Outcome FIJ_D_1.2

By 2027, the operational, normative and collaborative potential of the UNCT Cooperation Frameworks to contribute to greater gender equality is fully optimised by UN Women’s interventions.

This result is on track. The United Nations in the Pacific has demonstrated commitment to rolling out a comprehensive assessment of the United Nations System-wide Action Plan (UNCT-SWAP) Gender Equality Scorecard for a second time in less than 5 years. This commitment demonstrates willingness to being able to more concretely understand areas that need further joint action to progress gender mainstreaming and advance gender equality and women’s empowerment. The assessment will be undertaken across all three sub-regional United Nations Multi-Country Offices (MCOs) in the Pacific Framework in a separate but coordinated manner as they come under one Pacific regional UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2023-2027). The Gender Equality Scorecard assessment will be led by the team leads of the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Offices for each MCO, with technical support provided by UN Women and the Pacific UN Gender Theme Group, which UN Women Co-Chairs, alongside UNFPA, and provides executive secretariat support (full-time Gender Group Coordinator). The Gender Group Coordinator and the team leads of the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office are developing a Scorecard assessment strategy that will ensure a coordinated rollout, given that several Scorecard indicators are regional (such as Indicator 1.2 on UNSDCF Outcomes) but some will now have a subregional focus (such as 3.1 and 3.2 on stakeholder engagement). This approach will highlight differences across each MCO where one may be exceeding minimum requirements, another MCO may only be approaching, and thus will lead to a more tailored action plan for each MCO. The last comprehensive UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard assessment took place in the Pacific in 2020. At that time, the United Nations system in the Pacific worked on the basis of multi-country engagement led by two United Nations Resident Coordinators and a Joint United Nations country team linked across two MCOs as the regional hubs, with agencies operating regionally out of Fiji and Samoa. There was a Regional United Nations Pacific Strategy that presented a coordinated approach to support the 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories. Thus, the Scorecard assessment in 2020 was an assessment of gender mainstreaming of the United Nations joint processes across all 14 countries to the extent as possible. Since that time, a third MCO has been established in the Pacific in the Federated States of Micronesia, and there is a more complex UNSDCF management structure that includes some regional and some subregional interagency groups. Annual reporting on the Gender Scorecard has become increasingly difficult to measure in a way that accurately reflected the context of each MCO. With the proposed approach and resulting tailored action plans for each MCO, the Gender Theme Group will be better placed to respond to the gender mainstreaming needs at the country and sub-regional level.

By 2027, the operational, normative and collaborative potential of the UNCT Cooperation Frameworks to contribute to greater gender equality is fully optimised by UN Women’s interventions.

The 2024 UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard assessment reveals institutional progress in in advancing human rights and ensuring no one is left behind in the Pacific region's approach to gender equality, with 56% of ratings meeting or exceeding UN-SWAP standards across three Multi-Country Offices (MCOs). Fiji MCO met or exceeded standards in 9 out of 15 indicators, while Samoa and Micronesia MCOs each met 8 out of 15. These results indicate that while progress has been made in incorporating gender considerations into UN operations, significant strengthening is still needed. This comprehensive evaluation led to the development of tailored action plans for each MCO, marking a meaningful institutional change in regional planning to advance the Pacific UNSDCF Vision of "All people in the Pacific, leaving no place behind, are equal and free to exercise their fundamental rights, enjoying gender equality and peace, resilient to the existential threats and living in harmony with the blue and green continent”. The assessment revealed mixed results: Common Country Analyses ( CCA ) showed specific gaps in gender mainstreaming within economic empowerment initiatives, climate change data, and sex-disaggregated statistics. Programming highlighted inconsistencies in joint programs' gender quality assurance mechanisms, while Communications and Advocacy showed improvement in gender integration. Leadership and Organizational Culture demonstrated positive results in leadership engagement but revealed limitations in gender-responsive operations and procurement. Gender Architecture and Capacities met basic requirements but indicated opportunities for strengthening, while Results-Based Management showed funding allocation falling short of the 70% target for gender equality marker levels 2 and 3. National Engagement scores varied significantly by MCO. The assessment, successfully rolled out with a regionally tailored approach, engaged 19 professionals from nine UN agencies (FAO, IOM, OCHA, OHCHR, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women, and WFP) and three Resident Coordinator's Offices, representing a robust institutional partnership across 14 Pacific countries and territories. This collaborative approach ensured representation from diverse geographical areas and institutional contexts across the Pacific, with the assessment conducted between May and November 2024. Teams collaborated virtually due to geographical challenges, using remote facilitation, online consultations, and workshops. The exercise utilized a unique two-phased approach to evaluate 15 indicators across seven dimensions, integrating both regional and MCO-specific assessments to reflect the diverse contexts and capacities of the Pacific's MCOs. This methodology demonstrates a commitment to addressing the specific needs of different Pacific subregions while maintaining consistent evaluation standards. The assessment was conducted during the second year of implementation of the 2023-2027 United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), using the updated 2023 Scorecard guidance. The subsequent action plans focus on immediate and systemic challenges through specific improvements: ensuring sex-disaggregated data and gender analysis in all relevant reports and indicators, developing mechanisms for gender mainstreaming reviews in joint programs and planning documents, expanding training on gender-sensitive leadership, building capacity for civil society and women's organizations in underrepresented MCOs, integrating gender-responsive procurement policies, and ensuring adequate funding for gender initiatives. This innovative multi-country approach allowed for a more nuanced and inclusive assessment of gender equality outcomes. By leveraging tailored strategies, the Pacific UN system is better equipped to strengthen accountability, address regional and sub-regional priorities, and advance gender equality in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2024 comprehensive assessment underscores the UN's commitment to enhancing gender equality outcomes and addressing the unique needs of stakeholders across the Pacific, setting the stage for more effective, tailored, and impactful action plans, ensuring progress towards achieving the goals of the UNSDCF and the 2030 Agenda. UN Women served as the primary executing partner, providing technical expertise and coordination throughout the assessment process, including onboarding and managing the external consultant and facilitating virtual workshops. As co-lead of the Gender Theme Group, UN Women ensured the process adhered to updated guidance and fostered collaboration among stakeholders. The three Multi-Country Offices and their respective Resident Coordinator's Offices acted as additional executing partners, contributing through their regional expertise and implementation support.