This Technical Note aims to guide UNCTs on how to mainstream gender equality considerations into planning and programming work as part of their ongoing COVID-19 response and recovery effort.

This background note provides an overview of existing gender equality markers and reviews issues relating to the tracking and monitoring of investments related to gender equality and women’s empowerment. It is intended as an input into the development of a guidance note for the UN system on principles and standards for the design, implementation and reporting systems on investments that support gender equality and women’s empowerment in the UN system. The target audience is the staff and leadership of UN entities and their development and humanitarian implementing partners

The purpose of the Guidelines is to provide guidance on how to consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in all disability-specific and general decision-making processes across the UN’s work, as mandated in the UNDIS’ entity accountability framework and UNCT accountability scorecard, in order to enhance the participation of persons with disabilities to reach programmatic and operational goals and leave no one behind. This document provides guidance on how to make participation of persons with disabilities meaningful.

The Guidelines are intended to assist all UN personnel, whether they are working in human rights, sustainable development, humanitarian assistance, peace and security, or operational functions to consult with and actively involve with persons with disabilities and their representative organizations across programmes and operations – from planning and design to implementation, monitoring and evaluation.