Background All governments made commitments to the advancement of women and gender equality goals in the Beijing Platform for Action (1995), and recognised gender mainstreaming -- "the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in any area and at all levels" (ECOSOC 1997) -- as the principal means to achieve these objectives. UNDP endorses this approach, and includes the advancement of women as a core thematic area within its Sustainable Human Development (SHD) framework. UNDP's strategy for gender mainstreaming emphasises systematic integration of gender equality objectives into organisational policies, programmes at all levels, resource allocations and practices. These have been additionally reinforced by recent developments in policy, strategy and organisational contexts: (a) the "UNDP 2001" Change Management process that aims to increase UNDP's capacity for effective programme management; (b) the reinforcement of UNDP's programme coordination role under UN Reform, including the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for joint programming at the country level; and, (c) stronger inter-agency collaboration on gender mainstreaming, notably the Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender Equality (IACWGE), the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) Sub-Group on Gender Equality, and the OECD/DAC Working Party on Gender Equality. Organisational Mechanisms UNDP works through a network of 132 country offices in partnership with governments, and in cooperation with other agencies and civil society organisations (CSOs). Gender focal points at UNDP headquarters and in country offices facilitate and catalyse the process of gender mainstreaming. The Gender in Development Programme (GIDP) provides leadership and support to the organisation on gender equality issues, and coordinates UNDP participation in interagency policy, programming and advocacy initiatives. A Gender Advisory Committee, comprised of gender focal points from various divisions and bureaux at UNDP headquarters and UNIFEM, guides its work on gender policy, strategy, and capacity-development initiatives. At the country level, the gender focal point mechanism includes both a designated programme staff person and a representative of senior management to ensure attention to gender issues in decision-making (see Guidance Note on Gender Mainstreaming). UNDP has developed a number of initiatives to improve capacity for integrated follow-up to the Beijing Platform for Action at the country level through support to the Resident Coordinator system. These include a programme with UNIFEM for the placement of Senior Gender Advisors in 10 countries, and another initiative, with UNIFEM and UNV, to field UN volunteers with gender expertise in 20 countries. Policy UNDP's policy for gender mainstreaming is presented in three key documents. Direct Line 11 (November 1996). This communication from UNDP's Administrator to all Resident Representatives identifies the organisation's priorities for gender mainstreaming, defines the relationship between UNDP and UNIFEM, and establishes minimum budgetary allocations. The Guidance Note on Gender Mainstreaming (March 1997). Informed by an assessment of existing good practice in country offices, this document details policy, programme, and administrative implications of UNDP's commitment to gender mainstreaming. It emphasises the need for systematic and consistent attention to gender equality objectives throughout the programming cycle. Gender Balance in Management Policy (June 1998). This document lays out UNDP's strategy for achieving gender balance in its work force, especially the advancement of women in senior management cadres. Phase II (1998-2001) updates targets for recruitment, retention and promotion of female staff, and addresses related issues pertaining to quality of the work place, human resources management, and accountability. Programmes UNDP's programmes support a broad range of activities on gender equality and the advancement of women at global, regional and national levels: (a) mainstreaming gender analysis into, and developing links between, the different thematic areas -- poverty eradication, employment creation and sustainable livelihoods, regeneration of the environment, and good governance; (b) preparation of national human development reports; (c) coordinated follow-up to UN conferences and conventions, and implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); (d) empowerment of women in decision-making; (e) developing analytic/policy frameworks and gender equality indicators; (f) capacity-building for governments and civil society organisations; and, (g) improving networking, advocacy and public awareness. Resources As stipulated in Direct Line 11, fifteen to twenty percent of core UNDP allocations -- at global, regional and country levels -- are to be targeted for the organisation's work on gender. In addition, different programmes engage in further resource mobilisation through cost-sharing and trust fund arrangements.