Mr. President,
I am honoured to speak on the behalf of the European Union.
The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia* , the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia align themselves with this declaration.
The promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment is clearly a vital part of the UN mandate. Improving gender equality strengthens respect for human rights, reduces poverty and stimulates economic growth and health, and proves to be essential for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. December this year we will see the 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women, CEDAW, an event that will prompt us all to take stock of what has been accomplished, and of the great deal of work on gender equality that remains to be done.
The EU welcomes the reports of the Commission on the Status of Women on its fifty-third session, the report from the Executive Board of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. In this connection, the European Union strongly encourages all Member States to submit their reports in accordance with article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
The European Union recognizes the key role of the Commission, and looks forward to the opportunity to discuss later this year in the General Assembly the Commission’s report on the Role of Women in Development.
The EU further recognizes the vital importance of a strengthened United Nations gender architecture in advancing gender equality and women's rights. A strengthened UN architecture will enhance gender mainstreaming throughout the UN system including at country level, and ensure more effective performance by the UN on gender issues. The UN system will be better equipped to support governments’ capacity to implement national goals and strategies and assist women and girls around the world. We look forward to a positive decision on this issue by the end of this UNGA.
The EU would like to stress the important role of national institutional capacity for the advancement of women, and the role of national human rights institutions, civil society, and especially women’s organizations, in advancing the implementation of the Beijing Declaration, Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, in promoting the equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men.
It is a global concern that the economic recession aggravates already severe conditions for the poorest and most vulnerable countries and populations. It is clearly undermining the livelihoods and coping strategies of women and their families. Experience has shown that financial and economic crises impact unequally on women and men, in their ability to respond and develop effective coping mechanisms due to persistent discrimination based on sex and on inequalities deeply embedded in social systems and structures. The current recession adds to the distress already experienced by many due to other global crises, such as high food prices, increased food insecurity, volatile energy costs and the effects of amplified climate change. These crises are intertwined and are putting a disproportionate burden on especially women. Despite their strength and importance as agents of economic, social, political and cultural change, women and girls are often the hardest hit in difficult times due to reduction in social spending and breakdowns in social protection systems. They have fewer employment and social security benefits and much less access than men to control over economic and financial resources including property and inheritance rights. The likelihood of girls being kept home from school to provide help and care for their families increases in times of crisis. The vulnerable situation of women and girls is compounded by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other widespread illnesses. The EU considers it essential that appropriate social protection mechanisms be incorporated and strengthened in national health and social security systems. As a global community, we must make concerted efforts to assist particularly those who suffer from discrimination and disempowerment.
The EU finds it critical to consider gender perspectives in both short- and long-term responses to the current financial and economic crisis at all levels. In this regard the EU would like to highlight the importance and role of the United Nations for ensuring that responses to the financial and economic crisis are gender-sensitive in all aspects. The EU is committed to eliminating gender-based discrimination in all forms, both in law and in practice.
Ill health and inadequate health care systems clearly work as a barrier to the realization of women’s development and role in society. The EU finds it crucial to transform health systems, including for sexual and reproductive health, to meet the needs of all and accelerate the achievement of international health-related development goals including the Millennium Development Goals. Effective and gender-sensitive health systems are critical to achieving the MDGs.
The EU is particularly concerned with the lack of improvement in maternal health. The latest UN report on the MDGs points out that at the global level, maternal mortality decreased by less than 1 per cent per year between 1990 and 2005. This is clearly far below the 5.5 per cent annual improvement needed to reach MDG5, which is lagging far behind in comparison to other MDGs. The Secretary-General of the United Nations underlined in his speech at the High-Level Segment of the ECOSOC Substantive Sessions 2009, that maternal health is the barometer that determines how well a health system is functioning. More than 500 000 women die every year because the lack of basic health service, lack of prenatal care, maternal care and unmet needs of sexual and reproductive health – including access to contraceptives and to the information, education and means to exercise their right to the highest possible standard of health. This is not acceptable and must be addressed with urgent action. The EU is firmly committed to reducing maternal mortality by three quarters by 2015. This would require 21 million more births attended by skilled health personnel by 2010. The EU will support the target of reaching 50 million more women in Africa with modern contraceptives by 2010.
For millions of females, male violence both in times of armed conflict as well as in times of peace further aggravates mental and physical ill-health and arguably constitutes the most severe obstacle to women's empowerment and health. Targeted responses are necessary to protect both girls, young and older women from violence, and to provide services, support and access to justice at all levels. In this connection we urge that all efforts to intensify the implementation of Security Council resolutions 1325 and 1820 be taken both in order to ensure compliance with international law, the effectiveness of conflict-resolution, human security, peace-building and the fight against impunity for perpetrators as well as to protect the health of those countless numbers of women and girls who are targets of rape and other forms of sexual violence.
Challenges, especially under the financial and economic crisis, are several and complex but they are not impossible to meet and overcome. There is clearly room for better progress on the foundation of earlier commitments. We must meet these challenges with understanding if we are to realize the vision of a world that is economically dynamic, but also, and of equal importance, socially inclusive and gender equal then now is the time for action. We have made progress in implementing some of our commitments, but despite this progress, much more needs to done by all Member States if we are really to ensure that women and men are equal in all spheres of life throughout the world and can enjoy fully and equally all human rights and freedoms.
Later this year we will observe the 15th Anniversary of the ICPD declaration and Programme of Action. And in 2010 we will commemorate the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the Platform for Action in the Commission on the Status of Women. The Annual Ministerial Review and Development Cooperation Forum 2010 will focus on gender equality and empowerment of women. At this critical juncture, the EU stands ready to work with the UN and fellow Member States on how to best accelerate progress towards our common goal of achieving gender equality and advancement of women.
I thank you for your attention.