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Thank you to the Gulf Cooperation Council and particularly the Chair, the State of Qatar, for organizing this event to inspire action on women’s empowerment in your region. I would like to pay a special tribute to my sisters here, H.E. Ms. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Ali-Misnad, Minister of Social Development and Family, State of Qatar and Ms. Aliya Al-Thani, the PR of Qatar.

This year's Commission on the Status of Women comes at a difficult time for the world – particularly the Arab region.��

Conflicts and crises are having a horrendous impact on millions of people. International law is being flouted. And women and girls are suffering.��

In Gaza, over two thirds of the tens and thousands killed or injured are women and children – a horrifying statistic.��

Around the world we are seeing conflicts perpetuate crises, and crises perpetuate conflicts – and both hobbling sustainable development – including progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality.��

As I said at the recent Arab Forum on Sustainable Development, “there can be no sustainable development without peace”.��

I will add that there can be no peace without equality, without respect for human rights, respect for women's rights, and respect for international humanitarian law.��

Yet, a global pushback against women’s rights is seeing them questioned and even erased.��

Progress towards equality for women and girls has moved far too slowly.��

SDG 5 remains a long way off – in the Arab World and across the globe.

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Against that difficult global backdrop, we have witnessed important and commendable progress in GCC states.��

In recent years, you have advanced numerous measures that expand women’s role in society and expand their economic freedoms.��

Working together, the United Nations and your governments, have tracked legal reforms through the “Gender Justice and the Law initiative” that measures progress toward SDG 5. ��

It shows progress in several legislative areas, particularly labor laws, laws protecting women and girls from violence, and the repeal of laws that restrict women’s mobility – including guardianship laws, and laws on women drivers.
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Progress extends further than legal reforms. ��

Qatar was the first in the Gulf Cooperation Council country to give women the opportunity to work as judges. Women make up 48 percent of the Supreme Judicial Council, and 69 percent of senior positions in the judiciary administration. This is a strong trajectory, compared to OECD-EU countries where women make up 61% of the judiciary.��

The UAE is now one of just six nations in the world that has achieved gender parity in their national parliaments.��

Kuwait has increased the number of women in senior positions in its diplomatic corps. On my recent visit, I witnessed the number of business leadership positions women have taken up as well.

Labour force participation rates of women in Saudi Arabia have grown at staggering speed – exceeding national targets ahead of time.��

Oman has recently reformed its labor law to establish seven-day paternity leave and enhance maternity leave provisions.

Excellencies,

Allow me to take this opportunity, on the Climate Agenda, to commend the leadership of the UAE as host of COP 28, and Saudi Arabia’s leadership as host of the upcoming Summit of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and for taking the baton as the next Chair of CSW – all in which women should be at the center.

These are important and commendable advances upon which we must build. The United Nations is your ally in doing so.��

UN Women’s comprehensive Initiative in the Arab States region is already working to increase women’s employment by an additional 5% before 2030.��

This should have a multiplier effect across the SDGs.��

The initiative’s approach includes tackling critical accelerators of change such as legal, policy and private sector reforms; addressing harmful social norms related to women in employment; directly creating jobs for women in key growth areas, such as in the green economy, the care society and science and technology; international financial institutions, and national budgets.
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I encourage the GCC countries to engage in the Initiative, and support UN Women to roll it out across the Arab region, in collaboration with other UN Agencies, particularly ESCWA.

I urge you to invest in initiatives to drive greater progress – to end discrimination, injustice, and advance social and economic opportunities for all, in GCC countries, the Arab region but most importantly, your leadership in doing this beyond borders.��

I also urge you to support efforts to ensure finance is available for the SDGs globally, including SDG 5. So that countries have the means to invest in equality for women and girls.��

Finance and investment are vital to turning the tide for women and girls around the world and fighting the backlash against women’s rights.��

The Secretary-General has called for an SDG Stimulus of $500 billion a year and action to relieve the debt pressures squeezing many developing countries and economies.��

The Political Declaration of last year’s SDG Summit voiced support for the Stimulus. ��I urge you to throw yourselves behind making it a reality.��

Excellencies, friends,��

Your countries have made important strides forward – towards empowerment of women and equality for women and girls.��

Let’s work together to build on the shared progress and help create a world of equality for women and girls, everywhere.��

Thank you.��