Dear co-Facilitators of the Ad Hoc Working Group,
I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of Mexico, Slovenia and my own country, Spain, as well as on behalf of 61 Member States.
Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.
Let me start by thanking you for convening this debate and for your efforts to make progress on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly.
Achieving gender parity in the leadership positions of the United Nations is crucial for the revitalization of the United Nations, and in particular regarding the positions of President of the General Assembly and Secretary-General.
The record in this regard is dismal, with only four women having been elected as President of the General Assembly and the striking fact that in the last eighty years no woman has ever held the position of Secretary-General.
Gender equality has been at the heart of the United Nations since its inception. Article 1 of the UN Charter refers to the respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. Furthermore, gender equality was made part of international human rights law by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. More recently, Agenda 2030 and the Pact for the Future contain specific objectives and actions to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. One of the seven pillars for achieving gender parity contained in General Recommendation number 40 of CEDAW states that women must hold an equal number of senior and decision-making roles with the same influence across all sectors.
The year when we are commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the 25th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325, offers a unique opportunity to translate commitments and policy frameworks into action. The selection of the first woman as Secretary-General will send a very strong message about our collective commitment to advance gender equality and ensure women’s full, equal and meaningful participation. The group of countries behind this statement consider that there has been considerable momentum around this issue from member states across different regions and that we have to continue to build on this trend to yield a concrete result by the end of 2026.
We strongly encourage all member states to support the selection of the first Madame Secretary-General of the United Nations and reiterate our strong commitment to staying engaged in this crucial issue.
Thank you.