UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Wednesday announced two reform initiatives with regard to peace and gender equality.
"I am announcing today the establishment of a new High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation," Guterres told reporters ahead of the General Debate of the UN General Assembly.
"The board is made up of 18 internationally recognized personalities who bring experience and skills, deep knowledge and extensive contacts to this extremely important task," he added.
Members of the advisory board include Michelle Bachelet, the president of Chile; Graca Machel, the widow of Nelson Mandela; Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president of Nigeria; and Justin Welby, the Archbiship of Canterbury.
"I will look to the board to provide me with advice and to back specific mediation efforts. I am confident they will help us to collaborate more effectively with regional organizations, nongovernmental groups and others involved in mediation around the world," said Guterres.
He also announced a gender parity strategy for the United Nations, which aims to achieve parity at senior levels by 2021, and across the board by 2028.
"This roadmap fulfils an urgent need, a moral duty, an operational necessity -- and a personal priority," he said.
Since January, over half of his appointments to the senior management jobs have been women (17 women and 15 men), including both appointments and renewal of mandates. A higher percentage of women will be appointed as there is a large majority of men in the present mandates, said Guterres.
"But more than statistics, we will need to change our own attitudes and approaches. We must lead by example on gender equality and women's empowerment, which is one of the greatest human rights challenges and opportunities in our world."
