26 May 1988

15th plenary meeting

Improvement of the status of women in the secretariats of the United Nations system

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling that the Charter of the United Nations provides that no restrictions shall be placed on the eligibility of women and men to participate in every capacity in the work of the principal and subsidiary organs of the United Nations under conditions of equality,

Noting the importance attached to the appointment of women at senior decision-making and managerial levels in paragraphs 306, 315, 356 and 358 of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,

Mindful of recommendation 46 of the Group of High-level Intergovernmental Experts to Review the Efficiency of the Administrative and Financial Functioning of the United Nations,

Referring to the report of the Secretary-General on the improvement of the status of women in the United Nations Secretariat,

Sharing the concern of the Secretary-General expressed in that report that the interests of women in the United Nations Secretariat should not suffer disproportionately from the impact of the restructuring and retrenchment measures being applied in the Secretariat,

1. Requests each organization of the United Nations system to designate, within existing resource allocations for personnel services, a high-level co-ordinator for the improvement of the status of women within that organization;

2. Recommends that each organization adopt specific action programmes and work plans outlining the measures to be taken to improve the status of women in its secretariat;

3. Also recommends that the Secretary-General take the necessary measures to ensure that current financial restraints and retrenchment do not have disproportionate negative consequences for women;

4. Further recommends that all organizations of the United Nations system take measures to ensure a greater proportion of women in the Professional category and above, especially at higher levels, in accordance with paragraph 358 of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women and General Assembly resolutions 40/258 B of 18 December 1985 and 41/111 of 4 December 1986, paragraph 8;

5. Requests the Secretary-General, in his capacity as Chairman of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination, to report biennially in even-numbered years, within existing resources, to the Commission on the Status of Women on progress made by the organizations of the United Nations system in improving the level of recruitment, conditions of service, career development and promotion of women;

6. Also requests the Secretary-General to continue to report to the General Assembly on the situation of women in the United Nations Secretariat and to transmit to the Commission on the Status of Women on a regular basis:

(a) The report of the Secretary-General on the improvement of the status of women in the United Nations Secretariat;

(b) Relevant sections of the annual report of the Secretary-General on the composition of the United Nations Secretariat;

(c) Relevant sections of background reports to the International Civil Service Commission;

(d) Relevant resolutions, decisions, reports and employment guidelines of the organizations of the United Nations common system, including information on the distribution of female staff members by nationality and by level.