ESCAP, as Co-Chair of the Asia-Pacific Regional Coordination Mechanism Thematic Working Group on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (TWG-GEEW), together with UN Women, supports the regional implementation of the gender equality and women’s empowerment agenda, in particular across the following three priority areas: 1) the Secretary-General’s UNiTE Campaign; 2) gender statistics and 3) women, peace and security. The TWG-GEEW also prepares annually joint UN system regional commemorations on International Women’s Day (8 March) and the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women (25 November).

Together with UN Women, it manages a trust fund which pools the resources of 22 UN entities in support of the shared commitments for greater gender equality and women’s empowerment in Asia-Pacific through implementation of the adopted workplan.

In support of Rio+20 outcome paragraph 243 - We support the work of the United Nations system, including the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), in promoting and achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment in all aspects of life, including with respect to the linkages between gender equality and women’s empowerment and the promotion of sustainable development. We support the work of UN-Women in leading, coordinating and promoting the accountability of the United Nations system in this regard.

In support of Rio+20 outcome paragraph 244 - Donors and international organizations, including the United Nations system organizations, as well as the international financial institutions, regional banks and major groups, including the private sector, to integrate fully commitments and considerations on gender equality and women's empowerment and to ensure the participation of women and effective gender mainstreaming in their decision-making and full programming cycle. We invite them to play a supportive role in the efforts of developing countries to integrate fully commitments and considerations on gender equality and the empowerment of women and ensure the participation of women and effective gender mainstreaming in their decision making, programme planning, budgeting and implementation, in accordance with national legislation, priorities and capacities.