About the OGA

Mandate and core functions of the UNMIK Office of Gender Affairs The mandate of the UNMIK Office of Gender Affairs (OGA) derives from various international legal instruments such as the UN Charter, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), as well as UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security. On this basis, the OGA has been conceived as a political advisory unit on gender issues with an overarching mandate that covers the whole Mission horizontally and plays a catalytic role.

The OGA is focusing its activities on five major components identified on the basis of the specificity of UNMIK's operations and the political context and social reality of Kosovo:

(1) mainstreaming of a gender equality approach in the monitoring and joint implementation of the Standards for Kosovo, the Standards Implementation Plan, and the European Partnership Priorities.

(2) coordination on gender equality issues in UNMIK's pillars and substantive offices (police and justice, civil administration, democratization and institutional building, reconstruction and economy) and enhancement of the consistency on gender equality within the UN system in Kosovo;

(3) strengthening of the capacity of the Provisional Institutions for Self Government to address gender issues at the central and local levels;

(4) promotion of minority women's interests and encouragement of cross-cultural understanding and inter-ethnic acceptance;

(5) boosting the opportunity of women's organizations to voice their concerns and articulate their proposals to the highest UN authorities.

Annual Review 2005
 
To guarantee that the gender equality objectives integrated into the Standards for Kosovo are efficiently pursued, the UNMIK Office of Gender Affairs has developed specific checklists designed as a roadmap for ensuring equal opportunities between men and women and the advancement of Kosovo women and girls. The Office of Gender Affairs has also participated in the eight Standards Implementation Working Groups, set up as mechanisms for the monitoring and joint implementation, offering technical assistance to ensure that a gender equality approach is cross-cut throughout the exercise. Moreover, the Office of Gender Affairs has devised a series of gender-sensitive indicators to be used in monitoring. These indicators, specifically tailored for each Standard, represent tangible barometers that will allow to gauge the progress. In the framework of its strategy to enhance the capacity of local institutions to fulfil the gender equality objectives in the Standards for Kosovo, the Office of Gender Affairs has regularly delivered training to all levels of civil servants on the different aspects related to the promotion of gender sensitive policies, programs and services. Read more...