Madam President,
Let me start by warmly congratulating you on your election, and let me assure you that we will do our utmost to support you. I would also like to thank Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh and the other members of the outgoing Bureau for their valuable contributions to the Strategic Plan process and to the work of this board. Finally, I would like to thank Executive Director Phumzile Mlamblo Ngucka for her insightful statement here today, demonstrating UN Women’s central role in the UN system.
Madam President,
The new Strategic Plan positions UN Women strongly within the 2030 Agenda, and sets out how it will contribute to achieving our common global goals, and especially goal 5 (on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls).
Effective integration of human rights and gender equality, in a repositioned UN development system is critical for strengthening the UN’s ability to prevent conflict, enhance results and support member states in their implementation of the sustainable development goals. It is also a prerequisite for effective assistance in humanitarian situations.
Madam President,
We need to make UN women “fit for purpose”. Meaning being organised in the most effective way to reach the goals in the strategic plan within the framework of UN reform. We need to safeguard UN Women’s normative work and coordinating role in accordance with its mandate. In that regard, we are pleased that the organisation got the five new normative positions.
Madam President,
UN Women needs a sustainable inflow of flexible funding that allows the organisation to deliver efficiently on the Strategic Plan. Norway has increased its core contribution to UN Women for 2018, and urge other states to do the same.
Madam President,
We share the same priorities as UN Women, and we look forward to further strengthening and deepening our collaboration with the organisation.
Madam President,
Our long time partnership in peace and security is indeed valuable to us. UN Women has shown a unique ability to build and consolidate networks of women mobilizing for peace. In such a way that women are influential in mediation and reconciliation efforts. It is a matter of building resilience and about laying the ground for a future that holds hope for women and men alike.
Madam President,
We are facing so much resistance on many fronts, not at least on sexual and reproductive health and rights. UN Women has a crucial role in enabling that the UN as a whole, you and your sister organisations, address gender in the most effective way within the different mandates.
We strongly support UN Women’s work on non-discriminatory laws and norms both at the global and the national level. Together we can make a difference.
Norway remains deeply committed to UN Women, its work and mandate and fully supports the new strategic plan. We thank UN Women for the crucial role the organisation plays, and for being such a strong champion of the rights of women and girls.
Thank you.