Delegates to the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, held at UN Headquarters, unanimously adopted the Political Declaration, reaffirming their commitment to advancing the rights and empowerment of all women and girls worldwide. The document recognizes that 2025 offers new opportunities to intensify efforts to implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women.
Member States reiterated that gender equality is essential for sustainable development. “At a time when hard-won gains in gender equality are under attack, the world has come together to stand in solidarity with all women and girls, everywhere,” UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Sima Bacchus said, welcoming the adoption of the declaration. This was reported by the UN News Service.
The declaration reaffirms the commitment of the international community to promoting women's participation in peace and security issues. The document emphasizes the need to involve women around the world, including in leadership roles, in the implementation of measures to prevent and resolve conflicts, as well as post-conflict peacebuilding.
A new action program to achieve gender equality was presented at the session of the Commission on the Status of Women on Wednesday. The plan is based on the provisions of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action to achieve gender equality and advance women's rights. The Beijing+30 action program is aimed at achieving such goals as freedom from poverty, absence of violence, full and equal decision-making power, equal voice in peace and security issues, as well as climate justice.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed addressed the session with a video message, stressing that 2025 must be the year of action, as women and girls face enormous challenges: armed conflicts continue in many parts of the world, and violence claims the lives of thousands of women every day. “Let us seize the opportunities that we have,” she said. “Let us ensure that our commitments have a lasting impact.”
