[Fidji Islands, 31 August 2009] FemLINKpacific, the regional focal point of the GEAR Campaign in Pacific, has sent a letter to Pacific governments, asking them to vote "yes" on a new UN women's agency.

"We call on Pacific governments and all UN member states to act now to ensure the United Nations is able to put in place a new gender equality and women's empowerment architecture which will effectively address the gaps and challenges faced by the United Nations in supporting Member States to implement globally agreed mandates and their own national commitments on gender equality and women's empowerment!"

We need a gender equality structure within the UN that is:

1. Most responsive to the women of the world, but in particular the women of the global south and our Pacific region
2. Headed by an Under Secretary General
3. Well resourced so that it can effectively deliver the gender equality commitments to women including the Beijing Platform for Action (1995), CEDAW, UN Security Council resolution 1325 and UN Security Council resolution 1820
4. Will also ensure that the national women's machineries of women in our Pacific countries are working effectively to uphold and mainstream these gender equality commitments and women's human rights in the national development process of Pacific governments."

[Read the whole GEAR Pacific letter]