World Bulletin
At Last, a New Agency: UN Women
By Barbara Crossette
Tiina Intelmann, Estonia’s ambassador to the UN, speaking at a press conference on July 2 on the new UN Women agency. She is the chairwoman of the Second Committee (economic and financial) at the General Assembly. Devra Berkowitz/UN Photo |
July 7 -- On July 2, after years of talk and months of tough negotiating, the General Assembly finally acted to create a new agency called UN Women, with immediate effect. Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon promises to appoint a head for the agency at under secretary-general level by the end of July. The person will become part of the UN’s top management team.
The move was applauded, albeit cautiously, by advocates for a stronger body for women in the UN capable of putting life into a pile of pledges made over more than 15 years to ensure gender equality and enhance the power of women globally. Leaders of the Gear campaign, a network of more than 300 groups promoting women’s rights, human rights and social justice worldwide, said that when the resolution creating the agency was adopted that its effectiveness could be assured only if it has a strong leader and adequate financing, much of which will depend on voluntary donations by governments.
“We know that this is only the beginning,” said Rachel Harris of the Women’s Environment and Development Organization, or Wedo. Charlotte Bunch of the Center for Women’s Global Leadership at Rutgers, New Jersey’s state university, judged the outcome of the prolonged General Assembly debate as the best that could be achieved and urged women’s organizations and others that campaigned for the agency to turn now to ensuring that it is staffed well and supported generously.
Susan E. Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, said in a statement on Friday that “UN Women recognizes the universality of the goal of improving women’s lives, from economic empowerment and increased women’s participation in political processes to protection of women and girls from violence and discrimination.”
The title of the agency, described by the assembly resolution as a composite of four existing lower-level offices dealing with women, will be “a United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, to be known as UN Women.” It is expected to be operating by Jan. 1, 2011. It already has a Web site: www.unwomen.org.
Barbara Crossette is the United Nations correspondent for The Nation and a former New York Times UN bureau chief.
Keywords: UN Women, Charlotte Bunch, Gear, Rachel Harris, General Assembly, Ban Ki-moon, Susan E. Rice
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