27 July 1993

43rd plenary meeting

System-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolution 1988/59 of 27 July 1988, by which it requested the Secretary-General, in his capacity as Chairman of the Administrative Committee on Coordination, to initiate the formulation of a system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women for the period 1996-2001,

Having considered the note by the Secretariat containing the proposed system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women for the period 1996-2001,

Convinced that a system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women can enhance coordination among the organizations of the United Nations system by providing a framework for including advancement of women in individual medium-

term plans and programme statements,

Bearing in mind the fact that the United Nations planning cycle to which the system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women was matched has changed, and that there has been a general shift to a more strategic form of planning,

Recognizing that the Platform for Action to emerge from the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace cannot be reflected in the system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women for the period 1996-2001, which must be approved in 1993,

1. Endorses the system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women for the period 1996-2001 as a general framework for the coordination of system-

wide efforts, as revised in the light of the comments set out in the annex to resolution 37/1 of 24 March 1993 of the Commission on the Status of Women;

2. Requests the organizations of the United Nations system that are preparing medium-term plans for the period 1996-2001 to incorporate relevant aspects of the system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women in formulating their individual plans in terms of advancement of women;

3. Also requests the organizations of the United Nations system, when implementing the system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women, to take account of the importance of ensuring that humanitarian relief, rehabilitation and refugee programmes provide for the health needs of women and for their protection from violence and sexual abuse, especially in emergency and conflict situations;

4. Requests the Secretary-General, in his capacity as Chairman of the Administrative Committee on Coordination, to arrange for a revision of the system-wide medium-term plan after the Platform for Action and the second review and appraisal of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women have been formulated and adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace;

5. Further requests the Secretary-General to ensure that any revised system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women be more concise, take account of the changes in the United Nations planning cycle, take a more strategic approach, highlighting policy implications, and include more substantial strategies, time-frames, concrete measures, resources and allocation of responsibility for implementation;

6. Decides that the Commission on the Status of Women, together with the Committee for Programme and Coordination, should be given the responsibility for monitoring progress on the system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women and that all United Nations entities should be held accountable for the components of the system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women that fall within their areas of responsibility.