Mission statement
Grounded in the vision of equality of the United Nations Charter, the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) works for gender equality and the empowerment of women – as equal partners in and beneficiaries of sustainable development, human rights, and peace and security. Together with Governments, other entities of the United Nations system, and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, DAW works to advance the global agenda on gender equality and women’s human rights issues and ensure that women’s voices are heard and their priorities and concerns are fully integrated into all international policy arenas.

Main responsibilities
• To support formulation of policy, global standards and norms on gender equality and women’s empowerment at global level, including through analysis and research;
• To promote, support and monitor the implementation of international agreements on gender equality and empowerment of women, including the Beijing Platform for Action, at international and national levels;
• To support the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and its Optional Protocol;
• To promote the mainstreaming of gender perspectives across all sectors, both within and outside the United Nations system.

Key areas of activity
• Carrying out analysis and research;
• Providing substantive support to the Commission on the Status of Women, and other United Nations intergovernmental processes focused on gender equality and empowerment of women in the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly;
• Providing substantive and technical support to the expert body, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which monitors national implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and its Optional Protocol (until 31 December 2007);
• Supporting the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), the outcome of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly (2000), and other global conferences and their reviews, and relevant decisions taken by intergovernmental bodies of the United Nations, including through review processes in intergovernmental bodies and through awareness raising and sharing of good practices on policy implementation;
• Providing information to governmental and civil society stakeholders worldwide on the UN work on gender equality and empowerment of women through publications programme and website;
• Facilitating the active participation of NGOs in the sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women, to build strategic partnerships between the United Nations and civil society and to foster greater collaboration and interaction between Governments and civil society;
• Offering technical assistance to developing countries at their requests, to enhance the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the outcome of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its Optional Protocol.