conditions which
will improve the quality of life for all,
Welcoming the completion of the forward-looking assessment of the
activities assisted by the Fund and the findings and conclusions with regard
to women and development and their implications for technical co-operation
agencies and organizations,
Conscious of the highly specialized professional competence of the Fund
in the area of development activities for women and the need for strengthening
that competence,
Aware of the broad range of linkages of the Fund with national
Governments, national women's groups, non-governmental organizations and
women's research institutes, besides its close co-operation with United
Nations development agencies, including the regional commissions,
Taking into consideration the moderate size of the Fund and its continued
need to draw on the operational capacity of other agencies and, in this
regard, expressing its appreciation to the United Nations Development
Programme for its continuing technical and resource assistance to the Fund,
Expressing appreciation to the Department of International Economic and
Social Affairs of the Secretariat and its Centre for Social Development and
Humanitarian Affairs for their contribution to the work of the Fund during its
initial operational years,
Taking note of the reports of the Consultative Committee on the Voluntary
Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women on its fifteenth and sixteenth
sessions, referred to in the report of the Secretary-General,
Taking note also of the reports of the Secretary-General on the Fund,
1. Decides that the activities of the Voluntary Fund for the United
Nations Decade for Women shall be continued through establishment of a
separate and identifiable entity in autonomous association with the
United Nations Development Programme, which will play an innovative and
catalytic role in relation to the United Nations overall system of
development co-operation;
2. Endorses the modalities for the future management arrangements
between the Fund and the United Nations Development Programme, as
contained in the annex to the present resolution, and decides that these
arrangements shall enter into force at the latest on 1 January 1986;
3. Reaffirms the criteria laid down in its resolution 31/133 on the use
of the resources of the Fund and the guidelines established on the advice
of the Consultative Committee on the Voluntary Fund for the United
Nations Decade for Women, emphasizing the use of these resources for
technical co-operation benefiting women;
4. Requests the Consultative Committee at its seventeenth session, to
propose an appropriate future title for the Fund;
5. Stresses the need for close and continuous working relationships
between the Fund and the bodies, organs and organizations of the United
Nations system concerned with women's issues and development
co-operation, in particular with the Department of International Economic
and Social Affairs of the Secretariat and its Centre for Social
Development and Humanitarian Affairs;
6. Expresses its appreciation for the contributions to the Fund made by
Governments and non-governmental organizations, which have a vital role
to play in maintaining and increasing the financial viability of the Fund
and the effectiveness of its work;
7. Notes with concern that contributions to the Fund have not been
sufficient to enable it to respond to all the deserving requests for
technical assistance that it has received;
8. Urges, accordingly, Governments to continue and, where possible, to
increase their contributions to the Fund, and calls upon those
Governments that have not yet done so to consider contributing to the
Fund;
9. Requests the Secretary-General, after consultation with the
Consultative Committee at its seventeenth session, to report to the
General Assembly at its fortieth session on the arrangements he has made
with the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme for
the future of the Fund;
10. Requests that the Consultative Committee monitor the process of
implementing the arrangements for the management of the Fund contained in
the annex to the present resolution and that the Committee's views on
this matter be reflected fully in the annual report on the Fund to the
General Assembly, particularly in its initial years.
ANNEX
Arrangements for the management of the ( ) Fund
1. The (name) Fund (acronym), hereinafter referred to as "the Fund", is
hereby established as a separate and identifiable entity in autonomous
association with the United Nations Development Programme. The
Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, hereinafter
referred to as "the Administrator", shall be accountable for all aspects
of the management and operations of the Fund. There shall be a
Consultative Committee to advise the Administrator on all policy matters
relating to the activities of the Fund in accordance with paragraph 13
below. The following arrangements for the management of the Fund shall
apply:
I. Transfer of existing resources, solicitation and acknowledgement
of pledges and collection of contributions
2. The Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women and its
subsidiary Supplementary Trust Fund, which was established by a
memorandum of understanding between the Secretary-General of the United
Nations and the Administrator on 25 June 1980, are hereby liquidated and
their assets transferred to the Fund.
3. Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations
and other donors may contribute to the Fund.
4. The Fund shall be included among the programmes for which funds are
pledged at the annual United Nations Pledging Conference for Development
Activities. The Administrator shall assist with the mobilization of
financial resources for the Fund. The contributions to the Fund and the
bank accounts into which they are deposited shall be in accordance with
the applicable Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations
Development Programme.
II. Operations and control
5. All operations of the Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade
for Women are hereby transferred to the Fund.
6. The Administrator, in consultation with the Consultative Committee
on the Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women, shall
appoint a Director of the Fund, hereinafter referred to as "the
Director", bearing in mind the relevant qualifications and experience
with technical co-operation, including those benefiting women. The
Administrator shall appoint the staff of the Fund in consultation with
the Director, pursuant to the Staff Regulations of the United Nations and
the relevant provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
7. The Administrator shall delegate the management of the Fund and its
administration, including responsibility for the mobilization of
resources, to the Director, who shall have the authority to conduct all
matters related to its mandate and who shall be accountable directly to
the Administrator.
8. The operations of the Fund shall be conducted taking into account
the innovative and catalytic nature of its development co-operation
activities for women and its existing criteria and operational
procedures. The present procedures of the Fund, including those
governing the identification, formulation, approval, appraisal, execution
and evaluation of projects established in accordance with the
requirements set out in the criteria adopted by the General Assembly in
its resolution 31/133 and on the advice of the Consultative Committee,
shall remain in force. Subject to the provisions of this annex, the
regulations, rules and directives of the United Nations Development
Programme shall be applied to the operations of the Fund.
9. The resources of the Fund shall be used mainly within two priority
areas: first, to serve as a catalyst, with the goal of ensuring the
appropriate involvement of women in mainstream development activities, as
often as possible at the pre-investment stages; secondly, to support
innovative and experimental activities benefiting women in line with
national and regional priorities. Fund resources should be a supplement
to and not a substitute for the mandated responsibilities of other United
Nations development co-operation organizations and agencies, including
the United Nations Development Programme.
10. All the administrative and programme support costs of the Fund shall
be met from its own resources.
11. The regional bureaux, other organizational units and field offices
of the United Nations Development Programme shall continue to assist the
operations of the Fund, inter alia by joint programming missions to
ensure the involvement of women in technical co-operation activities
financed by the United Nations Development Programme and by supporting
the project cycle activities of projects financed by the Fund. For its
part, the Fund shall participate in existing machineries for
co-ordination of technical co-operation at headquarters and field levels.
12. The proposed biennial budget for the administrative costs of the
Fund shall be reviewed initially by the Consultative Committee prior to
its submission by the Administrator for approval by the Governing Council
of the United Nations Development Programme.
III. The Consultative Committee and the relationship of the Fund
to other organizations
13. The President of the General Assembly shall designate, with due
regard for the financing of the Fund from voluntary contributions and to
equitable geographical distribution, five Member States to serve on the
Consultative Committee for a period of three years. Each State member of
the Consultative Committee shall designate a person with relevant
expertise and experience in development co-operation activities,
including those benefiting women, to serve on the Committee. The
Committee shall advise the Administrator on all matters of policy
affecting the activities of the Fund, including the application of the
criteria set forth by the General Assembly in respect of the use of the
Fund.
14. The Fund shall establish and maintain close and continuous working
relationships with other United Nations organs, in particular the
Department of International Economic and Social Affairs of the
Secretariat and its Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian
Affairs, the regional commissions, the United Nations Children's Fund,
the United Nations Fund for Population Activities and the International
Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, as well as
through the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination and with the
specialized agencies and other United Nations entities concerned, in
particular the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
Co-operation shall also be established for the sharing of information
with the Commission on the Status of Women and other relevant global and
regional intergovernmental bodies concerned with development and with
women. As appropriate, the activities of the Fund may be drawn to the
attention of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against
Women.
IV. Reporting and auditing
15. The Director shall prepare substantive and financial progress
reports on the use of the Fund for the Administrator to submit to the
Consultative Committee.
16. Taking into account the advice of the Consultative Committee, the
Administrator shall submit to the Governing Council of the United Nations
Development Programme an annual report on the operations, management and
budget of the Fund. He shall submit a similar report to the General
Assembly, to be referred to the Second Committee for consideration of its
technical co-operation aspects and also to the Third Committee.
17. The Commission on the Status of Women shall also be provided with
the annual reports referred to in paragraph 16 above.
18. The Administrator shall be responsible for reporting all the
financial transactions of the Fund and shall issue annual financial
statements in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules of the
United Nations Development Programme.
19. The Fund shall be subject to the internal and external auditing
procedures provided for under the financial regulations, rules and
directives of the United Nations Development Programme.