Making the United Nations Relevant to all People– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly
22 May 2019
Excellencies,
I am really delighted that the General Assembly has decided by consensus to hold a high-level meeting in 2020 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
I commend Kenya for its leadership on this resolution, and the many co-sponsors from all regions. At a time of heightened concerns about women’s rights, it is crucial that this Assembly – the UN’s most representative organ – sends a strong signal that we are indeed a “parliament of all humanity”, including women and girls.
Endorsed by all Member States in 1995, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action remain highly relevant today. Because of their vision and ambition. Because of their focus on practical action on: poverty, education, health, violence, armed conflict, economy, power and decision-making, institutional mechanisms, human rights, media, environment, and the girl child.
Almost 25 years on, we can be proud of the progress we have made, through the Millennium Development Goals and now the 2030 Agenda; through Security Council Resolution 1325 – 20 years old ago next year; and through UN Women – created almost a decade ago by the General Assembly.
But the Beijing Platform for Action also remains highly relevant because progress has been painfully slow. As we heard at the Commission on the Status of Women this year, if we maintain the current rate of progress, it will take 108 years – more than a century – to close the global gender gap, and 202 years to achieve economic gender parity.
No country has achieved gender equality. In every region, women are still denied their basic rights and needs. And we cannot take for granted the gains we have made. The landscape has changed dramatically in many areas covered by Beijing, notably media, the environment and human rights. The push-back is real.
So the 25th anniversary is a golden opportunity to recommit to women’s rights and empowerment, to rise to challenges old and new, and – reclaim the agenda!
No country has achieved gender equality. In every region, women are still denied their basic rights and needs. And we cannot take for granted the gains we have made. The landscape has changed dramatically in many areas covered by Beijing, notably media, the environment and human rights. The push-back is real.
As President of the General Assembly, I will begin immediately preparations for the high-level meeting, and will appoint co-facilitators to lead consultations on organizational arrangements. I count on all Member States to support them and to ensure that the meeting leads to positive outcomes on the ground.
Next year, the UN turns 75. Let us send a strong message that going forward, even more than in the past, this Organization will protect, support and empower women and girls, and leave no one behind.
Thank you.
