WUNRN
GEAR - UN Gender Equality
Architecture Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
Dear Friends,
We are writing to share the latest
information on GEAR from New York.
As you know, the UN General
Assembly unanimously adopted a landmark System-wide Coherence resolution on
September 14, 2009 that will enable the creation of the new women’s entity at
the UN. The resolution includes three specific paragraphs related to the gender
equality architecture as follow: the first paragraph “strongly supports” the
creation of the women’s entity based on the Composite model (previously called
“hybrid”); the second paragraph “supports” that the new entity be headed by an
under Secretary-General (USG) who will report directly to the
Secretary-General, to be appointed by him, in consultation with Member states,
on the basis of equitable geographical representation and gender balance; and
finally the third paragraph requests the Secretary-General to produce a
“proposal” outlining the organizational structure of the entity in view of the
inter-governmental negotiations.
Appointment process of a USG
The SG's office is preparing a
proposal with terms of reference and criteria for the selection of the
USG. It now seems like the appointment of the USG is likely to happen
after the intergovernmental negotiations have begun in Feb., 2010.
Working with our regional focal points, the GEAR Campaign has developed
selection criteria for the USG post. We want to emphasize the need
for criteria before the governments get into deep lobbying over
candidates. The list of criteria is attached. It includes five main
attributes that we believe the future USG should possess, with an emphasis on
experience in, and a demonstrated commitment to gender equality and women’s
human rights. We also believe that the USG should have an interest in engaging
with civil society, as well as an ability to engage with key actors in
international negotiation and to raise funds. Feel free to circulate the
criteria within your networks so that the Secretary General and member states
hear the same message from various angles.
The campaign is also discussing
potential names for the USG position. Please do send any ideas you have or what
you hear about potential candidates and we will include to the
list. We recently sent a letter to the SG requesting a meeting on
this and urging him to move swiftly on the proposal and the appointment of a
USG to lead the entity.
Secretary-General’s Proposal
The DSG has begun work on the
Composite gender entity proposal, mandated in Para 3 of the resolution –
above. Sally Fegan-Wyles (from Ireland) has been appointed as the
coordinator for the preparation of that proposal in the office of the
DSG. Previously, she was the head of the UNDG (UN Development Group) for
a number of years and recently was in charge of the preparation of a major
secretariat report on Peace-Building in the Aftermath of Conflict. She has also
worked in Africa for UNICEF and as a resident coordinator. She has been
working in collaboration with the four existing entities since October 20th.
She will retire from the UN soon and has no vested interest in any of the
existing entities or in the new USG position.
Several of us met with her on
October 27, 2009 and were impressed by the speed and effectiveness with which
she has undertaken this process. While Sally is not an expert in gender
equality, she knows the UN system well and hopes to use that knowledge to help
propose an effective structure for the women’s entity that the new USG will
then shape with her vision and gender equality content..
Sally is working with the four
entities plus UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF and has begun to consult with member
states, regional groups, and the GEAR Campaign in this process. Her
understanding of the composite entity so far seems to be similar to what we
have advocated: A stronger voice at a higher level that does both
normative/global policy work and is operational with the technical capacity to
help governments and civil society produce on the gaps and challenges of gender
equality programming at country level as well as to coordinate and ensure
accountability on gender mainstreaming.
TIMELINE:
1.
A
rough draft proposal should go to the DSG in a couple of weeks and a final one by
mid-Dec, 2009. The DSG is meeting with Civil Society/GEAR Campaign groups in
NYC on Nov. 12th and we will report from that meeting to this list.
2.
Once
approved by the SG/DSG, the proposal will go for translation and out to member
states by the end of 2009; They will consider the proposal for
approval in a special session of the GA in early February and NGOS must urge
them to act on it swiftly – hopefully to know by March at the CSW.
3.
The
SG will present his plans for the USG – hopefully by the time of the March 1st
CSW Beijing + 15 Meeting.
Beijing +15 regional meetings in
Asia/Pacific and Europe/North America have affirmed the importance of GEAR and
hopefully the remaining regions will also do so. The CSW review in March
will clearly be a great time to mobilize support and take the process to the
next stages.
What we need to do now
Key steps remain to be taken and
the voices of civil society must continue to be strong if an effective
full-fledged women’s rights agency is to emerge. We must renew and
strengthen our efforts to bring this to final closure.
Ø
Pressure
Member states to agree on a proposal in Feb without further delay and
especially to come to agreement on outstanding issues like its governance;
Ø
Urge
states to commit “ambitious” funding for a good start of the effort that totals
$1 billion including both assessed and voluntary (core) support;
Ø
Ensure
that civil society voices are present in the discussions of the entity and in
its future deliberations at every level – local, national, regional, and
global;
Ø
Monitor
the appointment process for the USG, and demand consideration of our selection
criteria, so that an effective high level advocate for women is appointed to
lead the entity.
Finally, we
must call on the leadership of the Secretary-General, the President of the
General Assembly and member states to facilitate the inter-governmental process
in an expeditious, but effective manner in order to launch the new entity in
2010.
We have
achieved so much, but we must continue to work to make the new women’s entity a
reality once and for all.
Colette and Charlotte for the GEAR
Campaign
Colette Tamko
Gender & Governance Program Coordinator
Women's Environment & Development Organization
355 Lexington Avenue, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10017
Tel. (212) 973-0325 x 211
================================================================
To contact the list administrator, or to leave the list, send an email to:
wunrn_listserve-request@lists.wunrn.com. Thank you.