3. Urges the Secretary-General to implement fully the strategic plan of action for the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat (1995-2000), noting that his visible commitment is essential to the achievement of the targets set by the General Assembly and the goals and objectives contained in the strategic plan; 4. Welcomes the intention of the Secretary-General to ensure implementation of the strategic plan through, inter alia, the issuance of clear and specific instructions as to the authority and responsibility of all managers in implementing the plan and the criteria by which performance will be appraised; 5. Urges the Secretary-General, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and in such a way as is consistent with the strategic plan, to accord greater priority to the recruitment and promotion of women in posts subject to geographical distribution, particularly in senior policy-level and decision-making posts and within those parts of the United Nations system and the specialized agencies where representation of women is considerably below the average, in order to achieve the goals set in General Assembly resolutions 45/125 and 45/239 C of an overall participation rate of 35 per cent by 1995 and in posts at the D-1 level and above of 25 per cent by 1995; 6. Also urges the Secretary-General to examine further existing work practices within the United Nations system with a view to increasing flexibility so as to remove direct or indirect discrimination against staff members with family responsibilities, including consideration of such issues as spouse employment, job-sharing, flexible working hours, child-care arrangements, career-break schemes and access to training; 7. Further urges the Secretary-General to increase the number of women employed in the Secretariat from developing countries, particularly those that are unrepresented or underrepresented, and from other countries that have a low representation of women, including countries in transition; 8. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that equal employment opportunities exist for all staff; 9. Also requests the Secretary-General to enable, from within existing resources, the Focal Point on the Status of Women within the Secretariat to effectively monitor and facilitate progress in the implementation of the strategic plan; 10. Strongly encourages Member States to support the strategic plan and the efforts of the United Nations and the specialized agencies to increase the percentage of women in the Professional category, especially in posts at the D-1 level and above, by identifying and sending forward more women candidates, encouraging women to apply for vacant posts and creating national rosters of women candidates to be shared with the Secretariat, the specialized agencies and the regional commissions; 11. Requests the Secretary-General to further develop comprehensive policy measures aimed at the prevention of sexual harassment in the Secretariat; 12. Also requests the Secretary-General to ensure that a progress report on the status of women in the Secretariat containing, inter alia, information on activities undertaken towards the achievement of the goals and objectives contained in the strategic plan and policy measures aimed at the prevention of -3-