Implementing the Accountability Framework for the Global Strategy on Women’s and Children’s Health

Overview

In September 2010, in an effort to accelerate progress on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, the United Nations Secretary-General launched the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health (Global Strategy) that so far has generated over 220 commitments. The Global Strategy called for a process to ensure global reporting, oversight and accountability on women’s and children’s health. In response, the Commission on Information and Accountability (CoIA) for Women’s and Children’s Health was created. In its final report in 2011 it proposed a framework for global and country accountability (see figure below). To implement this framework, the CoIA gave 10 recommendations focusing on three areas: better information for better results; better tracking of resources; and better national and global oversight of results and resources (see box on next page). One of the recommendations was the creation of an independent Expert Review Group (iERG) to report regularly to the United Nations Secretary-General on the results and resources related to the Global Strategy and on progress in implementing the CoIA’s recommendations.