23 May 1986

19th plenary meeting

Women in the United Nations

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 40/108 of 13 December 1985 on the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, in which the Assembly, inter alia, emphasized the central role of the Commission on the Status of Women in matters related to the advancement of women,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 40/258 B of 18 December 1985 on the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat,

Recalling further section III of General Assembly resolution 40/244 of 18 December 1985, concerning the introduction of special measures for the recruitment of women by the organizations of the common system,

Convinced that without the active support of Member States the goals of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace concerning women in the United Nations system will not be achieved,

1. Affirms that the full participation of women in the work of the organizations of the United Nations system, especially at policy-making levels, in substantive occupations and in technical co-operation activities, is essential as a means of bringing the experience of women to bear on all aspects of the policies and programmes of the organizations that shape global development;

2. Emphasizes that the presence of more women in all substantive areas of the organizations, including technical co-operation activities, will help those organizations to attain the objective of responding more effectively and efficiently to their mandates and to their responsibilities towards society as a whole;

3. Requests the Secretary-General, in his capacity as Chairman of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination, and, through him, the other executive heads of organizations participating in the United Nations system to improve the status of women in those organizations, particularly by strengthening their presence in policy-making positions, substantive occupations and technical co-operation activities, and by creating a climate more conducive to the advancement of women, and to establish accountable management practices to this end;

4. Calls upon Member States to continue to support the efforts of the organizations of the United Nations system to increase the participation of women at the policy-making level and in their substantive programme activities by, inter alia, nominating more women candidates.