the agreed conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women on women and the environment. Agreed conclusions 1997/2. Women in power and decision-making* 1. Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action15 should be accelerated to ensure women’s full and equal participation in decision-making at all levels. 2. Achieving the goal of equal participation of men and women in decisionmaking and ensuring equal political, economic and social participation of women in all spheres would provide the balance that is needed to strengthen democracy. 3. Governments and bodies and agencies of the United Nations system, as well as other international organizations, social partners and non-governmental organizations, should collectively and individually accelerate the implementation of strategies that promote gender balance in political decisionmaking, including in conflict prevention and resolution. They should mainstream a gender perspective, including the use of gender-impact assessments, in all stages of policy formulation and decision-making. They should take into account diverse decision-making styles and organizational practices and take the necessary steps to ensure a gender-sensitive workplace, including a workplace free of sexual harassment and noted for its ability to recruit, promote and retain female staff. Decision-making structures and processes should be improved to encourage the participation of women, including women at the grassroots level. 4. Research, including a gender-impact assessment of electoral systems to identify measures that would counter the under-representation of women in decision-making and reverse the downward trend of women in parliaments worldwide, should be supported. 5. Political parties are urged to remove discriminatory practices, incorporate gender perspectives into party platforms, and ensure women’s access to executive bodies on an equal basis with men, including access to leadership positions as well as to appointed positions and electoral nominating processes. 6. Positive action, including such mechanisms as establishing a minimum percentage of representation for both sexes and/or gender-sensitive measures and processes, is needed to speed the achievement of gender equality and can be an effective policy instrument to improve women’s position in sectors and levels where they are under-represented. All responsible actors in government, the private sector, political parties and non-governmental organizations should review the criteria and processes used in recruitment and appointment to advisory and decision-making bodies, including leadership structures, so as to ensure a comprehensive strategy to achieve gender equality. 7. Governments should commit themselves to establishing the goal of gender balance in decision-making, in administration and public appointments at all levels and in the diplomatic services, inter alia, by establishing specific time-bound targets. * For the discussion, see chap. II, paras. 162-168. 15 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women ... . -10-