23 July 1986

38th plenary meeting

Strengthening the work of the United Nations in integrating women effectively in economic development programmes and activities

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 2626 (XXV) of 24 October 1970 setting forth the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade, the first instrument to include as an objective the full integration of women in the total development effort,

Recalling also General Assembly resolutions 3201 (S-VI) and 3202 (S-VI) of 1 May 1974, containing the Declaration and the Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order, and 35/56 of 5 December 1980, to which is annexed the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade,

Recalling further General Assembly resolutions 3342 (XXIX) of 17 December 1974, 3505 (XXX) of 15 December 1975, 31/175 of 21 December 1976, 33/200 of 29 January 1979, 34/204 of 19 December 1979, 35/78 of 5 December 1980, 36/74 of 4 December 1981, 39/172 of 17 December 1984, 40/108 of 13 December 1985 and 40/204 of 17 December 1985 concerning the effective mobilization and integration of women in development,

Fully recognizing the economic value of women's contribution to overall growth and development, including food and agriculture,

Emphasizing the vital importance to national economic growth and development of the effective mobilization and integration of women in economic life,

Aware that the General Assembly, in its resolution 40/108, invited intergovernmental organizations to give high priority to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women and, in particular, to ensure that sectoral policies and programmes for development included strategies to promote the participation of women as agents and beneficiaries on an equal basis with men, and requested those organizations to report periodically through the Commission on the Status of Women to the Economic and Social Council on the activities undertaken at all levels to implement the Forward-looking Strategies,

Recalling that the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women, held at Nairobi from 15 to 26 July 1985, reiterated and extended to the year 2000 the goals of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace,

Considering that the measures to integrate women effectively in all aspects of development outlined in chapter II of the Forward-looking Strategies have major implications for the work programmes of the United Nations and the specialized agencies, in particular in the economic sector,

Further considering that the full participation of women in the formulation and implementation of the above-mentioned work programmes will enhance their effectiveness and efficiency,

Convinced that the proposed revisions to the medium-term plan for the period 1984-1989 should take into account the legislative mandate to integrate women in economic development activities, projects and programmes provided by the Conference and by the General Assembly in its resolution 40/108,

Bearing in mind the recent initiatives taken by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme, the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund, the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes of the World Food Programme, the Commission on Human Settlements, the Intergovernmental Committee on Science and Technology for Development, the Committee on the Development and Utilization of New and Renewable Sources of Energy, the Economic Commission for Europe, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Economic Commission for Africa, as well as by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Labour Organisation, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Health Organization, to take into account the relevant recommendations of the Forward-looking Strategies when drawing up their respective programmes of work,

Noting paragraph 338 of the Forward-looking Strategies, in which the Economic and Social Council is encouraged to play a more forceful and dynamic role in reviewing and co-ordinating all activities of the United Nations system relevant to women's issues,

1. Requests the Secretary-General:

(a) To propose activities for the implementation of those measures contained in chapter II of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women that relate to programmes of work of the United Nations in such economic fields specifically identified in the Strategies as employment, education, energy, the environment, food, water and agriculture, housing, settlements, community development and transport, trade and commercial services, science and technology, and communications, in order to provide for effective programme planning to integrate women in economic development, for review by the relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies within their respective spheres of competence;

(b) To include in his instructions for the preparation of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1988-1989 a reminder to programme managers in the area of economic development to take the Forward-looking Strategies into account when preparing their programme proposals and to ensure that the necessary checks are applied during the review of the proposals to determine that the instructions have been followed;

(c) To take account of the relevant policy orientations and goals of the Forward-looking Strategies in the formulation of the objectives and strategies in all sectors of economic development when preparing the draft medium-term plan for the period 1990-1995;

(d) To prepare an intersectoral analysis of the various United Nations programmes dealing with women, with cross-referencing in the context of the system-wide medium-term plan for women and development to related work of all other organizations of the United Nations system, to accompany the medium-term plan for the period 1990-1995;

2. Also requests the Secretary-General to take appropriate steps, in particular for the period 1988-1989, to implement chapter V of the Forward-looking Strategies, on international and regional co-operation, taking into account the need to assess the performance, achievements and effectiveness of the work of the United Nations system in integrating women in economic development activities by means of technical co-operation, training and advisory services, research and policy analysis and the dissemination of information;

3. Requests the Secretary-General, bearing in mind section VIII of the annex to General Assembly resolution 32/197 of 20 December 1977, to make the necessary arrangements for the effective, system-wide implementation of the Forward-looking Strategies in the economic field and to ensure that specific measures are taken to co-ordinate the application of the Strategies at the regional and international levels, taking particular account of the need:

(a) To ensure coherence among approaches to the implementation of the Forward-looking Strategies by central, regional and sectoral bodies;

(b) To provide to intergovernmental bodies of the economic and social sectors of the United Nations a compilation of United Nations intergovernmental mandates which have specific reference to women;

(c) To harmonize the implementation and monitoring of the Forward-looking Strategies with all relevant United Nations intergovernmental and international strategies and programmes of action;

4. Also requests the Secretary-General to include, in his comprehensive report on co-ordination to be prepared in pursuance of General Assembly resolution 40/177 of 17 December 1985, a review of intersecretariat arrangements for the co-ordination of administrative, operational and programme activities relating to the integration of women in economic development, as well as specific recommendations aimed at enhancing co-ordination in the implementation of the Forward-looking Strategies, having due regard for the need:

(a) To give priority attention to joint planning and programming;

(b) To ensure in-depth consideration of the question at periodic intervals;

(c) To develop concrete measures to improve the delivery of technical co-operation activities;

(d) To integrate women in the decision-making and policy-formulating process of the United Nations system;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report on the implementation of the present resolution to the General Assembly at its forty-second session, through the Economic and Social Council at its second regular session of 1987.