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Draft Platform for Action
1. United Nations
United Nations Development Fund for Women

336. [As an autonomous fund in association with UNDP, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) increases options and opportunities for women's economic and social development in developing countries by providing technical and financial assistance to incorporate the women's dimension into development at all levels. UNIFEM should review and strengthen its work programme for implementing the Platform for Action. UNIFEM should be given adequate resources to enable it to undertake concrete actions and activities for the implementation of the Platform for Action. Its advocacy role should be increased by fostering international awareness of women's empowerment. Adequate resources for carrying out its functions should be made available.]

(Alternative to paragraph 336)

[The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) is the only entity in the United Nations system with the mandate of increasing options and opportunities for women's economic and social development in developing countries by providing technical and financial assistance to incorporate the women's dimension into development at all levels. Therefore, UNIFEM should review and strengthen its work programme in the light of the Platform for Action and the recommendations resulting from recent summits and conferences, all of which emphasize empowering women in the social and economic spheres. To that end, UNIFEM should be strengthened in order to enable it to undertake concrete actions and activities for the implementation of the Platform for Action. Its advocacy role should be increased by fostering international awareness and multilateral policy dialogue on women's empowerment, and adequate resources for carrying out its functions should be made available.]

(Alternative to paragraphs 335 and 336)

[The future roles and functioning of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) should be considered in the light of the decision to be taken by the General Assembly at its fiftieth session on the proposal to merge the two organizations.]

Specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system

337. To strengthen their support for actions at the national level and to enhance their contributions to coordinated follow-up by the United Nations, each organization should set out the specific actions they will undertake, including goals and targets to realign priorities and redirect resources to meet the global priorities identified in the Platform for Action. There should be a clear delineation of responsibility and accountability. These proposals should in turn be reflected in the system-wide medium-term plan for the advancement of women for the period 1996-2001.

338. Each organization should commit itself at the highest level and, in pursuing its targets, should take steps to enhance and support the roles and responsibilities of its focal points on women's issues.

339. In addition, specialized agencies with mandates to provide technical assistance in developing countries, particularly in Africa and the least developed countries, should cooperate more to ensure the continuing promotion of the advancement of women.

340. The United Nations system should consider and provide appropriate technical assistance and other forms of assistance to the countries with economies in transition in order to facilitate solution of their specific problems regarding the advancement of women.

341. Each organization should accord greater priority to the recruitment and promotion of women at the Professional level to achieve gender balance, particularly at decision-making levels. The paramount consideration in the employment of the staff and in the determination of the conditions of service should be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity. Due regard should be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. Organizations should report regularly to their governing bodies on progress towards this goal.

342. Coordination of United Nations operational activities for development at the country level should be improved through the resident coordinator system in accordance with relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, in particular General Assembly resolution 47/199, to take full account of the Platform for Action.

2. Other international institutions and organizations

343. [In implementing the Platform for Action, international financial institutions should be encouraged to review and revise policies, procedures and staffing [with a view to providing new and additional resources] to ensure that investments and programmes benefit women and thus contribute to sustainable development. They should [consider] increase[ing] the number of women in high-level positions, increase staff training in gender analysis and institute policies and guidelines to ensure full consideration of the differential impact of lending programmes and other activities on women and men. The Bretton Woods institutions and other development agencies should be encouraged to have closer cooperation on gender issues in order to strengthen the effectiveness of the international response in this field.]

344. [The General Assembly should give consideration to inviting the World Trade Organization to consider how it might contribute to the implementation of the Platform for Action, including activities in cooperation with the United Nations system.]

345. International non-governmental organizations have an important role to play in implementing [and monitoring the implementation of] the Platform for Action. [Consideration should be given to establishing a mechanism for collaborating with non-governmental organizations to monitor implementation of the Platform at various levels.]

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