Delivered By: HE Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
Madam President, Madam Executive Director, Colleagues,
Thank you for your statements and for your unwavering commitment to uplifting women and girls around the world.
We commend the Bureau and the Secretariat for their continuous support of this mission, and the remarkable results laid out in the Executive Director’s penultimate report on the implementation of UN Women’s Strategic Plan for 2022 to 2025.
The occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action offers us a moment to reflect on the global progress made in advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls. As the UN system adjusts to become more fit for-purpose and capable of delivering on its mandate in today’s world, we must ensure that the hard-won gains over the past three decades are at the heart of this reform.
This requires a robust, institutional framework that places gender equality and the rights of women and girls at its core. This Board, in close coordination with UN Women, plays a critical role in achieving those objectives, and we support UN Women’s efforts in this regard as well as its unique triple mandate.
The United Arab Emirates commends UN Women for its achievements over the past year as presented by Executive Director Bahous, especially the serious work improving the agency’s organizational effectiveness. UN Women’s impact, as evidenced by its broad support to 83 countries, where it has strengthened gender-responsive norms and garnered the commitment of both public and private institutions addressing the needs of women and girls, reaffirms its vital relevance.
Achieving these tangible results, despite the difficult operating environment, is a testament to the agency’s strength and perseverance.
The extensive consultations that UN Women has undertaken in preparing the Draft Strategic Plan 2026-2029 are critical to further strengthen the agency’s foundation, especially in the final years leading up to 2030. In the face of increasing and cascading challenges, it is all the more essential that the Plan garners the support of Member States to ensure its effectiveness.
In closing, the UAE will remain a dedicated partner of UN Women, and we look forward to a constructive session with fellow Board members over the next two days.
Thank you, Madam President.