24 May 1989

15th plenary meeting

Improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat

The Economic and Social Council,

Welcoming the decision of the Secretary-General to deploy on a full-time basis a senior-level officer, preferably a woman, within existing resources, as the focal point within the Office of Human Resources Management of the Secretariat to monitor and advance the status of women in the Secretariat,

Noting the absence of the progress report requested by the General Assembly in resolution 43/224 C of 21 December 1988,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 43/101 of 8 December 1988 on the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 43/103 of 8 December 1988 and 43/224 C of 21 December 1988 on the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat, and 43/226 of 21 December 1988 entitled "United Nations common system: report of the International Civil Service Commission", all of their relevant provisions, and other related resolutions and decisions and their relevant provisions,

Recalling also the priorities identified by the Steering Committee for the Improvement of the Status of Women in the Secretariat in its fourth report,

1. Requests the Secretary-General to continue his efforts and to consider additional measures to increase the number of women, particularly in senior policy-making and decision-making posts subject to geographical distribution, with a view to achieving an overall participation rate of 30 per cent by 1990;

2. Further requests that such additional measures also meet the goal of ensuring equitable representation of women from developing countries;

3. Reiterates the request to all Member States to continue to support the efforts of the United Nations and its specialized agencies to increase the proportion of women in the Professional category and above by, inter alia, nominating more women candidates and encouraging women to apply for vacant posts and to participate in national competitive examinations;

4. Urges the Secretary-General to take notice of the concern of the Commission on the Status of Women that budgetary constraints should not interfere with the important goal, in accordance with the action programme for the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat, of rectifying the underrepresentation of women in the Secretariat and, in particular, the recruitment and promotion of women to senior policy-making and decision-making positions;

5. Requests the Commission of the Status of Women to continue monitoring the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat and within the United Nations system;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to report on the progress achieved in the continued implementation of the action programme on the status of women in the Secretariat to the Economic and Social Council and to the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session and to submit such information to the Commission on the Status of Women at its thirty-fourth session.