New United Nations Agency for Women?

On November 9 2006, the Secretary-General’s High Level Panel on System-Wide Coherence released its report, Delivering as One. This report recommends the establishment of one dynamic UN entity focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment, headed by an Executive Director with the rank of Under Secretary-General. This gender entity would consolidate the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues (OSAGI) and UNIFEM, the three existing UN entities which currently deal with women’s equality and empowerment.

On April 3 2007, the Secretary General responded to the recommendations in the report by agreeing with the Panel’s assessment on the need to consolidate and strengthen the current structures in a UN entity focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Secretary General, however, announced that he would await the outcome of the Member States discussions regarding the establishment of a single entity focusing on gender equality before he proceeds.

Currently all Panel recommendations which require intergovernmental approval by the General Assembly, including the establishment of a gender entity, are stalled, and no action has been taken.

Women’s organizations across the globe have been vocal on their support for a stronger, higher level and better resourced women’s agency. To learn more about initiatives taken by women’s organizations please visit:
Women's Environment and Development Organization
Nobel Women's Initiative
Centre for Women's Global Leadership

To download the report, Delivering as One, click here:
Delivering as One

To download the report of the Secretary General on the recommendations contained in the report of the Panel, click here:
Secretary General

To download remarks by Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, emphasizing his support for an international agency for women, click here:
Stephen Lewis