WomenWatch: Directory of UN Resources on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women

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Directory of UN Resources on Gender and Women's Issues

Gender Mainstreaming
Information on gender mainstreaming policies and practices in UN entities. Mainstreaming is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. The ultimate goal of this strategy is to achieve gender equality.

UN Secretariat and Inter-Agency bodies
- Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI)
  OSAGI's main objective is to promote and strengthen the effective implementation of the Millennium Declaration, the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW) and the Outcome Document of the special session of the General Assembly on Beijing+5. The Special Adviser advises the Secretary-General on integrating gender issues into the policy of the United Nations, drawing attention to issues of particular concern to women globally.
- Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE)
  Network of Gender Focal Points in United Nations offices, specialized agencies, funds and programmes
- Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW)
  DAW advocates for the improvement of the status of women and the achievement of their equality with men. It substantively services a functional Commission of ECOSOC, the Commission on the Status of Women, and a treaty body, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. DAW is responsible for preparing reports to the CSW, ECOSOC and the GA on gender mainstreaming and on follow up to the Fourth World Conference on Women.
- Department for Disarmament Affairs (DDA)
- Department for Political Affairs (DPA)
- Department for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO)
- Department of Public Information (DPI)
- Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict (OSRSGCAAC)
- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
- UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Intergovernmental bodies, including ECOSOC and functional/regional commissions
- General Assembly (GA)
  Main deliberative organ of the United Nations composed of representatives of all Member States. As the highest intergovernmental body in the UN, it is also the principal policy-making and appraisal organ on matters relating to the follow-up to the major World Conferences on Women.
- Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
  The Economic and Social Council coordinates the work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, 10 functional commissions, including the Commission on the Status of Women, and five regional commissions; receives reports from 11 UN funds and programmes and issues policy recommendations to the UN system and to Member States. ECOSOC also monitors follow up to the major World Conferences on Women.
- Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
  The CSW is one of the functional Commissions of ECOSOC and the major policy-making body responsible for assisting in monitoring, reviewing, appraising progress and problems and maintaining public awareness of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, ensuring support for mainstreaming a gender perspective in UN activities, identifying emerging issues, trends and new approaches to issues affecting the situation of women.
- Commission on Population and Development (CPD)
  Functional Commission of ECOSOC, which monitors, reviews, assesses and advises ECOSOC on the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development at the national, regional and international levels, and advises on any other matters relating to population and development.
- Commission for Social Development (CSocD)
  Functional Commission of ECOSOC, which assists ECOSOC in monitoring, reviewing and appraising the progress achieved and problems encountered in the implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action and advises on any other matters relating to social development policy
- Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
  Functional Commission of ECOSOC, which ensures effective follow-up to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, enhances international cooperation and the intergovernmental decision-making capacity for the integration of environment and development issues, and examines progress of the implementation of Agenda 21 at the national, regional and international levels, and advises on any other matters relating to sustainable development
- Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), African Centre for Gender and Development
  Regional Commission of ECOSOC
- Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)
  Regional Commission of ECOSOC
- Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
  Regional Commission of ECOSOC
- Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
  Regional Commission of ECOSOC
- Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
  Regional Commission of ECOSOC
- ARCHIVED: Commission on Human Rights (CHR) (replaced by the Human Rights Council)
  On 15 March 2006, the General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/60/251 to establish the Human Rights Council. On 27 March 2006, the Commission on Human Rights concluded its sixty-second and final session.
Programmes and Funds
Specialized Agencies
UN Research Institutes
- United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW)
- United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)
Treaty Bodies
- Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

Women and Poverty
[ www.un-instraw.org ] Languages: English
Progress report and collection of resources on Women and Poverty by the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women. INSTRAW, 2006

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Gender Mainstreaming UN Conferences, Meetings and Special Days International Instruments and Treaty Bodies Statistics and Indicators Millenium Development Goals Women and Poverty Education and Training of Women Women and Health Violence against Women Women and Armed Conflict Women and the Economy Women in Power and Decision Making Institutional Mechanisms for the Advancement of Women Human Rights of Women Women and the Media Women and Environment The Girl Child Rural Women HIV / AIDS Trafficking Men and Boys Population / Migration Women and ICT Women with Disabilities

Entities Specializing in Gender Issues: OSAGI - Office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women DAW - Division for the Advancement of Women UNIFEM - UN Development Fund for Women INSTRAW - International Research and Training
Institute for the Advancement of Women UN Secretariat UN Intergovernmental bodies UN Specialized Agencies UN Programmes and Funds UN Gender Training and Research Inter-Agency Collaboration Women in the UN System Regional Information: Caribbean East Asia Eastern Europe and Central Asia Latin America North Africa and the Middle East North America Oceania South and South-East Asia Sub-Saharan Africa Western Europe