The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its resolution 48/111 of 20 December 1993 regarding the
proposal to merge the International Research and Training Institute for the
Advancement of Women and the United Nations Development Fund for Women,
 
      Recalling also its resolution 49/160 of 23 December 1994 regarding the
proposed merger,
 
      Bearing in mind the report of the Secretary-General of 7 July 1994,
submitted pursuant to resolution 48/111,
 
      Bearing in mind also the report of the Advisory Committee on
Administrative and Budgetary Questions of 7 September 1994, prepared in
compliance with resolution 48/111,
 
      Taking into consideration its request to the Secretary-General, in
resolution 49/160, that he submit, through the Advisory Committee on
Administrative and Budgetary Questions, an updated report which would contain,
inter alia, the information requested by the Economic and Social Council in
its decision 1993/235 of 27 July 1993 and by the General Assembly in
paragraphs 2 and 3 of resolution 48/111, as well as the additional information
requested by the Advisory Committee,
 
      Also taking into consideration paragraph 5 of resolution 49/160, in
which it requested the Economic and Social Council to re-examine the issue at
a resumed session to take place after the Fourth World Conference on Women and
before the Third Committee of the General Assembly considered the question of
the advancement of women, taking into account the deliberations of the
Commission on the Status of Women at its thirty-ninth session, the Fourth
World Conference on Women and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and
Budgetary Questions concerning institutional arrangements in the United
Nations system for the advancement of women,
 
      Keeping in mind that the Commission on the Status of Women did not give
an opinion on this matter, as requested by the General Assembly in resolution
49/160, owing to the lack of the documents requested therein,
 
      Keeping in mind also that the Fourth World Conference on Women did not
discuss the proposed merger of the Institute and the Fund, but outlined their
mandates separately and distinctly,
 
      Taking note of the opinion expressed in the report of the Joint
Inspection Unit, entitled "The advancement of women through and in the
programmes of the United Nations system:  what happens after the Fourth World
Conference on Women?", that the vast majority of women, and the most pressing
problems for women, are in the developing world and that therefore at least
one of the specific United Nations women's units should also be based there,
 
      1.    Takes note of the note by the Secretariat prepared pursuant to
General Assembly resolution 49/160;
 
      2.    Takes note also of the report of the Advisory Committee on
Administrative and Budgetary Questions;
 
      3.    Reaffirms the view expressed in paragraph 360 of the Platform for
Action adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women at Beijing on 15
September 1995 that, recognizing the roles of United Nations funds, programmes
and specialized agencies, in particular the special roles of the United
Nations Development Fund for Women and the International Research and Training
Institute for the Advancement of Women, in the promotion of the empowerment of
women and, therefore, in the implementation of the Platform for Action within
their respective mandates, inter alia, in research, training and information
activities for the advancement of women, as well as technical and financial
assistance to incorporate a gender perspective in development efforts, the
resources provided by the international community need to be sufficient and
should be maintained at an adequate level;
 
      4.    Concurs with the views expressed in paragraphs 334 and 335 of the
Platform for Action concerning the mandates of the Institute and the Fund;
 
      5.    Regrets that, owing to the absence of sufficient information on
the legal, technical and administrative implications of the proposed merger,
it is currently unable to decide on the proposed merger;
 
      6.    Urges the Secretary-General to implement the mandates set out in
its resolution 49/163 of 23 December 1994;
 
      7.    Recommends that the interaction between the Commission on the
Status of Women, the International Research and Training Institute for the
Advancement of Women, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women, the Division for the Advancement of Women of the Secretariat
and the United Nations Development Fund for Women should be reviewed and
rationalized within the context of ongoing efforts to revitalize the Economic
and Social Council in pursuance of a stronger, more unified programme for the
advancement of women as requested in paragraph 2 of resolution 48/111;
 
      8.    Also recommends that any proposal dealing with the institutional
structure and the mandates of the different United Nations bodies dealing with
the advancement of women must be considered part of the general restructuring
exercise of the United Nations.