A/RES/52/96 Page 2 2. Reaffirms the goal of 50/50 gender distribution by the year 2000 in all categories of posts within the United Nations system, especially at the D-1 level and above, with full respect for the principle of equitable geographical distribution, in conformity with Article 101 of the Charter of the United Nations, and also taking into account the lack of representation or under-representation of women from certain countries, in particular from developing countries as well as countries with economies in transition; 3. Welcomes the personal commitment of the Secretary-General to meeting that goal and his assurance that gender balance will be given the highest priority in his continuing efforts to bring about a new management culture in the Organization; 4. Calls upon the Secretary-General to implement fully and to monitor the strategic plan of action for the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat (1995-2000)3 in order to achieve the goal of 50/50 gender distribution by the year 2000, especially at the D-1 level and above; 5. Encourages the Secretary-General to appoint more women as special representatives and envoys and to pursue good offices on his behalf in matters related to peacekeeping, preventive diplomacy and economic and social development, as well as to appoint more women to other high-level positions; 6. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that individual managers are held accountable for implementing the strategic plan within their areas of responsibility; 7. Also requests the Secretary-General to continue his work to create a gender-sensitive work environment supportive of the needs of his staff, both women and men, including through the development of policies for flexible working time, workplace possibilities, family leave, childcare and elder-care needs, as well as through training, particularly at senior levels, and the implementation of all appropriate administrative procedures, in particular the special measures outlined in his report, and through further development of a policy against sexual harassment; 8. Further requests the Secretary-General to enable the Focal Point for Women in the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women to effectively monitor and facilitate progress on the implementation of the strategic plan, including by ensuring access to the information required to carry out that work; 9. Strongly encourages Member States to support the efforts of the United Nations and the specialized agencies to achieve the goal of 50/50 gender distribution, especially at the D-1 level and above, by identifying and regularly submitting more women candidates and encouraging more women to apply for those positions within the Secretariat, the specialized agencies and the regional commissions; 10. Requests the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of the present resolution, including by providing statistics on the number and percentage of women in all organizational units and at all levels throughout the United Nations system, to the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-second session and to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session. 70th plenary meeting 12 December 1997 3 A/49/587 and Corr.1, sect. IV.