HRC 43 - High-level Panel on 25th Anniversary of Beijing Conference - EU Intervention

Mr President,

Distinguished panellists,

I have had the privilege of addressing this Forum in previous occasions, and I am delighted to be with you again today, this time to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most visionary agenda for women’s and girls’ enjoyment of rights.

Today’s discussion is just a few weeks ahead of the 64th session of the Commission on the status of women, which will undertake a review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Discussions in Geneva and New York are of critical importance to advance women's and girls’ enjoyment of rights and gender equality on the global agenda.

This 25th anniversary reminds us of the milestone set in 1995: five years later, the UN Security Council adopted the historic Women, Peace and Security Agenda, which turns 20 this year, and 20 years later, the international community adopted the sustainable development goals, recognizing the centrality of gender equality and women’s rights to achieve the other goals of the 2030 Agenda. At the heart of all these political commitments we have the legally binding CEDAW convention, which offers a human rights-based foundation for furthering the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the ICPD, the SDGs and the women peace and security agenda.

In this context, the EU reaffirms its firm commitment to advance gender equality, to promote the full enjoyment of all human rights by all girls and women and to empower them at all levels around the world. Equality is a founding principle and a core value of the EU, which inspires and informs action, both within and outside its borders.

Twenty-five years after Beijing, there has been slow and uneven progress of implementation and significant challenges on the path toward gender equality persist in each and every area of action from violence against women, quality education and training, health, to the economy, power and decision-making and the media. These challenges concern all contexts, be they stable, conflict or post-conflict and fragile ones.

Beijing+25 is a unique opportunity to reaffirm the full validity of the international acquis on gender equality, the full enjoyment of all human rights by all women and girls and their empowerment. Over the year, the international community at the highest political level will crystallise momentum starting now, here, at the Human Rights Council and continue at the CSW, the high-level week of UNGA and during the Generation Equality Forum convened by UN Women and co-chaired by France and Mexico.

The anniversary, however, makes clear that the main problem lies in the total or partial non-implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The EU remains committed to the full and effective implementation of these texts, as well as of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the outcomes of their review conferences, and will remain committed to sexual and reproductive health and rights, in this context. Having that in mind, the EU continues reaffirming its commitment to the promotion, protection and fulfilment of the right of every individual to have full control over, and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality and sexual and reproductive health, free from discrimination, coercion and violence. The EU further stresses the need for universal access to quality and affordable comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information, education, including comprehensive sexuality education, and health-care services.

The EU also underlines the need to step up efforts eliminate violence against women and girls in all its forms and manifestations, in public and private spheres, including domestic violence, intimate partners’ violence, sexual harassment, sexual abuse and exploitation, gender-related killing and harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation. Recognizing that violence against women is part of a wider pattern of discrimination and inequality, the EU will continue to work for a comprehensive coordinated framework towards combating all forms of violence and harassment, including in the workplace. The EU reaffirms its commitment to the prevention and combating all form of violence against women and girls and the protection of their rights.

The EU will continue to engage, including by means of adequate and effective financing, with all relevant actors such as women’s rights organisations, feminist groups women human rights defenders as well as young people to accelerate the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. This will require transformational policies, systemic change, increased financial and human resources, multilateral cooperation and strong political will.

Time for action is now, and together. The EU stands ready to play its part. Allow me to conclude by quoting Seamus Heaney “a further shore is reachable from here”. 

Thank you.