Mandate:   -   Approved by the DAC on 17 September 2003 [DCD/DAC/M(2003)6/FINAL]

   -   Renewal of the mandate approved by the DAC on 10 May 2007

      [DCD/DAC/M(2007)6/FINAL, item IX, para. 22 and DCD/DAC(2007)25/REV2]

   -   Revision of the DAC subsidiary body mandates approved by the DAC on 23 October 2008 [DCD/DAC/M(2008)9, item V. para. 7]

   -   Decision to extend the mandate to 31 December 2011 [DCD/DIR(2010)18]

   -   Decision to extend the mandate to 31 December 2014, approved by the DAC on 3 November 2011 [DCD/DAC(2011)38/REV1, para. 17 e. and [DCD/DAC/M(2011)9/FINAL, item V]

   -   Revision of the mandate, approved by the DAC on 12 November 2012 [DCD/DAC(2012)42 and DCD/DAC/M(2012)10/FINAL, item 4, para. 5]

   -   Decision to extend the mandate to 31 December 2015, in order to synchronise with the Committee mandate's date, approved by written procedure [DCD/DAC(2014)60 and DCD/DAC/M(2014)12/FINAL, item 3. para. 4]

   -   Decision to extend the mandate to 31 December 2016, in order to synchronise with the Committee mandate's date, approved by the DAC on 15 April 2015 and confirmed to the DAC on 18 June 2015 [DCD/DAC(2015)9, para. 3.ii), DCD/DAC/M(2015)3/FINAL, item 7. para. 24, 25, 26 and DCD/DAC/M(2015)5 item 3. para. 4]

   -   Decision to extend the mandate to 31 December 2017, in order to synchronise with the Committee mandate's date, approved by the DAC on 20 May 2016 [DCD/DAC(2016)26 and DCD/DAC/M(2016)5/FINAL, item 6. para.14]

   -   Decision to extend the mandate to 31 December 2018, approved by the DAC High Level Meeting on 30-31 October 2017 [DCD/DAC(2017)26/REV2, para.5 and DCD/DAC/M(2017)8/REV1 Item 10]

-   Decision to revise and extend the mandate to 31 December 2022, approved by the DAC, via silent procedure, on 19 December 2018 [DCD/DAC(2018)39/FINAL].

-   Decision to revise and extend the mandate to 31 December 2027, approved by the DAC on 24 November 2022 [DCD/DAC(2022)27/FINAL]

1.   The Development Assistance Committee (DAC) is the principal forum through which bilateral donors deal with issues related to the volume and effectiveness of development co-operation. It aims to impact donor policies and practices in ways that promote aid effectiveness, capacity development, and inclusive globalisation, in order to support poverty reduction and sustainable development in developing countries.

2.   Subsidiary Bodies of the DAC will function as communities of practice and sources of expertise that promote collective learning and produce deliverables in accordance with the DAC mandate. The deliverables of Subsidiary Bodies are to be based on the Programme of Work and Budget (PWB) and on additional guidance from the DAC, as communicated by its Chair. They could include leading edge thinking, policy recommendations, good practices, and tools, which are to be relevant, practical, timely, and user-friendly. These deliverables should be accompanied by communication and dissemination strategies designed to ensure impact on behaviour change. Subsidiary Bodies will also promote synergies among other Subsidiary Bodies in contributing to the DAC’s PWB.

3.   The operations of Subsidiary Bodies, as part of the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD), will be in line with the rules, regulations, and guidance of the Organisation. Together with the Secretariat, they will carry out horizontal work with other parts of the OECD where appropriate to particularly contribute to policy coherence for development. Furthermore, Subsidiary Bodies will develop substantive interactions with international organisations and non-DAC donors –including in support of the Organisation’s efforts toward enlargement and enhanced engagement– as well as reach out on a case by case basis to partner countries and other relevant actors.

Extract from document [DCD/DAC(2022)27/FINAL]

Mandate

I. Objectives

The Network on Gender Equality (hereafter the “GENDERNET”) shall assist the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in improving policies and practices to strengthen gender equality in development programmes and to secure girls’ and women’s rights contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

II. Working Methods

To achieve these objectives, the GENDERNET shall:

• Provide a forum to share experiences and disseminate standards, good practice and innovative approaches on integrating gender perspectives and girls’ and women’s empowerment and ending sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, into key, and emerging, aspects of development co-operation.

• Contribute to improving the quality, effectiveness and impacts of development co-operation by working to ensure that practice and implementation match global and national commitments to gender equality and girls’ and women’s empowerment, taking into account changing contexts and development priorities.

• Play a catalytic role by providing professional expertise for integrating gender equality perspectives into the DAC’s work, (including peer reviews and aid statistics), reinforcing this priority in DAC members’ policies and programmes (including investments), and supporting partner countries’ development efforts in gender equality and women’s empowerment.

• Engage in collaborative efforts to influence key global partnerships, institutions and processes to shape an international system that protects and advances girls’ and women’s rights and gender equality.

• Support the development, dissemination and implementation of standards in the area of gender equality in development programmes and to secure girls’ and women’s rights.

III. Co-ordination arrangements

In order to efficiently implement its objectives, the GENDERNET shall:

• Engage with other subsidiary bodies of the DAC, in particular the International Network on Conflict and Fragility, the DAC Network on Environment and Development, the DAC Network on Development Evaluation and the DAC Network on Governance, and informal groups.

• Consult other OECD bodies and hosted entities, in particular the Working Party on Development Finance Statistics, of the Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policies, the Working Party on Gender Mainstreaming and Governance of the Public Governance Committee, the Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Committee, the Development Centre and the Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC), with a view to support the DAC in furthering policy coherence for sustainable development;

• Co-operate with other international organisations and fora, in particular multilateral organisations and development banks and the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation, with a view to support the DAC’s efforts to enhance development co-operation effectiveness and deliver development results.

• Consult with other stakeholders, in particular, development finance institutions, civil society, private actors and research institutes with a view to sharing experiences and identifying innovative approaches to accelerate gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

IV. Composition

The GENDERNET is composed of governmental experts specialised in gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in development.