Transforming Care Systems: UN System Policy Paper

Care work is key to development, economic growth, and the protection of the planet. However, patriarchal cultural patterns and the unjust social organization of care place the burden of this work primarily on women, girls, and adolescents, limiting their autonomy and rights. Thus, it is essential to transform comprehensive care systems to advance toward a care society, gender equality, and sustainable development.

This UN policy document on transforming care systems within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and Our Common Agenda was drafted based on consultations called by the UN Deputy Secretary-General and collaborative efforts from UN Women, ECLAC, ILO, OHCHR, and UNDP, with significant contributions from other UN agencies and international experts. The document outlines policy options to support the transformation of these systems and emphasizes the importance of addressing care through universal, transformative, and human rights-based approaches. It articulates the role of the UN system in assisting member states and other partners in developing transformative and comprehensive care systems, offering definitions, guiding principles, approaches, and policy options that can be adapted to the specific contexts and realities of different regions.

Transforming Care Systems: UN System Policy Paper

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