Delivered by: Myan Tantawy, Third Secretary

Excellencies, distinguished colleagues,

The UAE would like to congratulate you, Madame President, for your new role as President of UN Women’s Executive Board in 2024, as well as the newly elected Bureau. We look forward to cooperating with you closely in the upcoming year.  We also thank the previous Bureau for their stewardship of the Board during the year of 2023.

I would also like to deeply thank Executive Director Bahous for her comprehensive remarks and reaffirm the UAE’s strong support and appreciation for her exemplary leadership in advancing the role and empowerment of all women and girls across all contexts around the world. Allow me to also congratulate the newly appointed UN Women Deputy Executive Directors, and we look forward working closely with you in the years to come. I also thank the UN Women Secretariat for all their work in steering this Board.

Today, the world is facing a myriad of challenges, with eruption of crises and spread of conflicts in all corners of the world. This has undoubtably challenged the multilateral system, and the critical role it plays in advancing unity and peace. We reiterate here our deep gratitude to UN Women and other UN entities across conflicts around the world, but particularly in Gaza, where women and girls are bearing the brunt of the ongoing relentless bombardment.

It is against the backdrop of global conflicts and crises that its impact has evidently affected the progress gained globally for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls everywhere. For our collective goal to achieve a more equal world, we must continue to find avenues to both protect and enhance these gains across the multilateral system. As the main UN entity with the responsibility of leading on this, we must work together to  strengthen UN Women’s functionality, so that it can ensure better delivery on its fundamental responsibilities. The UAE therefore commends UN Women for its ongoing efforts in optimizing its operationality and results.

We are looking forward to the UN Women Strategy on Women’s Economic Empowerment to be published next month. We believe that it could be of crucial guidance during the upcoming sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women, when Member States and civil society will come together to accelerate gender equality by tackling women and girls’ poverty and strengthening institutions and financing.

As for this First Regular Session, the UAE looks forward to the discussions in the next two days, and in particular the discussion around the operational response at a regional level. You can count on the UAE’s full support, Executive Director, and our constructive engagement throughout the session.

I thank you.