E/2003/27 E/CN.6/2003/12 Recalling its resolutions 45/2 of 17 March 2001 and 46/3 of 15 March 2002, Economic and Social Council resolutions 2001/41 of 26 July 2001 and 2002/23 of 24 July 2002 and General Assembly resolutions 56/132 of 19 December 2001, 57/182 of 18 December 2002, and 57/300 of 20 December 2002, Welcoming the United Nations Millennium Declaration33 and its call for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women, Welcoming also the decision of the Economic and Social Council to establish in its agenda the sub-item entitled “Mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes of the United Nations system”, Welcoming further the decision of the Economic and Social Council to devote a coordination segment before 2005 to a review and appraisal of the system-wide implementation of its agreed conclusions 1997/2 on mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes of the United Nations system,34 Reaffirming that gender mainstreaming is a globally accepted strategy for promoting gender equality, Reaffirming also that gender mainstreaming constitutes a critical strategy in the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action35 and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,36 Recognizing that enhancing women’s opportunities, potential and activities requires a dual focus, namely, programmes aimed at meeting the basic as well as the specific needs of women for capacity-building, organizational development and empowerment, together with gender mainstreaming in all programme formulation and implementation activities, Underlining the catalytic role of the Commission in promoting gender mainstreaming, 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the measures taken and progress achieved in the follow-up to and implementation of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”, especially in mainstreaming gender perspectives in entities of the United Nations system;37 2. Notes with appreciation the activities undertaken by entities of the United Nations system as outlined in the above report of the Secretary-General, including: (a) Formulating and implementing gender equality policies and strategies; (b) Making efforts to enhance and integrate gender perspectives into all policies and programmes of the United Nations system; __________________ 33 34 35 36 37 14 See General Assembly resolution 55/2. See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-second Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/52/3), chap. IV, para. 4. See Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II. General Assembly resolutions S-23/2 and S-23/3. E/CN.6/2003/2.