30 May 1991

12th plenary meeting

Improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat

The Economic and Social Council,

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

Recalling also the relevant resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and other bodies that have been adopted since Assembly resolution 2715 (XXV) of 15 December 1970,

Recalling further the report of the Secretary-General on the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat,

Noting that the Steering Committee for the Improvement of the Status of Women in the Secretariat has submitted its report to the Secretary-General,

Noting with satisfaction that the question of the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat continues to be an item on the agenda of the Administrative Committee on Coordination,

Taking note of the relevant section of the report of the International Civil Service Commission,

Noting with concern that the goal of an overall participation rate for women of 30 per cent by 1990 in posts subject to geographical distribution was not achieved and that their representation in senior policy-level and decision-making posts did not improve,

Noting the new goal of achieving by 1995 an overall participation rate of 35 per cent of all posts subject to geographical distribution, and of increasing the number of women in senior policy-level and decision-making posts,

1. Urges the Secretary-General to accord greater priority to increasing the number of women in posts subject to geographical distribution, particularly in senior policy-level and decision-making posts, in order to achieve an overall participation rate of 35 per cent by 1995, taking into consideration the need to increase the representation of women from the developing countries and those countries with a low representation of women;

2. Also urges the Secretary-General to accord priority to increasing, by 1995, the participation rate for women to 25 per cent in posts at the D-1 level and above, within the overall participation rate for women of 35 per cent in posts subject to geographical distribution, taking into consideration the need to increase the representation of women from the developing countries and those countries with a low representation of women;

3. Welcomes the request of the General Assembly, in resolutions 45/125 of 14 December 1990 and 45/239 C of 21 December 1990, that the Secretary-General develop an action programme for the advancement of women in the Secretariat for the period 1991-1995, incorporating as necessary the unfulfilled points of the 1985-1990 action programme and taking into account the recommendations of the Steering Committee, as appropriate, and the special measures to implement them;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to include in the action programme for the advancement of women in the Secretariat for the period 1991-1995 (a) a comprehensive evaluation and analysis of the main obstacles to the improvement of the status of women in the Organization, (b) proposed measures to overcome the underrepresentation of women from certain Member States and (c) a detailed programme of activities, including monitoring procedures and a timetable for their completion;

5. Also requests the Secretary-General, within existing resources, to ensure that adequate machinery, with the authority of enforcement and the responsibility of accountability, including a senior-level official devoted to implementation of the action programme, is maintained and, to the extent possible, strengthened during the course of the action programme for the period 1991-1995;

6. Requests Member States to continue to support the efforts of the United Nations, including the regional commissions, and of the specialized agencies and related organizations to increase the participation of women in the Professional category and above by, inter alia, nominating more women candidates, especially for senior policy-level and decision-making posts, by encouraging women to apply for vacant posts and by creating national rosters of women candidates to be shared with the Secretariat and the executive bodies of the specialized agencies and related organizations;

7. Further requests the Secretary-General to ensure that his annual report, updated as appropriate, on progress achieved, includes strategies and modalities for implementing the action programme and the relevant mandates adopted by the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, and to submit the report to the Commission on the Status of Women at its thirty-sixth session and to the General Assembly at its forty-sixth session, as well as to those bodies that have administrative, budgetary and personnel responsibilities for the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat.