1. Orientation Briefing on un-women
Briefing on UN Women – New York 17 January 2013

2. System-wide interagency
Mandate and Functions
Consolidation and transfer of existing mandates and functions to DAW, OSAGI, UNIFEM and INSTRAW =
Normative
Operational +
System-wide interagency
SLIDE 2
In its resolution 64/289, the General Assembly decided to create UN Women as a composite entity by consolidating and transferring to the Entity the existing mandates and functions of the DAW, OSAGI, UNIFEM and INSTRAW.
The mandates and functions of UN Women can be grouped into three clusters:
First is the normative cluster where UN Women supports intergovernmental bodies, such as the CSW, the ECOSOC and General Assembly.
Second is the operational cluster where UN Women helps Member States to implement these standards by providing technical and financial support to countries, upon their request and through partnerships with civil society.
Third is the system-wide interagency cluster where UN Women leads, coordinates and promotes accountability of the UN system in its work on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The UN Women’s work is guided by the Beijing Platform for Action, the CEDAW Convention; the Millennium Declaration, relevant resolutions and decisions of the GA, ECOSOC and CSW, as well as other applicable UN instruments, standards and resolutions.
Orientation Briefing on UN-Women – New York 17 January 2013

3. Governance
The General Assembly, ECOSOC and the Executive Board constitutes the multi-tiered intergovernmental governance structure for the operational activities and provides operational policy guidance to UN-Women
The General Assembly, ECOSOC and the CSW constitutes the multi-tiered intergovernmental governance structure for the normative support functions and provides normative policy guidance to UN-Women
SLIDE 3
The Governance structure of UN Women is multi-tiered.
The CSW together with the GA and ECOSOC constitutes the multi-tiered intergovernmental governance structure for the normative support functions and provides normative policy guidance for the Entity
The Executive Board, together with the GA and ECOSOC constitutes the multi-tiered intergovernmental governance structure for the operational activities and provides operational policy guidance for the Entity.
Orientation Briefing on UN-Women – New York 17 January 2013

4. Structure Executive Director\Under-Secretary-General
Two Deputy Executive Directors\Assistant Secretary- Generals
Field presence centered around five regional centres
Staff and personnel in about 80 programme countries
SLIDE 4
The Entity is headed by an Executive Director, Ms Michele Bachelet, at the USG level.
The Entity is composed of two bureaus – the Intergovernmental Support, Coordination and Strategic Partnerships Bureau , headed by Ms. Lakshmi Puri; and the second is the Policy and Programme Bureau headed by Mr. John Hendra. Both positions are at the ASG level.
The majority of UN Women’s staff and personnel are deployed in about 80 programme countries.
Regional centers are in Panama for LAC; Barbados for the Caribbean; Dakar for West Africa; Nairobi for East Africa; Bangkok for Asia and the Pacific; Cairo for Arab States. The newest regional center will be established in Istanbul for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Orientation Briefing on UN-Women – New York 17 January 2013

5. Strategy and Priorities
Five thematic areas
Women’s political leadership and participation
Economic empowerment
National planning and budgeting
Ending violence against women
Women, peace and security
SLIDE 5
UN Women’s strategy and its priorities are set out in its Strategic Plan for
The five thematic priorities are:
Women’s political leadership and participation;
Economic empowerment;
National planning and budgeting;
Ending violence against women; and
Women, peace and security.
Orientation Briefing on UN-Women – New York 17 January 2013

6. Results – sample for global level
Gender dimensions in intergovernmental processes and outcomes
UN high-level decision-making bodies pay increased attention to gender dimensions in their input to intergovernmental meetings (i.e. CEB statement on Rio+20, LDC conference)
Gender equality and women’s empowerment included as a stand-alone section in the Rio+20 outcome document and mainstreamed in other thematic areas
Support to the QCPR process including through providing inputs into the SG report
Intensely engaged in deliberations on the post development agenda
SLIDE 6
UN Women has seen some notable results in its normative, operational and system-wide interagency work at global and country levels.
UN high-level decision-making bodies pay increased attention to gender dimensions in their input to intergovernmental meetings (i.e. CEB statement on Rio+20, LDC conference).
Gender equality and women’s empowerment was included as a stand-alone section in the Rio+20 outcome document and mainstreamed in other thematic areas.
Inputs on gender equality and women’s empowerment were provided and reflected in the SG report on the QCPR.
There has been Intense engagement in deliberations on the post-2015 development agenda.
Orientation Briefing on UN-Women - 17 January 2013

7. Results – sample for country-level
In 2011 and 2012 eight countries increased the number of women elected to office at the local and national levels
National planning documents incorporated priorities and allocated budgets for gender equality in 18 countries
Worked with 57 countries in 2011 to build capacity on advancing policy and legal reforms, developing new national action plans and improving serving delivery to end violence against women
Provided capacity development assistance in 21 countries in to promote women’s participation, access to justice and contributions to post-conflict and peacebuilding processes
Slide 7
There has also been progress across the five thematic areas of UN Women, especially as it relates to support for capacity building and development as highlighted in the operational activities report before the Executive Board next week.
Orientation Briefing on UN-Women – New York 17 January 2013

8. Results – global and country level
Coordination and accountability for gender equality strengthened:
Chairing or co-chairing gender theme groups in 45 countries
Contributed to the development of United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks in some 20 countries
Offices in all eight “Delivering as one” pilot countries
Expanded and strengthened partnerships with UN entities – UNFPA, UNESCO and UN-Habitat
A system-wide action plan on GEWE endorsed by CEB
Slide 8:
UN Women continues to make significant progress in driving more effective and efficient coordination within the UN system and in building strategic partnerships.
UN Women is working on the interagency front at the country level as part of the resident coordinator system and has assumed a leadership role in coordinating the work on gender equality.
Currently chairs or co-chairs gender theme groups in 45 countries
Contributed to the development of the UNDAFs in 20 countries
UN Women has offices in all eight ‘Delivering as One’ pilot countries and is closely working with the RCs and the UNCTs.
As it relates to accountability for GEWE, we are rolling out the UN SWAP adopted by the CEB in April This Plan establishes an accountability framework for the work of each UN entity on GEWE.
The recent call in the QCPR for UN organizations to use accountability mechanisms including the score card provides UN women with a strong platform to further enhance accountability of the UN system for GEWE.
Orientation Briefing on UN-Women – New York 17 January 2013