UN General Assembly Establishes “UN Women” Agency
by Bojana Koljancic, PPAF Intern
On Friday, July 2 the United Nations General Assembly formally adopted a resolution that includes establishment of “UN Women,” the new gender equality agency at the UN. The formal name is the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. (A/64/L.56). This momentous action is the result of years of negotiations between UN Member States and advocacy by the global women’s movement.
PPAF works to promote the advancement of women in its activities in its focus countries and welcomes this new important agency.
UN Women will function as a secretariat and also will carry out operational activities at the country level; it brings together four parts of the UN system:
- the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), established in 1946;
- the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), established in 1976, and with its headquarters in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic;
- the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI), established in 1997; and
- the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), established in 1976).
The new body will be headed by an Under-Secretary General who will be a member of all senior UN decision-making bodies and will report to the Secretary-General. [Keep reading for more information on UN Women and on Ambassador Cuello's statement concerning a role for UN Women in the Dominican Republic.] Read more…
