UN System and Inter-Agency Coordination Mechanisms
Inter-agency bodies to ensure the development and effective implementation of UN standards, including the integration of gender perspectives in thematic/sector issues and related products
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Introduction Title
UN Women works collaboratively to support gender mainstreaming in the work of other UN entities
Introduction Description
UN Women provides coordinated inputs to various intergovernmental forums and inter-agency mechanisms to support expanded global commitments to gender equality.
CEB, HLCP and HLCM
UN Women coordinates and supports senior management participation in the biannual meetings of the United Nations Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) and it’s two subsidiary bodies: the High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) and the High-Level Committee on Management (HLCM).
The CEB is the longest-standing and highest-level coordination forum of the United Nations system. The 31-member body, consisting of heads of UN entities, is chaired by the UN Secretary-General and meets twice a year. UN Women is a member. CEB’s main responsibility is to serve as an internal coordination mechanism that provides system-wide strategic guidance, promotes coherent leadership, shared vision, and enhanced cooperation, and considers forward-looking solutions in response to mandates stemming from the governing bodies of its member organizations. Read more.
The High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP)
HLCP is the principal mechanism for system-wide coordination and policy coherence in the programme area. It is responsible to CEB for fostering coherence, cooperation, and coordination on the programme dimensions of strategic issues facing the UN System. The Committee is composed of senior representatives from CEB member organizations responsible for programme planning and development who meet twice a year in regular session. Read more.
The High-Level Committee on Management (HLCM)
HLCM identifies and analyses administrative management reforms with the aim of improving efficiency and simplifying business practices. The Committee is comprised of senior administrative managers from the member organizations of the United Nations system who meet twice a year. Read more.
UN Sustainable Development Group
UN Women participates in the UN Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), contributing to the promotion of gender mainstreaming throughout the guidance, support, tracking and oversight of development operations in 162 countries and territories
The UNSDG provides strategic direction and oversight to the UN development system with the aim of maximizing its impact on sustainable development, particularly at the country level. At the global level, the UNSDG is chaired by the UN Deputy Secretary-General, with the UNDP Administrator serving as Vice-Chair. Membership comprises the executive heads of 37 UNSDG member entities with UN Development Coordination Office (UNDCO) serving as Secretariat. At the regional level, Regional Collaborative Platforms provide a means for the UN Development System collaboration on sustainable development. At country level, UNDCO supports resident coordinators who oversee activities across UN Country Teams and ensures that all standard operating procedures of the UNSDG are implemented, including common country analyses, UN sustainable development cooperation frameworks, business operations strategies and pooled funding mechanisms.
The single largest network of gender focal points in the UN system
The Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) includes representatives from over 70 UN departments, specialized agencies, funds and programmes. The Executive Director of UN Women serves as its chair. The Director of the UN System Coordination Division serves as its secretary. The IANWGE holds an annual meeting in which gender focal points from all the organizations and bodies of the UN System represented participate. The meetings are a platform for deliberations on system-wide issues, knowledge sharing, and follow-up action on key topics.
Financing for Gender Equality
As gender equality continues to be a top priority for the UN system, it is imperative to provide financial support to turn policy into reality
Efforts to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women are understaffed and underfunded throughout the UN. A 2017 report found that only 2.03% of development system expenditure is allocated to gender equality and women’s empowerment (SDG 5), while only 2.6% of personnel work on the issue. The Secretary-General convened a High-Level Task Force on Financing for Gender Equality in 2018. The task force’s recommendations were adopted by the Executive Committee of the Secretary-General in 2019, with harmonized gender equality markers and financial targets and increased funding for gender-related programming as key objectives.
UN inter-agency pooled funds provide a financing mechanism for jointly-agreed UN priority programmes and enable collective UN action. The funds are held by a UN fund administrator with allocations made by a steering committee. Pooled funds have been set up to operate at country, regional and global levels to support UN interventions on topics/themes that are covered by a UN mandate. As per the recommendations of the High-Level Task Force on Financing for Gender Equality, gender equality markers and financial targets are being integrated in pooled funding mechanisms.
In 2009, the Secretary-General called on all UN entities to institute a “gender marker” to assist “in tracking the proportion of funds devoted to advancing gender equality.” The Gender Equality Marker system tracks and reports on allocations and expenditures invested in gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment. The Secretary-General High-Level Task Force on Financing for Gender Equality adopted in December 2019 a set of recommendations to harmonize the implementation of gender equality markers and financial targets, as well as to expand the resource base internally. Introduced in 2018, the UNCT Gender Equality Marker is applied to sub-outputs in UNCT Joint Work Plans using a four-point coding scale to determine the extent to which sub-outputs contribute to gender equality.
Gender Theme Groups
The role of country level Gender Theme Groups is to support and advise UNCTs on how to enhance gender mainstreaming at the country level
UN Gender Theme Groups (GTGs) exist in roughly 120 countries, facilitating inter-agency coordination on gender equality issues and driving progress across the work of the UN at the country level. The UNSDG Gender Theme Groups: Standards and Procedures provides guidance to RCs, UNCTs, individual UN entities and UN staff, GTG chairs and members on standards related to the role, functions and working methods of GTGs.
Gateway to Inter-Agency Coordination Mechanisms for Thematic Areas
UN Women engages with UN partners to promote system-wide investments and results for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls across the three pillars of the UN: peace and security, human rights, and development. UN Women advocates for gender equality considerations to be mainstreamed in inter-agency mechanisms, products, processes and decisions by working to develop norms, standards and enhanced accountability at global, regional and country levels.
UN Women’s knowledge products, developed through inter-agency processes, support the integration and dissemination of gender considerations in system-wide processes and key thematic areas .
The document outlines the organization’s strategy to implement the UN Women Strategic Plan (2022 – 2025) and specifically its Systemic Outcome 7 which - in the main1 - frames the organization’s UN system coordination work on gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) as reflected in its development results framework.
The checklist provides minimum requirements for integrating gender equality in the UN framework for immediate socioeconomic and health system support in response to COVID-19.
This document provides guidance to RCs, UNCTs, individual UN entities and UN staff, GTG chairs and members on standards related to the role, functions and working methods of GTGs.
Ces normes et procédures visent à combler certaines lacunes tout en exploitant le potentiel existant, en clarifiant la manière dont les GTG doivent fonctionner dans le contexte des nouveaux cadres et processus, en abordant les difficultés et les opportunités actuelles d’une manière globalement cohérente, dans les contextes nationaux.
