Gender mainstreaming is recognized as a global strategy for the promotion of gender equality in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The ECOSOC agreed conclusions (1997/2) provide a clear definition of gender mainstreaming as the “process of assessing the implications for men and women of any planned action, including legislation, policies and programmes in all areas and at all levels…”. Mainstreaming is a central strategy in UNESCAP’s gender and development interventions. Mainstreaming emphasizes that gender equality is a fundamental value and that is pursued from the centre rather than the margins of decision-making. Mainstreaming aims for the increased involvement of women in decision-making processes, development policy directions, resource allocations, and implementation and monitoring practices. It goes beyond the participation of women in equal numbers as beneficiaries to the actual "agenda setting". The Gender and Development Section promotes and coordinates gender mainstreaming in all sectors of the work of UNESCAP.