The accountability framework for integrating UNHCR’s age, gender and diversity approach (AGD) responds to internal and external requests for greater accountability and leadership from senior managers to ensure adequate mainstreaming of age, gender and diversity concerns throughout the organisation. The High Commissioner himself has placed both gender equality and accountability high on UNHCR’s agenda. UNHCR’s ‘Age, Gender and Diversity Approach Forward Plan 2011-2016’ aims to ensure that UNHCR is a fully age, gender and diversity inclusive organisation within five years.
The Age, Gender and Diversity Accountability Framework aims to demonstrate organisational leadership by placing accountability with senior management, in a transparent, public and personal manner.
As such, it is a ground – breaking initiative, which, seven years on, continues to place UNHCR as a lead agency in ensuring that age, gender and diversity ‘mainstreaming’ moves from rhetoric to organizational reality.
The Framework consists of four elements, all designed to support the achievement of equal outcomes for all persons of concern, regardless of age, sex, identity or background. These four elements are visualised below and form the basis of the organisation’s high level AGD accountability framework.
- Integration of age, gender and diversity approach into all actions, at all levels
- Specific actions to enhance the protection of women and children with special needs
- Specific actions to enhance the protection of children, including adolescents
- Specific actions to enhance the protection of other persons with specific needs
The accountability framework provides a checklist of minimum standards for meeting each of the four elements.
This discussion document presents a first draft of the sixth annual overview of progress towards achievement of the accountability actions for AGD and associated targeted actions for the enhanced protection of persons with specific needs.