Employment of women in senior and other professional positions by the secretariats of organizations in the United Nations system

XXVII. Resolutions adopted on the reports of the third committee
3009. Employment of women in senior and other professional positions by the secretariats of organizations in the United Nations system

The General Assembly, Recalling the declarations and instruments adopted by the United Nations acknowledging the equality of status of men and women-inter alia, the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights[1] the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women[2] and also relevant instruments of the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Recalling its resolution 2715 (XXV) of 15 December 1970, in which it requested the Secretary-General to include in his report to the General Assembly on the composition of the Secretariat data on the employment of women at senior and other professional levels, including their numbers and the positions they occupy, Noting with appreciation that the report of the Secretary-General on the composition of the Secretariat submitted to the General Assembly at its twenty-sixth session[3] included for the first time some information on the employment of women, showing the number of women and the level at which they were employed in senior and professional positions within the secretariats of organizations in the United Nations system, and that a further report has been submitted to the General Assembly at its twenty-seventh session[4] which likewise includes data on the employment of women, Noting that, as at 30 June 1972, no women were employed within the United Nations Secretariat at the Under-Secretary-General or Assistant-Secretary-General level, that only three of the total of 59 employed at the D-2 level were women, and that only four of the total of 181 employed at the D-1 level were women, Further noting that in the less senior and professional ranks of the Secretariat the percentage of women is in inverse proportion to the level of the position, ranging from 6.2 per cent of the staff at the P-5 level to 40.4 per cent at the P-1 level in posts subject to geographical distribution, and from 7.3 per cent at the P-5 level to 39.8 per cent at the P-1 level for the Secretariat as a whole, Noting as well that in all the other organizations in the United Nations common system there are no women at the highest levels, only one woman employ at the D-2 level and only 10 women at the D-1 level,

1. Notes with satisfaction the recent appoint by the Secretary-General of a woman to the ran Assistant Secretary-General and hopes that more women will be appointed to positions at high levels of the United Nations Secretariat;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to include in his annual report to the General Assembly on the composition of the Secretariat more comprehensive data on the employment of women in the secretariats of the organizations in the United Nations system, so as to show the nature of posts and types of duties performed by women at the professional and policy-making levels;

3. Urges once again the organizations in the United Nations system to take or continue to take appropriate measures, including more extensive publicizing of the right of individuals personally to apply for vacant positions, in order to ensure equal opportunities for the employment of qualified women at the senior and professional levels and in policy-making positions;

4. Calls upon Member States, when proposing nationals for appointment to the senior and professional positions in the secretariats of the organizations in the United Nations system, to give full consideration to submitting the candidatures of qualified women for all positions, particularly at the policy-making level.

2113th plenary meeting
18 December 1972

---

[1] See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex. [2] Resolution 2263 (XXII). [3] A/8483. [4] A/8831 and Corr.1 and Add.1.