WUNRN
GEAR - UN Gender Equality
Architecture Reform
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GEAR
Campaign Response to the Report of the Secretary-General - Comprehensive
Proposal for the Composite Gender Equality Entity
Revised February 2010
The Gender
Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign, a network comprised of more than
300 women’s, human rights, and social justice groups from around the world
urges Member States and the UN Secretariat to move swiftly forward on a
resolution that will create the gender equality entity and set up a global
transparent process for recruiting the Under secretary General to head
it. In this historic year of celebration of the 15th anniversary of
the Beijing Platform for Action and of the four world conferences on Women held
since 1975, there should be no further delay in moving to implement changes
that the United Nations has recognized as critical to fulfilling its mandate in
working for gender equality as a critical component of development, human
rights, peace, and security.
The GEAR Campaign has been actively engaged in the process of working to reform
the United Nations gender equality architecture over the past four years and in
this context, welcomed the September 14, 2009 General Assembly’s decision to
support the consolidation of the existing four UN gender equality entities into
a composite women’s entity (Resolution 63/311) and its request for a
comprehensive proposal outlining key organizational arrangements for the new
women’s entity. We are pleased that the Secretary-General has produced this
report including detailed organizational recommendations for the new entity,
for consideration by Member states during this 64th session of the GA.
The “Comprehensive proposal for the composite gender equality entity” moves the
process forward and addresses many of the key issues that are critical for the
launch of the new women’s entity. We support the Secretary-General’s
report as a guideline for taking action to set up the entity. However, it
falls short of what is needed on several important issues related to
country level operational capacity, long term funding for the entity, civil
society participation, and a clear timeline for the appointment of the Under
Secretary-General to head the entity.
Following is an analysis of some of these concerns in relation to our
Campaign’s key principles. We hope this will contribute to the
intergovernmental discussion and to a resolution adopted soon that addresses
these matters and sets up a strong and effective gender equality entity.
Strong country level presence and operational capacity
- We support the universal country presence outlined for
the entity and the description of the Composite’s work as flexible,
varying from country to country, with its functions performed in
accordance with the needs and circumstances of each host country. This is
consistent with the UN Delivering as One’s principles of country
ownership, and an understanding that one size does not fit all.
- Strengthening the UN’s programming capacity for women’s
empowerment and rights at the country level has always been a top priority
for GEAR in seeking a new entity, and this needs to be unequivocally
stated in the resolution that creates it. Previous DSG papers about the
entity (August 2007, July 2008 and March 2009) also led with country
driven programming as the number one function. We note with concern that
the order and description of the functions of the entity in this
Secretary-General’s report has been modified in ways that could weaken or
downplay the importance of the entity’s operational capacity on the
ground.
- For example, The report positively indicates in Para
9-e that the new entity will “lead and coordinate” the UN system actions
on gender equality including within the UN country team. However the paper
goes on to describe it in ways that imply it is a subsidiary entity,
putting emphasis on its need to work through others rather than on its
leadership of the system and its own programming capacity.
- The functions of the Composite entity at the country
level in relation to monitoring intergovernmental agreements has also been
weakened to say only “support member states in implementing and monitoring
international agreements” (Para 6-d and 9-c). The GEAR Campaign believes
that the entity should support states in implementation, but it must also
play a significant role in monitoring implementation of relevant UN
processes/agreements.
- On the issue of accountability of the UN System, we are
concerned by the language “with the leadership and strong support from the
resident coordinator” that the Composite entity will “help” strengthen the
UN country team’s commitments to achieve results on gender mainstreaming.
Based on experience, the GEAR Campaign sees the need for a clear
definition of the entity’s role as the leader for gender equality at the
operational level in countries, that is to be a strong driver on these
issues, regardless of whether it has support from the RC and the UNCT.
Member states can strengthen this critical function by indicating in the
resolution their support for the entity as responsible for holding the UN
system accountable for gender mainstreaming and for leading the work on
gender equality at all levels.
- With respect to the strong country presence, the report
fails to propose “a firm timeline backed with adequate resources and
concrete commitments by Member States for achieving … growth” that the DSG
paper of March 5, 2009 clearly called for. We expect the resolution
and process set up to address this need.
Financial
Architecture and Ambitious Funding
- The GEAR Campaign welcomes the report’s provision that
the Executive Director will have full authority in respect to all
financial matters.
- The report sets the total funding requirement for the
start-up phase at approximately US $500 million[1], with $125 million for
basic support capacity at all levels for normative and operational
support, and $375 million in catalytic funding for country-specific
programmatic support. The GEAR Campaign has called for a budget of US $ 1
Billion and the proposed $500 million falls short of what is needed to
achieve effective gender mainstreaming throughout the system and catalytic
gender equality programming at the country level. The $500 million figure
can only be understood as the resources necessary for the initial phase.
Member states must recognize that there will need to be increases in
resources rapidly and continuously over time. Furthermore, it must
be ensured that countries, especially the poorest ones, do not receive less
funding than what they are currently receiving from UNIFEM.
- The GEAR Campaign welcomes the SG’s call for core funds
and urges member states to pledge adequate multi-year core funding now to
enable the Composite entity’s effectiveness and its success at delivering
for women worldwide.
Effective
Civil Society Participation
- The GEAR Campaign has called for systematic and
meaningful participation of civil society, especially women’s
organizations in the new entity. The report does not propose
adequate mechanisms for Civil Society involvement in the new entity,
proposing only an Advisory board to the USG. The organizational chart and
structure only mention a “liaison with civil society and NGOs”, which is
less than a previous DSG’s paper that clearly noted that the new entity
would “develop solid partnerships with women’s organizations and other
stakeholders so as to ensure that the programme best meets the needs of
women on the ground.” (DSG paper, March 5, 2009 -para 43) The
resolution and process for setting up the entity should take this
opportunity to provide for creative ways to partner with civil society as
a critical component of creating a strong and effective women’s entity
that reflects a 21st century vision of the UN.
- References to women’s organizations – the constituency
that has a long history and expertise in working for gender equality
throughout the report are few. Previous Secretariat reports on the
entity highlighted the need to find meaningful ways to tap into the
expertise of these groups, and the process setting up the entity needs to
do likewise.
- While the proposed global civil society advisory board
to the USG is a useful mechanism for participation, it is imperative that
there be such advisory groups comprised of representatives from civil
society, especially women’s organizations, at regional and national levels
as well.
- Further GEAR continues to call for a formal role for
civil society in the governance structure of the entity.
Leadership
Criteria and USG Appointment
- In consultation with its broad global membership, the
GEAR Campaign has developed a set of criteria outlining the competences
that we believe a “strong, dynamic and capable USG” should possess, which
is attached for your consideration. We urge member states to
call for such qualities in the leadership of the entity.
- The Secretary-General’s report provides little clarity
on what “an open, transparent and rigorous recruitment process” for the
Under Secretary-General post will entail and fails to provide any timeline
for this critical appointment. We believe this process must begin
now in order to ensure an effective entity is in place before the end of
2010.
The United Nations has been an important arena for
galvanizing progress on women’s empowerment and gender equality over the
past 60 years. Yet, 15 years after the landmark Beijing Platform for
Action spelled out many steps to advance women’s rights in 12 areas, too little
has changed for the world’s women. To implement that agenda and close the
gap in realizing women’s rights, the UN has recognized the need for a strong,
well resourced coordinated body to be a driver for these goals at the highest
levels of leadership, both at Headquarters and in the field. The
Secretary General’s proposal provides a framework for moving forward on this
goal and the ball is now in the court of the member states. The time to
act on realizing this possibility is now.
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