WRITTEN QUESTION P-0273/98 by Lissy Gröner (PSE) to the Council (6 February 1998)

Subject: Implementation of the Council Resolution of 20 December 1995 on intergrating gender issues in development cooperation

At the meeting on 19 January 1998 between the President-in-Office of the Council of Development Ministers, United Kingdom Secretary of State for International Development Clare Short, and the EP Committee on Development and Cooperation, Ms Short stressed, in reply to questions by MEPs, that implementation of the Council Resolution of 20 December 1995 on intergrating gender issues in development cooperation is one of the priorities of her presidency.

What specific measures will the Council take to implement the above-mentioned Council Resolution during the British Presidency?

Answer (11 May 1998)

Gender inequality is known to be one of the major obstacles to the achievement of sustainable development. As some 70 percent of the world's poorest people are women, the objective of effective poverty reduction requires policies that recognise women's multiple roles, and macro-economic policies and development strategies that respond to the needs and efforts of women in poverty should be encouraged.

The Presidency of the Council has tabled draft conclusions on gender as a follow-up to the Council 1995 Resolution integrating gender issues in development cooperation. The draft has been examined by the Council's Development Working Party, which has elaborated an agreed text to be submitted for approval to the 'Development' Council on 18 May 1998. These draft conclusions provide inter alia for the systematic incorporation of gender issues in regulations and guidelines which govern the development cooperation programmes of the Community and the Member States.

The draft conclusions also stipulate that gender issues will be analysed and considered as part of normal project or programme preparation and follow-up, and integrated into project documentation. Good practice guides will be drawn up for staff. Decision making processes will ensure that gender aspects are properly integrated into policy dialogue, planning, monitoring and evaluation activities. Increased attention will be paid to sensitising decision makers in partner countries and building capacity.

Furthermore, the draft conclusions address the linkage between poverty and gender issues by recommending that the Community and the Member States support the development by partner countries of poverty elimination strategies that mainstream a gender perspective.

They recommend that, where appropriate, networks of gender focal points be reinforced in relevant units of the Commission and Member States responsible for development cooperation to promote awareness of gender issues, improve capacity for gender analysis and contribute to monitoring progress in gender mainstreaming. Capacity to implement the Resolution in the Community and Member States will be increased. Gender training should be extended to delegations and field offices as well as headquarters, and sufficient resources re-allocated, if necessary, to support this work.

The Honourable Member is furthermore reminded that a legislative procedure is underway concerning a Commission proposal for a Council Regulation on integrating gender issues in development cooperation (COM(97) 265 final). The purpose of the Regulation is to provide financial assistance and technical expertise to support the mainstreaming of a gender perspective into all its development cooperation policies and interventions. The assistance provided shall complement, reinforce and coordinate assistance provided pursuant to other instruments of development cooperation.

The Council's Development Cooperation Working Party had, in December 1997, reached agreement on a draft Common Position. In February 1998, the Commission came up with an amended proposal (COM(98) 82 final 97/0151 (SYN), taking into account this draft Common Position, as well as the European Parliament's amendments. This amended proposal was examined on 19 February by the competent Council Working Party. The Common Position is likely to be adopted in the near future and will subsequently be transmitted to the Parliament.