Minister lobbies for streamlined UN gender entity

New Zealand's support for the formation of a streamlined United Nations' (UN) gender entity is a central lobbying point for Minister Pansy Wong's visit to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York this week.

This year's CSW is focused on the 15 year anniversary of the Beijing Declaration which set out to enhance the social, economic and political empowerment of women, improve their health and their access to education.

"There is a positive mood amongst the 9000 strong attendees to CSW confirming the Beijing Declaration, however progress is still wanting. The fact that little improvement has been achieved in issues such as 1500 women dying daily from maternal mortality is the need to have a streamlined gender entity to ensure progress can be made."

This streamlined gender entity was set in motion last year through a United Nations' General Assembly (UNGA) resolution to improve the coherency of UN systems. This proposed that the four UN agencies that work for women - the Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Division for the Advancement of Women, the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) - be streamlined into one body.

"It just makes sense to streamline these bodies into one; a single entity to campaign for women the world over. This body will better equip the UN to support the advancement and empowerment of women."

"I've had very positive feedback from meetings with Ministers, senior officials and Ambassadors from Canada, China, Indonesia, Jordan, Korea, Norway, the Philippines, Samoa, the UK and the USA who are all supportive of the formation of the new entity."

"It is a credit to New Zealand's reputation as an active international player that we are able to have high level bi-lateral meetings and make a positive impact."