The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 39/125 of 14 December 1984, by which it decided to establish the United Nations Development Fund for Women as a separate and identifiable entity in autonomous association with the United Nations Development Programme,
Reaffirming the catalytic role of the Fund in increasing opportunities and options for women in developing countries to participate more effectively in the development of their countries, in line with national priorities,
Recognizing the important contribution the Fund continues to make in galvanizing efforts of the organizations of the United Nations system, as well as other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, to formulate and support innovative activities that directly benefit and empower women,
Recognizing also the initiatives of the Fund to provide technical assistance to national machineries for issues related to women and to other relevant line ministries in development planning with sensitivity to gender considerations, and to facilitate national preparatory activities for the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace, to be held in 1995,
Emphasizing the position of the Fund as a specialized resource base for development cooperation linking the needs and aspirations of women and resources, programmes and policies for their economic development,
Noting the focused and responsive interventions of the Fund within its regional priority framework and its overall strategic approach to women in development,
1. Takes note of the note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme on the activities of the United Nations Development Fund for Women;
2. Commends the Fund for its support of catalytic and innovative projects that strengthen national capacity to improve the situation of women;
3. Encourages the Fund to continue to promote initiatives that incorporate the dimension of women in the agendas of the mainstream development efforts of Governments, United Nations organizations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector;
4. Also encourages the Fund to continue its support of initiatives regarding women in politics, especially within the democratization process in developing countries;
5. Welcomes the advocacy initiatives of the Fund, including its contribution to and participation in the follow-up to Agenda 21, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, and of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights, in particular with respect to efforts to combat violence against women;
6. Also welcomes the appointment of an adviser from the United Nations Development Fund for Women to the Department of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat;
7. Commends the Fund for its recent signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which should contribute to the development of meaningful and lasting solutions to the problem of refugee women and children;
8. Endorses the role of the Fund in promoting the strategic importance of the empowerment of women;
9. Commends the Fund's initiative to assist developing countries in their preparations for the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace, including the preparation of national reports;
10. Stresses the importance of the role of the Fund in the preparations for the International Conference on Population and Development and the World Summit for Social Development, the results of which should constitute a major contribution to the Fourth World Conference on Women;
11. Notes with satisfaction the steady increase in contributions to the Fund and urges Governments and public and private donors to continue to extend their support to the Fund through voluntary contributions and pledges to its programmes;
12. Welcomes the establishment of new national committees for the Fund in Canada, Liechtenstein and Switzerland and urges other developed countries to encourage the establishment of national committees;
13. Stresses the importance of the work of the Consultative Committee on the United Nations Development Fund for Women in policy and programme directions related to the activities of the Fund;
14. Requests the Secretary-General to transmit to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session a report on the activities of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, to be submitted in accordance with its resolution 39/125.
85th plenary meeting
20 December 1993
