Виступ делегації України на засіданні Третього комітету ГА ООН щодо зміцнення ролі жінок

Mr. Chair,

While Ukraine aligns itself with the statement made by the Delegation of the European Union, I will make a number of comments in my national capacity.

Ukraine has taken the key international commitments on gender equality.

We continue ensuring the fulfillment of our commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals at the national level, in particular Goal 5 “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”.

In this regard, Ukraine improved and strengthened its national legislative and policy framework on gender equality by adopting National Action Plan for the realization of the national Human Rights Strategy of Ukraine for the period 2020 as well as National Action Plan on the Implementation of UN SC Resolution 1325 “Women, peace and security”.

In March 2017, Ukraine received Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women following the review of the eighth periodic report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It’s worth to mention that the recommendations and observations of the Committee are included for the respective implementation to a new State Social Program for Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men for the period up to 2021.

The Government of Ukraine is undertaking a number of targeted steps in order to promote gender equality in all of its policies and activities.

As an example the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has developed a Strategy for the Transitional Implementation of the Gender Component in Education.

Moreover, this year the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine assigned Ms. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, the Vice-Prime-Minister on EU and Euro-Atlantic Integration, with the functions and responsibilities for coordination of the state gender equality policy, including in the security sector.

This decision will enhance comprehensive advancement of gender equality and women’s rights in my country by raising gender priorities to a higher political level.

Also this June the UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka paid the first official visit to Ukraine. While visiting Kyiv she met with the Government, parliamentarians, donors, women’s groups, internally displaced women and others.

During this crucial visit, the UN Women Executive Director launched two initiatives: “CEDAW in Action” and “Gender equality at the center of reforms in Ukraine”. In this regard, we highly appreciate the financial support provided for these projects by the Governments of Canada and Sweden.

Mr. Chair,

Ukraine reiterates its commitments to ensuring integration of the provisions of the Women, Peace and Security agenda into our domestic policies and laws, in order to contribute to the empowerment of women, elevate the importance of women’s participation and leadership in all aspects of peace and security as well as post-conflict recovery and reconstruction.

In the face of challenges of the Russian aggression against my country, Ukrainian women are becoming critical agents of change.

The inter-party caucus “Equal Opportunities” is actively developing and lobbying legislative initiatives to defend gender equality in Ukrainian Parliament.

Ms. Iryna Gerashchenko, Vice-speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine is a vivid example of women mediation on the peaceful settlement of the ongoing conflict inflamed by Kremlin in Ukraine.

We acknowledge the importance of economic empowerment of women, gender-responsive budgeting, increasing investment in gender equality, reaching parity for women at all levels of decision-making, eliminating discriminatory legislation, and addressing social norms that perpetuate discrimination and violence against women.

To conclude, advancing the rights of women is vital not just to women themselves, but also to national security and economic stability of each country. We are convinced that none of the world’s most pressing economic, social, and political problems can be resolved without full participation of women.

Thank you.