Remarks by the President of the UN General Assembly,
Mr. Philemon Yang
at the High-level event organized by Switzerland, Costa Rica and Cabo Verde
to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
Sunday, 9 March,
Roosevelt Island
[ As Delivered]
Excellencies,
I am honoured to join you today on Roosevelt Island, a place deeply symbolic of the struggles and triumphs of women throughout history.
I express my sincere thanks to Her Excellency, Ms. Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Minister of Home Affairs of Switzerland, and the Circle of Women Ambassadors, for the kind invitation.
We gather not only to mark 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, but to renew our shared commitment to gender equality, and the empowerment of women and girls, everywhere.
Today’s event follows our commemoration of International Women’s Day – a reminder that gender equality is not a vague aspiration but a moral imperative. Gender equality is foundational to a just, peaceful and sustainable world.
This year, we also mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of Security Council resolution 1325 on Women and Peace and Security.
And the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, in July, will conduct its review of progress on Sustainable Development Goal 5.
We must harness the momentum of these milestones to recommit to advance the rights, opportunities and dignity of all women and girls.
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action marked a key turning point for the global agenda on gender equality.
Over the last 30 years, more countries have adopted laws protecting women and girls from violence.
The number of women in parliament has more than doubled.
And since 2015, fifty million more girls have enrolled in school globally.
However, we are still falling short.
Women and girls are facing stark rollbacks to their human rights.
In 2024, one in four countries reported a backlash on women’s rights, from higher levels of discrimination, to weaker legal protections to less funding for institutions that support their well-being
This is unacceptable and self-defeating.
Countries that exclude half their population are setting themselves back politically, economically, and socially.
We must turn the tide. We must act with urgency.
We must rally around the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and send a clear message that equality, rights and empowerment for all girls and women is possible in our lifetime.
As an International Gender Champion, I am committed to integrating gender equality into my priorities for the 79th session and the work of the General Assembly.
And I will intensify my efforts to ensure that women and girls claim their rights and drive action across the board – from parliament to the peace table.
It is on us all to carry forward the spirit of Beijing.
Where better to reinforce our efforts than on these hallowed grounds that carry the legacy of Eleanor Roosevelt, one of history’s great champions of human rights.
And the legacy of Nellie Bly, whose reporting in 1887 turned a spotlight on the mistreatment of patients housed on this island.
We must do right by them – and all the women who are breaking barriers to give voice to the voiceless.
Let us leave this significant place inspired by their work, ensuring that the promises made in Beijing are fully realised, leaving no woman, no girl, behind.
I thank you.
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Media Contacts
Sharon Birch, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, Tel: +1 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email: birchs@un.org
Dr. Mariam Shaikh, Adviser/ Social and Digital Media/Media Relations, M: +1 917 3614990, Email: mariam.shaikh@un.org
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