Case Study: Gender and UN Reform in Viet Nam A call for engendering the One UN Reform Process

Transcription

1 Case Study: Gender and UN Reform in Viet Nam A call for engendering the One UN Reform Process 15 May 2009

2 The objective of this document is to review the One UN Process with specific consideration to gender issues in order to recommend actions that will improve attention to and action on gender equality and women's issues within the One UN Process in Vietnam.

3 Table of Contents Introduction... 1 Section I: Rationale, Objective of Study, Methodology... 4 Rationale... 4 Objective... 4 Methodology... 4 Section II: The Road to Delivering as One... 5 Building System-Wide Coherence... 7 Reforming as One UN... 8 Delivering as One Recommendations... 9 One UN Pilot Programmes GEAR and the One UN Gender mainstreaming vs. gender as a cross-cutting issue Section III: Case Study Viet Nam Viet Nam s Political System Viet Nam s Economy Gender Issues in Viet Nam The One UN Process in Viet Nam Section IV: Viet Nam, Gender, and the UN Gender and Viet Nam s One UN Plan Section V: Civil Society Involvement with the One UN Initiative Challenges to Gender in Viet Nam s One Programme Gender-Specific Activities of the One Plan Section VI: Challenges and Recommendations Challenges Recommendations Conclusion [2]

4 Case Study: Gender and UN Reform in Vietnam A call for engendering the One UN Reform Process Introduction Women play a critical role in driving economic development throughout the world. According to The Economist, the increase in female employment has been the main driving force of economic growth in the last few decades.[1] Research conducted by Women Thrive Worldwide has shown that women in poor countries are more likely to spend their income on food, education and healthcare for their children, creating powerful, positive and measurable benefits to society.[2] Empowering women economically can lift entire families and communities out of poverty. Despite the strong correlation between broader economic growth and women s involvement in development, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) continues to find that women make up a majority (more than seventy percent) of the world s poor.[3] Not only do women play an important role in driving development, but the well-being of women and their families is tied to an equal sharing of responsibilities and a harmonious partnership between women and men. For true democracy to exist, women must have full and equal political participation.[4] Despite the important role women play in driving development, the international community has not put sufficient resources to address gender inequalities. According to Ritu Sharma of Women Thrive Worldwide, The millions of women, who grow eighty percent of the food in developing countries, do not enjoy the benefits of their work because of their low social and economic status Conventional assistance programs are often not designed taking into account the different roles women and men farmers play, effectively shutting women out of aid that could greatly improve the health and welfare 1 The Importance of Sex: The Economic Power of Women, Economist, 12 April 2006, 2 The Millennium Challenge Corporation, MCC and Women Thrive Worldwide Host Public Forum Focusing on Women s Roles in Solving the Global Food Crisis, 15 April 2009, mccandwomenthrive.php. 3 Sharma, Ritu, Investing in Women is Smart, Global Future Magazine, Second Quarter 2005, 4 Hannan, Carolyn (Division for the Advancement of Women). Expert Group Meeting on The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including care-giving in the context of HIV/AIDS, edition, statement. Geneva, Switzerland, 6-9 October 2008.

5 of their families. If the world is to pull out of the twin economic and food crises sustainably, we must reverse course and ensure that women are being given the seeds of success. [5] At the UN, equal rights for women has long been a basic principle, but in the development assistance arena, this guiding principle has not always translated into meaningful action. The problem is not a lack of international frameworks or conventions, but rather one of priorities and political will. To date, 185 nations have signed the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which obligates signing parties to pursue gender equality in all aspects of society.[6] Furthermore, the UN has long encouraged its partners to adopt gender mainstreaming practices to help countries evaluate the effect of policies and programs on men and women. In July 1997, the UN Economic and Social Council defined the concept of gender mainstreaming as the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programs, in any area and at all levels. It is a strategy for making the concerns and experiences of women as well as of men an integral part of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs in all political, economic and societal spheres, so that women and men benefit equally, and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal of mainstreaming is to achieve gender equality. [7] Of particular concern to me is the plight of women and girls, who comprise the majority of the world s unhealthy, unschooled, unfed, and unpaid. If half of the world s population remains vulnerable to economic, political, legal, and social marginalization, our hope of advancing democracy and prosperity will remain in serious jeopardy. -Hillary Rodham Clinton, US Secretary of State, Statement Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, January 13, 2009 The UN went on to emphasize that for its own agencies, Responsibility for translating gender mainstreaming into practice is system-wide and rests at the highest levels. Accountability for outcomes needs to be monitored constantly. [8] The response to calls for gender mainstreaming in the UN system has been muted at best and women continue to suffer from underrepresentation in the system. For example, in 2004, women made up approximately 40% of the overall membership of the human rights treaty bodies, but most of the women (seventy-four percent) were concentrated in just two committees: the CEDAW and the Committee on the Rights of 5 MCC and Women Thrive Worldwide Host Public Forum Focusing on Women s Roles in Solving the Global Food Crisis. 6 The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979), 7 Chapter IV: Gender Mainstreaming, Report of the Economic and Social Council for 1997, 18 September 1997, Ibid, 3. [2]

6 the Child.[9] The overall proportion of women in the other mainstream committees was only 15%. The UN s own call for greater participation of women in the international arena has had little impact on its own practices. What type of message does this send to the UN s development partners? The discrepancy between the UN s stated values about gender equality and its actual practices is also revealed at the agency level. Rather than creating one robustly funded UN agency to ensure women s issues are treated as priorities in the UN system, the UN has spread the responsibilities for gender equality and empowerment of women across three different entities: Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW). To complicate matters further, the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) brings together all the gender focal points in various UN offices, agencies, funds and programs to help promote gender equality throughout the UN system. With such a high degree of fragmentation, it has been difficult to truly gauge the progress the UN has made with their gender mainstreaming strategies and it has also allowed women s issues to consistently remain underappreciated and underfunded. The proof is in the bottom line: for example, in , the UNDP s budget was $853.6 million, while UNIFEM s budget was only $23 million.[10] This report seeks to evaluate the UN s recent reform strategy, the One UN, from a gender perspective. The experience of Viet Nam will be used as a case study to evaluate the UN s success in incorporating gender issues into its One UN reforms. Section one outlines the rationale, objectives and methodology for this study. In Section two, background information on the One UN process, including the reasons for the reform process, information on the current pilot programs, and other proposals for reform, is provided. Section three provides political, economic, and gender issues in Viet Nam, as well as the One UN reforms that have been implemented to date. Section four looks at how gender equality is being handled at the country level in Viet Nam and within the One UN process. Section five evaluates the interconnections between the One UN initiative and local and international civil society efforts to improve gender policies in Viet Nam. Finally, Section six offers recommendations on how the UN can improve the One UN Initiative to better serve the larger goal of empowering women through international development strategies. 9 Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective, UN Economic and Social Council, 10 January 2005, Compendium of decisions adopted by the Executive Board at its first regular session 2008, January 2008,

7 Section I: Rationale, Objective of Study, Methodology Rationale Viet Nam is unique among the pilot programs involved in the One UN process as it began reforming the organization of UN country offices before the recommendations of the High Level Panel (HLP) were published in November The government is fully engaged in the One UN process. Additionally, Viet Nam is rapidly approaching middle-income country status and is a standout in the region.[11] Viet Nam is well positioned to be a model for the One UN process and can offer expertise for possible replication of the One UN reforms in the Asia region. Objective The objective of this document is to review how gender has been addressed in the One UN process in Viet Nam order to recommend actions that will improve attention to and action on gender equality and women s issues within the UN and the One UN reform process. Methodology This study is a critical analysis of how gender is being addressed in the One UN reform process in Viet Nam. This analysis is based on written reports from the UN Agencies involved in this reform and reports on the process from Viet Nam s government, as well as analysis from civil society. In addition, survey and interview data from United Nation Country Team (UNCT) members, the government, and civil society were collected and analyzed for local trends in Viet Nam. An incountry consultation with civil society organizations was held in <name of city, date> that brought together the key stakeholders in the One UN process to gather additional perspectives. - An extensive document review, which included external communication (media releases and speeches), program and policy documents including the One UN Plan, Country Programme Action Plans (CPAPs), Country Programme Documents (CPDs), and Joint Programme documents, policy papers and reports across UN agencies. - Surveys given to UNCT, government agencies, and civil society. [12 ] - Phone interviews. - In country consultations. 11 Chun, Jane, Rapid Assessment: Integration of Gender Equality and Women s Rights & Empowerment in the One UN Pilot Programme in Viet Nam, Gender Equality Architecture Reform Campaign, 12 September Surveys were conducted using Survey Monkey (an online tool) and through s with attached documents. [4]

8 Section II: The Road to Delivering as One After facing the horror and devastation of two World Wars, world leaders gathered to create new multilateral institutions -- the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB)- with the conviction that international cooperation was the most promising way to lead the world through an era of imminent global change. Just as those leaders faced significant challenges sixty years ago, the world leaders of today are also confronting an unfolding epoch of change, unprecedented in its speed, scope and scale. As the world has become more interdependent, social and economic inequalities have risen sharply. Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and wider internationally agreed development goals is central to global economic stability and prosperity. The UN has played a crucial role in guiding these efforts. But what is required now is action. In order to achieve these development goals, governments must receive the necessary support to implement their national plans. However, without ambitious and far-reaching reforms, the UN will be unable to deliver on its promises and maintain its legitimate position at the heart of the multilateral system. Despite its unique legitimacy stemming from the universality of its membership, the UN s status as a central actor in the multilateral system is undermined by lack of focus on results, thereby failing, more than anyone else, the poorest and most vulnerable global citizens. The UN has become increasingly fragmented and weak; a complex web of UN offices has prevented swift and coordinated action both on the ground in country offices and at the headquarters level. There are a multitude of agencies, mandates and offices, which ultimately create inefficient duplication of systems and dull the focus on outcomes. Mandates throughout the UN system frequently intersect and yet each entity tends to operate independently, with little synergy and coordination between them. This uncoordinated approach to development leaves many partner countries with little sense of ownership for their own national development process and donors become less willing to invest in systems that are ineffectual and unsustainable. So-called donor fatigue results in inadequate and unpredictable funding, which only further exacerbates fragmentation and undermines the multilateral character of the UN. Gender equality within the UN system has been largely marginalized throughout its history. There are many examples of structures and personnel within the system that are mandated to perform gender equality work, however, they remain under-resourced and under-prioritized. Many of their efforts are spent struggling for a platform from which they can share their critical feedback and speak out on gender equality performance. Because the gender-focused agencies and programs are so small and work within such a limited mandate, they are chronically underfunded, and lack the operational autonomy and connection to key constituencies that other UN sectors enjoy. Within the UN, currently there are several under-resourced agencies focused exclusively on women s issues: UNIFEM, INSTRAW, Office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues (OSAGI) and DAW. UNIFEM is the only unit that has any field operations, and is in actuality a fund, not an independent operational agency. As a result, it lacks significant power and presence at high-level decision-making

9 tables. Special advisors within these gender units are often used to defend the status quo rather than change it. Other larger agencies, including UNDP, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the High Commissioners for human rights and refugees and others, sometimes do important work on gender equality, but it is buried as a cross-cutting issue, one that is low priority and only mentioned as part of their mandate, not a primary goal. Funding for gender equality work within both mainstream agencies and women-specific entities such as UNIFEM is grossly inadequate for the task at hand. In 2002, UNIFEM s resources totaled $36 million.[13] In comparison, UNFPA s budget for the same year was $373 million; the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights budget was $64 million and Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) budget was $92 million.[14] UNICEF s budget in the same year totaled over $1.5 billion.[15] UN agencies must be streamlined so that the UN can deliver as one, reduce duplication and significantly reduce the burdens it currently places on recipient and According to High Level Panel's report, "Delivering as One," the following creation of a gender entity should be an essential part of the One UN in each country: The UN needs a much stronger voice on women s issues to ensure that gender equality and women s empowerment is taken seriously throughout the UN system and to ensure that the UN works more effectively with governments and civil society in this mission. We believe that a gender entity based on the principles of coherence and consolidation is required to advance this key UN agenda. Recommendation- The Panel recommends strengthening the coherence and impact of the UN s institutional gender architecture by streamlining and consolidating three of the UN s existing gender institutions as a consolidated UN gender equality and women s empowerment program. Governance - The gender entity would consolidate three of the UN s existing entities under two organizational divisions. The normative, analytical and monitoring division would subsume to OSAGI and DAW. The policy advisory and programming division would subsume the current activities of UNIFEM. The UN Office of Human Resources Management would take over the human resource functions, currently performed by OSAGI, aimed at improving the status of women in the Secretariat and the UN system. The Executive Director of the consolidated entity should have the rank of Under-Secretary-General, consistent with that of other heads of agency, to guarantee organizational stature and influence in UN system-wide decision making. Mandate - The gender entity would be entrusted with a dual mandate combining normative, analytical and monitoring functions with policy advisory and targeted programming functions. The Panel believes that the gender entity should have sharply focused operations on gender equality and women s empowerment issues, equipped with high-quality technical and substantive expertise, to provide leadership in regions and countries. The gender entity would continue to work closely with governments and civil society organizations, strengthening networks already established at global, national and local levels. The operations of the UN gender entity would be undertaken as part of the One UN in each country. Funding - To be effective in this role, the gender entity needs adequate, stable and predictable funding. The work of the normative and analytical division should continue to be funded as it is now from the UN regular budget, supplemented by voluntary contributions. The policy advisory and programming division should be fully and ambitiously funded. The Panel strongly believes that substantially increased funding for the gender entity should constitute only part of the UN s overall commitment to gender equality. In our recommendations, we seek to combine greater visibility for gender issues at the centre with enhanced results on the ground, where the UN s performance will be assessed. 13 Gender Equality Architecture and UN Reforms, GEAR 2006, 14 Ibid 15 Ibid [6]

10 donor governments, without diluting the performance and expertise of individual organizations. Building System-Wide Coherence In February and March 2005, the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness convened in Paris, France. The goal of the forum was to establish commitments from both donor and recipient countries for the reform of international aid delivery and management. The hope was that an improved, more robustly funded international aid process would lead to better development results that alleviate poverty and increase economic growth. The Paris Declaration was the product of this important meeting and provided new opportunities to translate donor and government commitments into more effective development results. The High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness examined the responsibility of developed and developing countries for delivering and managing development aid based on five key principles: 1. Ownership: Partner countries will exercise effective leadership over their development policies and strategies and coordinate development actions with donors. 2. Alignment: Donors will base their overall support on partner countries national development strategies, institutions and procedures. 3. Harmonization: Donors actions will be harmonized, transparent and collectively effective. 4. Managing for Results: Both donors and partners will concentrate on managing resources and improving decision-making for more effective development results. 5. Mutual Accountability: Donors and partners will be reciprocally accountable for development results.[16] In 2006, in response to the Paris Declaration, then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan established the fifteen-member High-Level Panel (HLP) on System-Wide-Coherence (SWC).[17] The HLP on SWC was the UN s opportunity to contribute to the shared goal of development for all. The System Wide Coherence (SWC) process was designed to radically rethink the current structure of the UN and to 16 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, High Level Forum, Paris, February 28 - March 2, 2005, The Panel was comprised of three women and twelve men, selected from a diverse set of UN member states: Shaukat Aziz (Co- Chair),Prime Minister, Pakistan; Gordon Brown, Member of Parliament, United Kingdom; Luísa Dias Diogo (Co-Chair), Prime Minister, Mozambique; Mohamed T. El-Ashry, Egypt, Senior Fellow, United Nations Foundation; Robert Greenhill, President of the Canadian International Development Agency; Ruth Jacoby, Director-General for Development Cooperation, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sweden; Ricardo Lagos Escobar, Former President of the Republic of Chile; Louis Michel, Belgium, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid; Benjamin W. Mkapa, Former President, United Republic of Tanzania; Jean-Michel Severino, France, Director General, French Development Agency; Josette S. Shiner, Under-Secretary for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs, United States Department of State; Jens Stoltenberg, (Co-Chair), Prime Minister, Norway; Keizo Takemi, Senior Vice-Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan; Kemal Derviş, Turkey, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme; Lennart Båge, Sweden, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development. Untied Nations Secretariat to the High Level Panel on System-wide Coherence. 2006, 14 March 2009,

11 lay the groundwork for fundamental changes in the UN procedure to help streamline UN sponsored development assistance and humanitarian aid. The HLP study was designed to complement other major reform initiatives already under way in the organization. The overarching aim of the report was to seek recommendations for a process of rationalization that would maximize the available resources for relief and development programs in the UN system, while minimizing overhead and administrative costs. The SWC process is especially important in that it stresses the implementation of the following measures at policy, operational, humanitarian and international governance levels: 1) Strengthening linkages between the normative work of the UN system and its operational activities, 2) Coordinating representation on the governing boards of the various development and humanitarian agencies, to ensure they pursue a coherent policy in assigning mandates and allocating resources throughout the system, 3) Committing to pledge funding in a more predictable manner.[18] "We recognize the UN achievements, and we now see a more effective UN, engaging with us 'as One' on key policy priorities, we see a UN ready to take steps to simplify and harmonize their procedures, we see the One UN working better together to ensure they build programmic linkages and synergies for enhanced development impact and taking concrete steps to avoid duplication. The UN now clearly is not the same UN as the UN three years ago." -Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Cuong, January 19, (p. 4, 2nd TSTR) Reforming as One UN The initial proposal of the High-Level Panel on System Wide Coherence, entitled Delivering as One, was first presented on November 9, In writing the report, the Panel sought to outline a reformed system that would overcome the fragmentation of the United Nations so that the system can deliver as one, in true partnership and meeting the needs of all countries. [19] The High-Level Panel found that the UN consisted of many large and complex organizations and that these caused widespread systemic inefficiencies within the UN. With numerous governing bodies overseeing a diverse range of programs and agencies, a lack of coherence undercut the progress of UN projects on the ground and prevented streamlined programmatic, policy and management procedures. 18 Ibid 19 Delivering as One, Report of the Secretary General's High Level Panel, New York: United Nations, [8]

12 In response, the Panel drafted a series of recommendations to implement both on the ground and at the UN Headquarters. Delivering as One Recommendations [20] Headquarters Level A United Nations Sustainable Development Board (UNSDB) should be created to oversee all One UN Country Programmes and ensure coherence and coordination while monitoring performance of global activities. The Board should comprise of a representative sub-set of member states on the basis of equitable geographic representation, and would enhance the participation and voice of developing countries. The UNSDB would be responsible for endorsing the One UN Country Programme in each country, allocating funding and evaluating its performance against the objectives agreed upon in the national development strategy. The Secretary-General should appoint a UN Development Coordinator with responsibility for the performance and accountability of UN development activities. The Development Coordinator would report to the UNSDB and would be supported by a high-level coordination group composed of the heads of principal development agencies and an expert secretariat drawn from across the UN system. The Secretary-General should establish an independent task force to further eliminate duplication within the UN system and consolidate UN entities where necessary. The task force clearly delineates the specific roles of each UN agency including UN Funds, Programmes, specialized Agencies and regional entities. It also makes recommendations for mergers or consolidation of UN entities with duplicative functions and ensures complementarily of programmatic mandates. Country Level The One UN Programme should be implemented as a joint partnership between domestic government officials, UN staff and international donors. This shared vision should be in line with the national development framework as well as internationally agreed upon development goals. The UN Country Team s common country assessment or national analysis would constitute the foundation for the development agenda, reflecting the UN s added value in the specific country context. All UN services and expertise is drawn on, including those of non-resident agencies, in order to more effectively deliver a multi-sectoral approach to development. One leader, the Resident Coordinator (RC), would be assigned to integrate and coordinate all UN program activities in their designated country. The RC is expected to oversee the One UN Country Programme working within one budgetary framework and leading synthesized operations out of one national office. The RC is empowered to negotiate the One Country Programme with the local 20 A comprehensive list of recommendations as found in the Delivering as One report, 2006.

13 government on behalf of the entire UN system. Mutual accountability is expected for both the RC and his/her country teams; all Programme staff agree upon outcomes and compliance with the Programme s strategic plan. Funding A Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Funding Mechanism should be established to provide multi-year funding for the One UN Country Programmes; the UNSDB would govern this mechanism. Donors are encouraged to support consolidated multi-year funding for the One UN Country Programmes and core budgets of UN entities committed to reform. Within this new system, funding follows performance, rewarding results both for the One Country Programmes and for UN Headquarters funding. The purpose of linking funding to performance is to improve outcomes not to reduce funding. This approach offers donors an opportunity to demonstrate by their actions that funding and performance are linked to results and reform. Humanitarian Assistance In order to fully utilize the coordination role of the UN, humanitarian response should be improved by strengthening partnerships between the UN, governments and NGOs. Stronger coordination of humanitarian organizations through cluster approaches 21 establishes lead roles for agencies to deliver specific assistance such as shelter, water, food, etc. Fully and consistently funding the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) would facilitate quicker, more effective flows of funds in response to disasters. Investing in risk reduction, earlywarning and innovative disaster assistance strategies and mechanisms would mitigate the aftermath of many disasters. The UNHRCR must re-evaluate and clarify its mandate to be more inclusive; the responsibility for internally displaced persons must be resolved. UNDP s role in post-conflict and post-disaster settings should be strengthened. Once a crisis has stabilized and humanitarian coordination winds down, the UNDP must assume a lead role. The UNDP should be supported by stronger leadership, quicker funding and better cooperation among local and international organizations during the transition to the post-disaster recovery process. 21 The Cluster Lead Agency System was adopted by the UN system in Its purpose is to assist in identifying organizational leaders in different areas of humanitarian response. [10]

14 Successful post-disaster reconstruction requires an understanding of ongoing political, economic and social processes that enable and constrain affected populations to rebuild their lives. 22 Supporting nationally owned strategies demands integrating vulnerability and risk reduction into all phases of recovery and development planning as led by the UNDP. Environment International environmental governance should be fortified and made more coherent in order to improve effectiveness and better target environmental activities within the UN system. The Secretary-General should commission an independent assessment of international environmental governance within the UN system to establish a basis for reform toward System- Wide Coherence. The Global Environmental Facility should be strengthened as the major financial mechanism to assist developing countries in building their capacity for integrating environmental programming as part of UN reform. The United Nations Environmental Programme s (UNEP) should be enhanced and empowered as the environmental policy pillar of the UN system. UNEP should provide primary substantive leadership and guidance on environmental issues. Environmental considerations need to be mainstreamed into each One UN Country Programme s actions and strategies; this mainstreaming will support the UN s goal to consistently pursue sustainable development within its institutional architecture. Gender Equality A dynamic UN entity focused on gender equality and women s empowerment should be established. Four existing UN entities (United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues (OSAGI), UN Division for the Advancement of Women (UNDAW), and the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW)) should be consolidated into one enhanced and independent gender entity. An Under Secretary General would be appointed to lead this new organization. He or she would ensure representation and decision making at the highest level in both policy development and program operations at the global and country levels. This high level leadership would effectively drive the gender equality and women s empowerment agenda within the UN. 22 Telford, John and John Cosgrave,"Joint Evaluation of the International Response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami," Synthesis Report, 2006.

15 This new synthesized gender organization would have a stronger normative and advocacy role, combined with a targeted programming role. This is essential for a UN entity for women to effectively improve the lives of women on the ground. This reformed UN entity would encourage accountability at both the national and international levels, including through meaningful involvement of civil society in its governance and programming, in particular from non-governmental organizations. [23] Gender equality would become a guaranteed mandate throughout the UN, including among One UN Country Programmes and all UN reform processes. The commitment to gender equality would be strengthened and pursued consistently as a UN mandate by integrating women s human rights into all programming. The Bretton Woods Institutions The Secretary-General, the President of the World Bank and the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund should set up a process to review and update formal agreements on their respective roles at the global and country level. These reviews must be periodically updated and assessed. Once this process has been implemented, the UN would have a more influential role in the negotiation of more comprehensive partnership agreements with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. 23 "Campaign for Stronger Gender Equality Architecture Reform", Campaign Statement Key Messages, [12]

16 One UN Pilot Programmes Albania Key Facts Priority Areas and Goals Notable Reforms Implemented Selected as pilot in January 2007, officially signed agreement in October UN agencies involved in process To hasten integration into the European Union and to achieve its national development goals. More transparent and accountable governance of UN and other aid programs, greater inclusive participation in public policy and decision making from national and international stakeholders, increased and more equitable access to basic services for all Albanians, regional development to reduce disparities, and environmentally sustainable development, are also all listed as goals. One UN Programme states that gender equality will be incorporated throughout the implementation in all priority areas. UNIFEM will lead on gender issues in the pilot program. Established a One UN Coherence Fund, which pools all resources into a common fund to support Albania s priorities, including gender equality and women s empowerment. Proposed a site for a One UN House office that will be staffed by at least one hundred people and combine all agencies in one location. Has asked UNIFEM to increase its programming in Albania and to lead on gender in the pilot. A Joint Programme on gender equality has been established. Cape Verde Commitment to pursue One UN reforms in 2006, officially became a pilot country in January UN Agencies involved in process Focuses on the current areas of cooperation between its government and the UN agencies outlined in United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) , especially four key areas: growth, governance, environment, and human capital and social protection. Utilizes a human rights based approach with particular attention paid to the principles of nondiscrimination, access to services, gender equality and groups that are particularly vulnerable to human rights abuses. Gender also noted as an important element in achieving the One Programme goals. Gender is addressed as a cross-cutting issue, along with capacity building, HIV/AIDS, and human rights. Steering Committee established in October 2007, cochaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs and the UN Resident Coordinator. Created a One Programme plan that will increase cooperation between the UN and government programs in focusing on above goals, intended for the period Selected a Gender Advisor to support the One UN Programme, One Programme pledges to take gender into account in all projects and programs. Mozambique Designated a One UN Pilot Country in January 2007 Contributions from 20 UN agencies Focuses on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, with progress especially needed in gender equality, universal education, HIV/AIDS, and environmental sustainability. Established One Fund to provide support for the One UN initiatives. Steering Committee made up representatives of government, UN and development partners. Created a Delivering as One Operational Plan, outlining a vision of utilizing the comparative advantages of each UN agency to better achieve Mozambique s development priorities. Pakistan Began reforms in March 2007 and signed One Programme in February, 2009 Focuses on the following major areas of UN support: rural development and poverty reduction, education, health and population, environment, and disaster risk management. Set up a separate Transformation Fund managed by the UNDP to provide resources to support the change and integration process. All 18 UN agencies with operations in the country are participating Gender equality is listed as a cross-cutting issue along with human rights, refugees, and civil society organizations. Will use green design in the construction of One UN House. Rwanda Began as pilot on signing of concept note in April UN agencies participating in process Focuses on the following five areas: governance, health, HIV, nutrition and population, education; environment and sustainable growth and social protection. UNIFEM is heavily involved with process and has included specific gender related outputs and outcomes and designated implementing partners specifically targeting women s empowerment and gender equality. Established a Steering Committee chaired by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. Combined several UN services in areas such as human resources, Information and Communication Technologies, finances, administration, and security and procurement. A joint UN recruitment panel, UN Travel Agency, UN Security Unit, and UN Dispensary have been established. Allocated a plot of land to build its One Office, which will house most of the UN agencies working in Rwanda. Established a Gender Task Force with the goal of providing operational support for the planning and implementation of the One Programme.

17 Tanzania Uruguay Vietnam Official launch as pilot in January UN agencies represented in the One Programme Official launch as pilot in October agencies active in the country represented on One UN team Selected as pilot country in December, 2006 Initial process involved 3 UN agencies, UNICEF, UNDP and UNFPA, soon joined by UNAIDS, United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and UNIFEM, 8 more agencies joined in 2008 Goals are to support progress towards the national development priorities of national growth and poverty reduction and towards the Millennium Development Goals, including employment and economic empowerment, reduction of maternal and infant mortality, strengthening HIV/AIDS response, and other sustainable development goals. Agencies represented include United Nations-Civil Society Advisory Committee (UNCSAC) which works to increase the involvement of civil society in the process. Puts strong emphasis on poverty reduction initiatives and plans to organize and focus work on the MDGs. Added three priorities to pre-existing goals; to strengthen state capacities in development planning, to promote citizen participation, to strengthen social public policies and social inclusion programs, and to fight inequality and discrimination. Gender is treated as a cross-cutting issue in Uruguay along with human rights and local development. Form more coherent programming to allow UN agencies to work towards the three pillars of the Viet Nam SocioEconomic Development Plan; economic growth, social development and environmental protection. Has a policy of gender mainstreaming within the UN country team and all One UN programs. One UN Plan addresses gender as a cross-cutting issue. Formed Joint Programmes on environment, education, and social protection. Established One Fund to support the coherent resource mobilization, which has already disbursed funds to the Joint Programmes. One Programme drafted with the help of UNIFEM and contains several key goals related to its gender indicators, especially targeting gender equality with set objectives and activities. Established a Steering Committee consisting of representatives of the national government, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Uruguay and participating UN agencies, became operational in December Increased the amount of joint programming between various UN agencies, as well as between the UN System and the government. Established One Fund and a contribution from first donor, Norway, has been received. Made progress towards establishing common services and guidelines among all UN programs. Planning to make One Office, a carbon-neutral Green One UN House, with hopes it will be a model of sustainable and innovative building. Considered to be the most advanced to date in the One UN reform process among the eight pilot countries due to its early start in the process. Six gender equality outputs in its program, which include projects addressing the mainstreaming gender in economic and social policies, violence against women, and reproductive health. [14]

18 GEAR and the One UN There are many factors, some described above, that have hampered the UN s ability to truly mainstream gender issues in its programs and processes and to adequately address women s empowerment and gender equality issues. Some of these factors, as noted by both member states and civil society groups, are a lack of coordination and coherence on gender issues, an inadequate level of authority of the bodies that currently address gender in the UN system, a lack of accountability on gender issues, inadequate or inconsistent levels of funding, and insufficient country level support for gender programming. There have been numerous commitments and attempts to address gender issues, such as the increased promotion of the idea of gender mainstreaming after the Beijing conference on world women. However, the lack of accountability and therefore actual implementation consistently undermines these efforts. Mainstreaming has been implemented in a context in which women s rights have not been prioritized. The current UN structures mandated to do gender related work are often small in size, lack resources, or have limited mandates. UNIFEM is the only UN structure devoted to women s issues that has a field presence. However, it is a fund, not an operational agency, and it reports to the UNDP. The UNDP and other large agencies do have gender related programs that have done important work, however, gender is only part of their mandates, and often receives too low of a priority.[24] There is an important movement, driven by civil society organizations, to use the current phase of reform to reorganize the UN to address gender issues which is known as the Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR). The organizations behind GEAR, Gender mainstreaming vs. gender as a cross-cutting issue The status of women in society is the result of a variety of factors stemming from cultural practices, the legal system, and educational opportunities, so targeting gender from many angles is necessary for achieving true gender equality. Addressing gender as a cross-cutting issue, however, often results in little accountability over who is responsible for creating, implementing, and monitoring plans targeted at gender equality. There is usually not a budget tied directly to gender initiatives, as gender is seen to be part of the work of all programs. This is harmful in large organizations like the UN, where budgets can often determine who benefits from scarce public resources. Gender-responsive budget analysis examines how men and women fare differently under current spending regimes. This does not mean that separate budgets are created for women, but instead helps governments realize ways to reallocate resources to meet their commitments of achieving gender equality and live up to the international agreements such as the CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action and the MDGs. Engendered budgets can be instrumental in transforming rhetoric about women s empowerment. For this reason, it is imperative that specific programs, staff, and budget lines are targeted at empowering women and creating gender equality. A budget demonstrates a government's economic plans and priorities. Unfortunately, when gender is treated as a cross-cutting issue it is hard to determine what exactly is being funded under the gender equality rubric. 24 Compendium of decisions adopted by the Executive Board at its first regular session 2008, 2-3.

19 which include WEDO and more than a hundred others from around the world, are advocating for the creation of a strong, women specific, upper level entity with a mandate to work across the whole UN system as a necessary reform to better address gender. As stated in the submission to the UN proposing the GEAR reforms, Without a lead entity, gender equality is nobody s responsibility. [25] The entity envisioned by those driving the GEAR campaign would be well resourced and funded, independent, and have a universal country presence and upper level leadership. The entity must be headed by an undersecretary general to ensure the necessary status and leadership capability. There must be a higher level of accountability, including a meaningful involvement of civil society. The most important functions of this entity would be to create a coherent global policy for gender equality, including setting specific responsibilities, authority to ensure accountability, and strong field presence to both implement its own operational activities and influence those of other agencies. At the national level, the GEAR campaign advocates for the necessity of an extensive, system wide field presence for the women s entity, with a strong policy and programmatic mandate, and a sizeable and consistent flow of funding and other resources. The campaign suggests that the women s entity should have a universal country presence-every UN country team, every regional center, every UN peacekeeping team, should include representation from the new entity. This entity should make funding for gender equality at the country level more efficient and effective. Another positive impact of this new entity would be a better source of knowledge and information on gender issues, especially by providing gender disaggregated data. Finally, specific accountability mechanisms and benchmark goals would be established by high-level UN systems at the country level, and this new data would be used to hold country level UN institutions accountable for meeting these goals. In Viet Nam, the GEAR campaign has conducted an assessment of Gender in the One UN pilot program, so some conclusions can already be drawn about how well gender is being incorporated. While acknowledging that the One UN appears to be sowing the seeds for greater equality, the report also notes that it is unclear how much gender awareness and gender-related capacity is present outside of the core UN staff explicitly working on gender issues.[26] The current approach in Viet Nam is increased joint programming among agencies, with gender mainstreaming throughout. As previously mentioned, there is also a Joint Programme (JP) specifically devoted to gender. Viet Nam s JP on Gender has identified three areas of need: to improve capacities in reporting, gender analysis, and data collection, as well as sharing of information, and to improve capacity in gender equality research and sex-disaggregated data collection.[27] As of December, 2008 no country office in Viet Nam has a gender policy or action plan in place, UNFPA s gender strategy and action plan was still under development and UNDP was considering 25 Gender Equality Architecture and UN Reforms. 26 Chun, Jane. 27 Ibid [16]

20 whether to develop a policy.[28] The main challenge noted by GEAR in its report is a problem that exists throughout the world- a lack of adequate funding.[29] Strengthening the gender equality machinery should be a crucial part of the reform process. The current phase of UN reform and the One UN initiative provide an opportunity to reform the gender architecture and make these ideas a reality. There is a great deal of overlap between the changes advocated by GEAR and those being suggested in the One UN process. For instance, the Delivering as One report has also suggested a women s entity headed by an Undersecretary General and created by consolidating already existing UN agencies with a gender-related mandate. The Delivering as One report suggests that gender equality should become a guaranteed mandate throughout the UN, including among One UN Country Programs and all UN reform processes, and that this would strengthen the commitment to gender equality throughout the UN. In general the idea of better efficiency and focus on goals through consolidation and better accountability are themes that are common through both the GEAR and One UN proposals. With this major restructuring based on similar ideas already under way, this seems the ideal time for the establishment of a gender entity. However, in practice it is not clear that this opportunity is being taken. Despite these similarities, the creation of a single gender entity is not part of the One UN reform process. UNIFEM s review of the One UN Programmes shows that in general these programs demonstrate only a verbal commitment to gender equality, and have not resulted in substantial concrete action.[30] Most One UN Programme s are based on a countries United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), which are existing structures, making real, holistic reform difficult. Whether adequate resources have been directed towards gender issues and programs in the One Budget portion of the existing pilot programs is also far from certain. If a new women s entity is to become part of the current phase of reform, gender issues must be taken more seriously in the process. 28 Gender Audit Report: United Nations Viet Nam, Chun. 30 Progress Report: UNIFEM Experience in the Delivering as One Pilot Countries, UNIFEM, [17]

21 Section III: Case Study - Viet Nam Viet Nam s Political System The Communist Party is the dominant political force in the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. The government, army, and bureaucracy are all subordinate to the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV).[31] Viet Nam s constitution, written in 1992, reaffirmed the Communist Party s key role within the government and society. Although Viet Nam remains a one-party state with the signing of this constitution, today more emphasis is put on liberal economic development, deemphasizing strict adherence to communist ideology. The constitution lists the National Assembly as the highest representative body of the people and is the only organization with legislative powers. Recently, the National Assembly has become more vocal and assertive in exercising its authority over lawmaking. The National Assembly, however, is still subject to CPV directives, as over eighty percent of the deputies in the National Assembly are party members.[32] Viet Nam has a separate judicial branch, but it is still relatively ineffectual because there are only a few lawyers and the trial procedures are still developing. Viet Nam s Economy Since Viet Nam implemented its Doi Moi reforms in 1986 it has experienced impressive economic and social growth. These reforms have increased economic liberalization and have modernized the economy with greater international integration of the markets. Viet Nam joined the Asian Free Trade Area (AFTA) and entered into the US-Viet Nam Bilateral Trade Agreement in 2001 that led to even greater economic growth for the country. As a sign of growing economic success, between 2001 and 2007, Viet Nam s exports to the US increased 900 percent.[33] Gender Issues in Viet Nam Many of the same difficult gender related issues that are seen throughout the world face women in Viet Nam. Women s participation in politics is generally not equal; political leadership positions usually go to men. This unequal position extends to the home, workplace, and education system as well. Vietnamese women often have less decision making power at work, and there is a wage gap between men and women. Progress has been made on more equal educational opportunities, but in rural regions and ethnic minority regions, girls are still disproportionately left behind.[34] Violence against women persists, due to cultural attitudes of male dominance in the home and a lack of institutions and programs for dealing with the issue and assisting women who are victims of such violence. Many women lack access to proper medical care and sexually transmitted infections are an 31 "Country Briefings Vietnam, Economist.com, Political%20Forces. 32 "Background Note: Vietnam, US Department of State, 33 "The Word Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 34 Chun, 4-8. [18]

22 issue. Ethnic minorities and women living in rural areas are the most disadvantaged, less likely to have access to education or proper medical care and less likely to have land titles or have access to capital. [35] The One UN Process in Viet Nam Viet Nam is a unique case among the One UN pilot countries in that the process was begun by the Vietnamese government and the UNCT before the Delivering as One report was published in Viet Nam was already taking actions for greater coherence and simplification of development aid, described by its discussion paper the Ha Noi Core Statement on Aid Effectiveness, released in September A Tripartite National Task Force consisting of government aid agencies, donors, and UN bodies, was put in charge of overseeing and implementing the reform. When Viet Nam officially became a One UN pilot country in December 2006, the initial process involved three UN agencies, UNICEF, UNDP and UNFPA, soon joined by UNAIDS, United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and UNIFEM.[36] Structurally, there are five identified areas of harmonization in Viet Nam under the One UN process. Also known as the Five Ones, these include One Plan, One Budget, One Leader, One Set of Management Practices, and One House. The One Budget is meant to address duplication, inefficiency, and unpredictability in spending by giving all partners a comprehensive view of all res0urces for a five year period.[37] One Leader refers to an empowered Resident Coordinator (RC) in Viet Nam who is not only the representative of the Secretary General, but also leader of the UN team in Viet Nam. One House simply refers to the plan to house all UN agencies in a single office in order to encourage coherence and collaboration across agencies and programs. [38] The One Plan involves a broad roadmap of the process. The original One Plan, which set the goals and major strategies for the One UN process in Viet Nam, was created in the second half of 2006 with the input of the original six agencies. Eight more UN agencies joined the process in 2008, and in June 2008, the Vietnamese government and representatives from all fourteen UN agencies active in the country (UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNV, UNIFEM, UNAIDS, WHO, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNODC, UN- Habitat, FAO, ILO, and IFAD) signed a revised One Plan. The One Plan attempts to bring together into one coherent framework the agendas of these fourteen entities in order to better support Viet Nam in achieving the MDGs, Viet Nam s own national development goals, and the previously expressed goals of Viet Nam s UNDAF. The new One Plan superseded the original. 35 Ibid. 36 Tripartite Stock Taking Report on The ONE UN Initiative in Viet Nam, December 2007, United Nations Viet Nam. 37 ONE Plan: , United Nations Viet Nam, July 2007, 38 There will also be One Fund to better coordinate donations and aid. Currently, UN agencies in Hanoi have offices in twelve different locations. [19]

23 The core principles of UN reform and aid effectiveness expressed in Viet Nam s One Plan are described as alignment, harmonization and simplification, and managing for results. The five primary outcomes are: 1) social and economic development policies, including plans and laws supporting equitable and inclusive growth and supporting progress towards the MDGs; 2) providing universal social protection services to all Vietnamese people (including sexual and reproductive health and rights and increased availability of maternal and neonatal services); 3) policies for environmental protection, economic growth, resource protection, and poverty reduction; 4) transparency, accountability, participation, and rule of law integrated into systems of governance; and 5) policies and capacity to effectively reduce risks of, and vulnerability to, disasters, diseases, and other emergencies.[39] The main implementation strategies of the One Plan in Viet Nam include advocacy and awareness raising, technical assistance and capacity building for law, policy, and knowledge development, capacity building for sub national and regional agencies, strengthening the participation of women, children, and ethnic minorities, improving access to information, and fostering partnerships with government, donors, and civil society. The overall strategy, as expressed in the original One Plan, lists gender equality as one of three cross cutting themes, along with a rights based approach to development and HIV/AIDS. The plan suggests that these cross cutting themes will be systematically integrated into all projects and programs, but also promises that specific, targeted initiatives will also be continued, including gender equality.[40] In the years since beginning the reform process, collaboration between UN agencies in the form of joint programming around thematic issues, including gender, had already begun to take place. The Joint Programme (JP) on Gender was established in 2007, but is still in its early phases of implementation.[41] The other main form of intraagency cooperation is the Programme Coordination Groups (PCG). Many intraagency PCGs have already been formed, focusing on issues such as Social and Development Priorities, Trade, Employment and Enterprise Development, HIV, Gender, Health and Reproductive Rights, Child Protection, Education, Sustainable Development, Natural Disasters and Emergencies, and Communicable diseases. There are several strategies the PCGs use (or plan to use) to address these core development challenges, including building and expanding synergies between the UN organizations, preparing joint annual plans and reports, undertaking monitoring, reporting, and evaluation, developing joint policy positions, and determining which UN organizations are best equipped to work in specific areas.[42] The PCGs are also meant to introduce an idea of dual accountability, meaning that members working on a topic 39 ONE Plan: Ibid. 41 Chun, Ibid, [20]

24 will be accountable to both their individual organizations and the PCG. [43] Like the One UN reform process in general, the PCGs are meant to enhance effectiveness by lowering transactions costs, establishing a space for more coordinated dialogue between UN agencies and between the UN and the government, and simplifying reporting processes, all through consolidation. Due to its early start in the process, Viet Nam is considered the most advanced of the One UN pilot countries. Viet Nam has made concrete progress towards establishing common services and guidelines among all UN programs. The main One UN programs as of 2008 were Programme PCGs, One UN Communications Team, and the One Fund. The One Fund has already been established and a contribution from its first donor, Norway, has already been received. As previously mentioned, Viet Nam s recently revised its One Plan, and expanded the number of participating UN agencies from six to fourteen. Currently, UN programs are still housed in many different buildings in Hanoi, but there are plans to create a One House there by Unique among the pilot countries, Viet Nam is planning to make their office a carbon-neutral Green One UN House, which it hopes will be a model of sustainable and innovative building and serve as an addition to the UN s climate change advocacy work.[44] 43 Tripartite Stock Taking Report on The ONE UN Initiative in Viet Nam, Viet Nam United Nations website: [21]