Acronyms
Acronyms
Advocacy Acronyms
UN Partners
| CSW | Commission on the Status of Women | The Commission on the Status of Women is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. It is the principal global policy-making body. |
| CEDAW | The Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women | The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. |
| ECA | Economic Commission for Africa | The regional arm of the United Nations, mandated to support the economic and social development of its member States, foster intra-regional integration, and promote international cooperation for Africa’s development. |
| ECOSOC | United Nations Economic and Social Council | ECOSOC was established as the principal organ to coordinate economic, social, and related work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, functional commissions and five regional commissions. ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to Member States and the United Nations system. |
| HRC | Human Rights Council | HRC is a Charter body created under the UN Charter for the promotion and protection of human rights. |
| ILO | International Labour Office | The UN specialized agency which seeks the promotion of social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights through bringing together governments, employers and workers of its member states in common action to promote decent work throughout the world. |
| OHCHR | Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights | OHCHR department of the United Nations Secretariat, mandated to promote and protect the enjoyment and full realization, by all people, of all rights established in the Charter of the United Nations and in international human rights laws and treaties. The mandate includes preventing human rights violations, securing respect for all human rights, promoting international cooperation to protect human rights, coordinating related activities throughout the United Nations. |
| UNAIDS | United Nations AIDS Program | UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, brings together the efforts and resources of ten UN system organizations to the global AIDS response. |
| UNDP | United Nations Development Program | UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively. |
| UNDPI | United Nations Department of Public Information | DPI provides up-to-date public information materials on the aims and activities of the UN in political, economic, social and humanitarian fields to a diverse local audience. |
| UNECE | United Nations Economic Commission for Europe | UNECE strives to foster sustainable economic growth among its 56 member countries. To that end UNECE provides a forum for communication among States; brokers international legal instruments addressing trade, transport and the environment; and supplies statistics and economic and environmental analysis. |
| UNESCO | United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization | Encourages international peace and universal respect by promoting collaboration among nations. Conducts studies, facilitates knowledge sharing, and develops standards. |
| UNGEI | United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative | Assists national governments as they fulfill their responsibilities towards ensuring the right to education and gender equality for all children, girls and boys alike. |
| UNHCR | United Nations High Commission for Refugees | The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. |
| UNICEF | United Nations Children’s Fund | A UN agency promoting and improving the life of every child in health, education, equality, protection. Goals among others: give children the best start in life, promote girls’ education, immunize all against common childhood diseases, all well-nourished, prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people, assure equality for those who are discriminated against, girls and women in particular, creating protective environments for children, and to uphold the Convention on the Rights of the Child. |
| UNIFEM | United Nations Fund for Women’s Development | UNIFEM is the women’s fund at the United Nations. It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality. |
| WHO | World Health Organization | WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. |
| WTO | World Trade Organization | The WTO deals with the rules of trade between nations at a global or near-global level. |
NGO Partners
| BPW | International Federation of Business & Professional Women | BPW International is an international network of business and professional women with affiliates in 80 countries in five continents. Its members include influential women leaders, entrepreneurs, business owners, executives, professionals and young career women. BPW affiliates contribute to society by enabling women to sustain themselves economically. In addition, BPW offers personal development programs for members such as mentoring, leadership training and e-Business training. |
| CONGO | Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations | CONGO is an independent, international, non-profit membership association of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It facilitates the participation of NGOs in United Nations debates and decision-making. |
| FAWE | Forum for African Women Educationalists | A pan African Non-government Organization that promotes girls’ and women’s education in sub Saharan Africa in line with Education For All. Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya and a network of National Chapters in 32 countries. |
| GCE | Global Campaign for Education | Promotes education as a basic human right, and mobilizes public pressure on governments and the international community to provide free, compulsory public basic education for all people; in particular for children, women and all disadvantaged, deprived sections of society. |
| ICW | International Council of Women | The ICW-CIF is an international, non-political, non-governmental organization. Its principal objectives are: to help women help themselves; to promote equal rights and responsibilities for both men and women; to promote recognition and respect for human rights; to support all the efforts for peace; to bring together women from all continents in unity within diversity; to encourage the integration of women in development. |
| SI | Soroptimist International | Soroptimist International is a worldwide organization for women in management and professions, working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. |
| ZI | Zonta International | Zonta International is a global organization |
of executives and professionals working together to advance the status of women worldwide through service and advocacy.
International Advocacy Terms
| 2122 | Security Council Resolution 2122 | Sets in place stronger measures to enable women to participate in conflict resolution and recovery, and puts the onus on the Security Council, the United Nations, regional organisations and Member States to dismantle the barriers, create the space, and provide seats at the table for women. |
| 1325 | Resolution 1325 | United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, passed unanimously on 31 October 2000, calls for the full and equal participation of women in conflict resolution and peace building. It is the first resolution ever passed by the Security Council that specifically addresses the impact of war on women, and women’s contributions to conflict resolution and sustainable peace. |
| CSO | Civil Society Organisation | CSOs include NGOs, trade unions, faith-based organisations, indigenous peoples movements, and foundations |
| UPR | Universal Periodical Review | The Human Rights Council (HRC) was mandated by the United Nations to undertake a universal periodic review of the fulfilment by each State of its human rights obligations and commitments. |
