EU Statement – UN General Assembly 3rd Committee: Interactive Dialogue on discrimination and violence against women and girls

EU Statement - UN General Assembly 3rd Committee: Interactive Dialogue on discrimination and violence against women and girls

10 October 2025, New York - European Union Intervention at the United Nations General Assembly 80th Session Third Committee Interactive Dialogue with the Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, Chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Chair of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, and Special Rapporteur on Violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences

Thank you, Chair.

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

I thank you all - for the important work carried out by UN-Women, the Committee, the Working group, and the Special Rapporteur. We welcome your efforts to promote and defend the full enjoyment of human rights for all women and girls through your respective mandates, and underscore the significance of joint presentations here today.

UN-Women

We would like to thank UN Women and the Deputy Executive Director for today's presentation.

We are deeply concerned with the significant pushback against gender equality and women's and girls' full enjoyment of human rights today. Women and girls are experiencing disproportionate impact of armed conflicts, including in Sudan, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaza and Ukraine. We strongly condemn all forms of sexual and gender-based violence, and the use of conflict-related sexual violence.

On the 10^th anniversary of the SDGs, the 25^th anniversary of UNSCR 1325 and the 30^th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, significant gaps still remain in their implementation. We must look back and assess the results, to identify lessons learned and take stock of the work that remains to be done to renew political commitment and accelerate concrete progress toward gender equality. The EU is therefore grateful for the leadership role that UN Women plays in accelerating progress towards advancing women's and girls' full enjoyment of human rights and gender equality through its normative, coordination and programmatic work.

In closing, I would like to ask two questions.First, how is UN Women engaging in the UN80 process and ensuring that potential reforms do not negatively impact the UN's ability to deliver on gender equality?

Second, we continue to see pushback on women´s and girl's full enjoyment of human rights, both at the country level and in multilateral spaces. Could you elaborate on how UN Women is using its coordination, normative and operational mandate to ensure progress on gender equality and women's and girl's empowerment continue to be advanced and protected amidst pushback?

CEDAW

The CEDAW Convention is a pivotal human rights instrument and a promoter and protector of gender equality globally. The EU fully supports the Committee, in its work to promote the Convention, and to eliminate multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, sexual and gender-based violence, poverty, and lack of legal protections, on the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights of all women and girls. The contributions of civil society and human rights defenders, especially women human rights defenders, are indispensable to the delivery of your core mandates.

The EU recognizes the challenges presented by the Committee.

The EU reiterates its call on all States who have not yet done so to accede to the CEDAW Convention and its Optional Protocol. It recalls the obligation of States Parties to implement all provisions laid down therein. States Parties must review any reservations and withdraw those that are contrary to the object and purpose of the Convention. The EU calls on all States to ensure all women and girls' full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and to combat and eliminate all forms of discrimination and sexual and gender-based violence.

The Committee's report highlights persistent data gaps and challenges in monitoring States' compliance with CEDAW obligations. To the Chair we ask - what specific measures could help States improve the collection of disaggregated data and follow-up on concluding observations more systematically?

Working group

The European Union welcomes the presentation of the reports by the Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls. We commend you for your clear diagnosis that gender inequality disproportionately burdens women and girls with unpaid or undervalued care work and responsibilities, negatively impacting the full and equal enjoyment of their human rights. Multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination further compound exposure to the negative consequences of this dynamic.

In the EU Gender Equality Strategy adopted by the Commission, the EU recognizes that unpaid care is a major barrier to gender equality. It is not only social dynamics that perpetuate these forms of inequality. It is policies too that should ensure women's and girls' full enjoyment of human rights and advance their full equal and meaningful participation in all spheres of society. The EU supports policies that close gender gaps in employment and pay through care reforms, and aims to set best-practice examples across our Union.

The report makes a compelling case for recognizing care as a public good and for strengthening accountability mechanisms. Could you elaborate on the most effective strategies you have observed for integrating care policies into national budgeting and planning processes?

Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls

The European Union takes note of the report by the Special Rapporteur. The EU strongly condemns any form of coercion, trafficking, forced pregnancy, or exploitation of women and girls, and stands as a stound defender of their bodily autonomy against all these forms of violence. We will continue to defend that all women have the right to make free and informed decisions regarding if and when they want to have or carry children. As Member States, it is our shared responsibility to ensure universal protection by clear legal frameworks that prevent abuse, ensure accountability, and safeguard human rights.

The EU remains committed to the promotion, protection and fulfilment of all human rights and to the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the outcomes of their review conferences and remains committed to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), in this context. Having that in mind, the EU reaffirms 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.

Recognizing the diversity of views on surrogacy, we ask the Special Rapporteur - How can States strengthen international cooperation to prevent exploitation and violence against women and girls in cross-border surrogacy arrangements?

In conclusion, Chair, the EU reiterates its strong commitment to respecting, protecting and fulfilling the human rights of all women and girls. The EU continues to strive for the immediate elimination of violence and discrimination, and the advancement of gender equality. We will continue to work with all partners: States, civil society, and international mechanisms, to ensure that women and girls can fully enjoy their human rights, free from discrimination, violence, and structural barriers.

I thank you.