E/2001/27 E/CN.6/2001/14 Annex III Summary of comments by some Member States on the proposed programme of work of the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women and the Division for the Advancement of Women for the biennium 2002-2003 1. The Commission considered the draft programme of work of the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women and of the Division for the Advancement of Women for the biennium 2002-2003 (E/CN.6/2001/CRP.2) under agenda item 3 (a). 2. It was noted that the draft programme of work reflected subprogramme 2 (Gender issues and the advancement of women) of programme 7 (Economic and social affairs) of the medium-term plan 2002-2005 (A/55/6/Rev.1). The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome documents of the twentythird special session of the General Assembly entitled “Further actions and initiatives to implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action” (General Assembly resolution S-23/3, annex) provided the overall framework. The draft programme of work, in particular the objectives, expected accomplishments and indicators of achievement contained in the narrative should be in line with the guidelines established by the General Assembly in its resolution 55/231 on results-based budgeting. 3. The chief contribution of the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women and the Division for the Advancement of Women was to support efforts to achieve gender equality, the advancement of women and their full enjoyment of their human rights. It was suggested that this should be stated clearly in the objectives. In the same vein, the Secretariat should enhance the capability of States parties, at their request, to comply with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its optional protocol, as stated under expected accomplishments, including through operational activities. It should also promote the universal ratification of the Convention and withdrawal of reservations, as stated in the relevant indicator of achievement. of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly. 5. Appreciation for the development of methodologies for gender mainstreaming was expressed. Special efforts should be made to mainstream a gender perspective into the work of the United Nations in poverty eradication, to develop a more coherent system of sex disaggregated statistics and indicators and to reach out to civil society. It was also noted that a gender perspective should be mainstreamed in work programmes and activities decided upon or adopted by intergovernmental forums, entities of the United Nations system, other intergovernmental organizations and by Member States. 6. Additional indicators for the first two obje ctives were suggested, namely an increase in the participation of ministers in the meetings of the Commission on the Status of Women, improved indicators on the status of women in Member States and the establishment of specific mechanisms for the advancement of women. Additional indicators for the third objective should include an increase in the number of Member States having prepared national plans to promote gender equality and increased coordination with nongovernmental organizations in the implementation of the Platform of Action. 4. The goals and time-bound targets referred to under indicators of achievements were those specified in the Platform for Action and the outcome documents 67