E/2006/27 E/CN.6/2006/15 (o) Persistence of difficult socio-economic conditions that existed in many developing countries, which had resulted in the acceleration of the feminization of poverty; (p) Insufficient international cooperation in the area of gender equality and empowerment of women in the context of poverty eradication and health, bearing in mind financing for development; (q) Prevailing harmful cultural and traditional practices; (r) Insufficient information and data and statistics disaggregated by sex; (s) Insufficient progress in the promulgation of gender-responsive laws. 6. The Commission underlined that addressing such challenges at all levels required a systematic, comprehensive, integrated, multidisciplinary and multisectoral approach, with policy, legislative and programmatic interventions. 7. The Commission urged Governments and/or, as appropriate, the relevant entities of the United Nations system, other international and regional organizations, including the international financial institutions, national parliaments, political parties, and civil society, including the private sector, trade unions, academia, the media and non-governmental organizations and other actors, to take the following actions: (a) Incorporate gender perspectives into all local and national planning, budgetary, monitoring and evaluation and reporting processes, and mechanisms relating to national development strategies, including strategies focused on the implementation of internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, fully utilizing existing gender equality policies and strategies; (b) Elaborate and implement comprehensive gender-sensitive poverty eradication strategies that addressed social, structural and macroeconomic issues; (c) Develop and implement effective national monitoring and evaluation mechanisms at all levels to evaluate progress towards gender equality, including through the collection, compilation and analysis and use of data disaggregated by age and by sex and gender statistics, and continue developing and using appropriate qualitative and quantitative indicators; (d) Encourage and promote close cooperation between central authorities and local governments to develop programmes aimed at the achievement of gender equality, thereby granting equal opportunities for women and girls; (e) Elaborate and implement strategies and policies, including targeted measures in support of their obligation to exercise due diligence to prevent all forms of violence against women and girls, provide protection to victims and investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of such violence, and recognize that violence against women and girls was a serious obstacle to the achievement of the objectives of equality, development and peace and had a negative impact on the social and economic development of communities and States; (f) Continue efforts towards full and effective implementation of General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003 on prevention of armed conflict, and its 24