Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women.

 

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women

  The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 31/133 of 16 December 1976, containing the criteria and arrangements for the management of the Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women, Recalling also its resolution 36/129 of 14 December 1981, in which it decided that the Fund should continue its activities beyond the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Recalling further its resolution 37/62 of 3 December 1982 and, in particular, its view that the appointment of senior women's programme officers at the regional commissions represents a valuable contribution to the implementation of the goals of the Decade, Reaffirming that questions concerning women should be approached and dealt with as an integral part of overall policies and programmes in the field of social and economic development, Noting with appreciation the effective management and continuing expansion of the activities of the Fund and the co-operation extended by relevant bodies of the United Nations - including the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Development Programme and the regional commissions - and non-governmental organizations, Welcoming the contributions made by Member States and non-governmental organizations towards the implementation of the goals of the Decade, Taking note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Fund,

1. Takes note with satisfaction of the recommendations of the Consultative Committee on the Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women at its thirteenth and fourteenth sessions, referred to in the report of the Secretary-General;

2. Expresses its concern that the question of senior women's programme officers posts at the regional commissions is still unresolved and that lack of progress in this regard is seriously impeding the work with the women's programmes in several regions;

3. Urges the Secretary-General, in consultation with the executive secretaries of the regional commissions, to give priority to solving the question of senior women's programme officers and to take urgently appropriate measures to ensure that all temporary and permanent senior women's programme officers posts at the regional commissions should be continued within regular budget resources available to them;

4. Notes with satisfaction the continuing increase in the number of projects submitted to and financed by the resources of the Fund and their contribution to promoting the involvement of women in development;

5. Considers that the Fund has a unique contribution to make in the technical assistance field to the implementation of the goals of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace;

6. Stresses that the Fund also has a unique contribution to make to the achievement of the goals of the Third United Nations Development Decade, and even beyond it;

7. Expresses its appreciation for the voluntary support given to the Fund by Member States, national committees for the Fund, national United Nations associations and other non-governmental organizations;

8. Notes with concern that contributions to the Fund have not been sufficient to enable it to take on all the worthwhile projects submitted to it;

9. Notes that contributions by Governments have a vital role to play in maintaining and increasing the financial viability and effectiveness of the work of the Fund;

10. Urges, accordingly, Governments to continue and increase, where possible, their contributions to the Fund and calls upon those Governments that have not yet done so to consider contributing to the Fund;

11. Decides that, when considering the reports of the Secretary-General to be submitted to the General Assembly at its thirty-ninth session pursuant to Assembly resolution 36/129, all possible options for continuing the Fund's activities beyond the end of the Decade will be reviewed in depth;

12. Requests that the results of the forward-looking assessment that is being undertaken on the activities assisted by the Fund be reflected in the reports of the Secretary-General on the Fund to be submitted to the General Assembly at its thirty-ninth session;

13. Takes note with appreciation of the measures taken by the Secretary-General, in response to resolution 37/62, to improve and streamline the administration of the Fund;

14. Commends the United Nations Development Programme on its continuing technical and resource assistance to the Fund;

15. Requests the Secretary-General:

(a) To continue to report annually on the management of the Fund and on the progress of its activities and to include in his report to the General Assembly at its thirty-ninth session information on implementation of the measures taken in response to paragraph 3 above;

(b) To continue to include the Fund, on an annual basis, as one of the programmes for which funds are pledged at the United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities.