EU Statement by Commissioner Lahbib – UN General Assembly: High-level Meeting on the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women

EU Statement by Commissioner Lahbib - UN General Assembly: High-level Meeting on the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women

22 September 2025, New York - European Union Statement by Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, at the High-level meeting of the General Assembly on the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women: Recommitting to, resourcing and accelerating the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls

Chair,

In the Political Declaration adopted at the Commission on the Status of Women, we agreed to step up our efforts, especially in areas where progress has been slow. This commitment is even more urgent today, as women continue to bear the heaviest burden of conflicts and climate change, and as their human rights come under growing pressure worldwide.

To achieve sustainable development and global progress, we must put gender equality at the forefront of the global agenda. We owe this to every woman and girl, in the EU and around the world.

The EU stands firm in tackling today's most pressing challenges: increasing women's participation and leadership in the digital and green transitions, eradicating poverty and gender-based violence, and advancing peace and security.

Equal access to quality education and decent employment are essential to economically empower women and break the cycle of poverty. The EU has adopted legislation to promote pay transparency, support work-life balance, and expand affordable care. Beyond our borders, we work with partner countries to develop gender-responsive and disability-inclusive social protection and care policies.

We must end violence against women and girls in all its forms, including online and technology-facilitated abuse. The EU has adopted legislation to combat violence against women and domestic violence across our Union, and we continue to support programmes fighting gender-based violence worldwide.

The EU continues to take action to implement the full Women, Peace and Security agenda, more relevant now than ever. This agenda is a global commitment: to protect women's rights in conflict, ensure their equal voice in peace and security decisions, and address the gendered root causes of violence.

We cannot achieve gender equality without the full, equal and meaningful participation of women at every level of decision-making, including political leadership. We are proud that three of the four top EU institutions are currently led by women. However, we must continue to call out and dismantle the structural barriers that hold women back, including online harassment.

We will continue to strengthen our engagement with women's rights organisations and ensure they have our full support for their work around the world.

Chair,

We must stand together to advance gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. The EU calls for continued strong cooperation - at the UN and in all multilateral forums - to resist any pushback against women's rights.

The EU is committed to working with governments worldwide to deliver real, lasting progress for women and girls' empowerment, and to ensure that human rights are enjoyed equally by all, free from discrimination, fear and violence.

Thank you.