26 May 1987

14th plenary meeting

Measures to strengthen the role and functions of the Commission on the Status of Women

The Economic and Social Council,

Having considered the report of the Commission on the Status of Women on its 1987 session,

Recalling its resolutions 11 (II) of 21 June 1946, 48 (IV) of 29 March 1947, 76 (V) of 5 August 1947, 304 I (XI) of 14 and 17 July 1950 and 1983/27 of 26 May 1983, concerning the terms of reference of the Commission on the Status of Women,

Considering that over the years the functions of the Commission on the Status of Women have in practice been expanded to include monitoring of the implementation of the World Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Women's Year and the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, and reviewing and appraising progress made in achieving the objectives of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace,

Considering also the necessity of strengthening the capacity of the Commission on the Status of Women to carry out the tasks deriving from the world conferences on women and of improving its effectiveness and its efficiency,

1. Decides to expand the terms of reference of the Commission on the Status of Women to include the functions of promoting the objectives of equality, development and peace, monitoring the implementation of measures for the advancement of women, and reviewing and appraising progress made at the national, subregional, regional, sectoral and global levels;

2. Decides to structure the agenda for the future sessions of the Commission around its functions, namely programming, co-ordination, monitoring and policy development, as shown in the annex to the present resolution;

3. Decides that all requests for documentation for the Commission on the Status of Women shall:

(a) Take into account all ongoing and planned research activities, in order to avoid duplication, rationalize procedures and reduce the reporting burden on Governments;

(b) Where appropriate and feasible, be explicitly related to the United Nations medium-term plan and programme budget.

Annex AGENDA FOR FUTURE SESSIONS OF THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN

Number of meetings proposed, subject to the approval by the Commission at each session

1. Election of officers 0.5

2. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters 0.5

3. Programming and co-ordination matters related to the United Nations and the United Nations system 2

4. Monitoring the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women

This item will deal with all issues in the Strategies - equality, development, peace, areas of special concern, international and regional co-operation -

at the international, regional, subregional and national levels 4

5. Priority themes

The themes are determined in the long-term programme of work of the Commission, on the basis of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women 8

6. Provisional agenda for the next session of the Commission 0.5

7. Adoption of the report of the Commission 0.5