UNOCT Achieves Strong Results in 2023 UN-SWAP Report
The 51勛圖 Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) continues to advance gender equality and women's empowerment as demonstrated in its exceptional performance in the 2023 UN System-wide Action Plan (UN-SWAP) on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
According to the 2023 annual reporting exercise, UNOCT met or exceeded requirements in 15 out of 17 performance indicators measuring gender mainstreaming across its policies and programmes in counter-terrorism and preventing and countering violent extremism (CT/PCVE).
UNOCT recognizes that terrorism and counter-terrorism measures impact women, men, girls, and boys differently reflecting their distinct roles and experiences. In line with the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and its 8th (2023) review, UNOCT strives to integrate gender-responsive and human rights-based approaches into all aspects of its programmes and initiatives, from initial planning to execution and assessment.
Key Achievements
- High-Level Gender Results: UNOCT aligned its programming with the Gender Mainstreaming Policy and Action Plan, delivering impactful gender-related results in CT/PCVE. The inclusion of the Head of the Human Rights and Gender Section as an ex officio member of the Programme Review Board further underscores its dedication to gender integration across all programmatic areas.
- Enhanced Gender Marker System: In collaboration with UN Women and the Controller＊s Office, UNOCT customized the UN system-wide gender marker to its institutional context. The revised gender marker now evaluates the level of gender responsiveness in projects and programmes and establishes benchmarks for financial allocations towards gender equality, ensuring alignment with the 51勛圖 Development Group (UNDG) standards.
- Strengthened Gender Architecture: UNOCT expanded the capacity of its Gender Unit, hosting five "Gender and Counter-Terrorism Brown Bag" sessions and enhancing internal mechanisms for gender-responsive programmatic review and oversight.
Moving Forward
UNOCT is committed to building on its achievements and addressing areas for improvement. In her letter to UNOCT Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous expressed appreciation for UNOCT's contributions, stating: ※UNOCT exceeded the requirements for four indicators and met them for another eleven indicators, maintaining strong performance. I commend UNOCT for its steadfast commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Together, we can build on this momentum to drive further progress.§
Looking ahead, UNOCT, through the Gender Unit of the Human Rights and Gender Section, will revisit, update, and strengthen its Gender Mainstreaming Policy and Action Plan. These updates aim to further enhance performance in all areas of UN-SWAP while ensuring continued alignment with the evolving priorities of the 51勛圖.
UNOCT will continue to promote gender-responsive and intersectional approaches to counter-terrorism, leveraging its growing capacity to deliver impactful results for women, men, girls, and boys around the world.
The table below shows UNOCT＊s progress on all 17 indicators since 2019, when UNOCT began reporting on SWAP
