World leaders place women’s empowerment and gender equality at the heart of multilateralism as UNGA80 High-level Week opens – UN Women

Report on the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting: Beijing+30 and the Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction and Context

A High-level Meeting of the General Assembly was convened to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women. Global leaders gathered to celebrate the Beijing Declaration, acknowledging it as a foundational agenda for gender equality and a critical accelerator for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5: Gender Equality. The meeting served as a platform to reaffirm that the rights of women and girls are integral to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Key Outcomes and Commitments to the Global Goals

The meeting resulted in significant multilateral commitments aimed at advancing gender equality. These actions directly support the implementation of the SDGs.

• National Actions Mobilized: In a major step towards achieving SDG 5, 109 national governments committed to 212 specific national actions as part of the Beijing+30 Action Agenda.
• Institutional Strengthening: The recent adoption by consensus of the resolution to revitalize the Commission on the Status of Women reinforces the institutional frameworks necessary for progress, aligning with SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

Leadership Perspectives on Gender Equality

Leaders from various sectors underscored the centrality of gender equality to global peace, prosperity, and the overarching success of the SDGs.

1. UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous: Urged that political commitments be matched with concrete actions, including policy implementation and budget allocations, framing gender equality as a “unifying force” for the world and the achievement of all SDGs.
2. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: Stated that equal rights for women and girls are “global imperatives” and the foundation for peace and prosperity, linking SDG 5 directly to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
3. President of the General Assembly H.E. Annalena Baerbock: Acknowledged the legacy of the Beijing Declaration but highlighted that the “revolution remains unfinished,” emphasizing the continued urgency required to realize the goals of the declaration and SDG 5.

High-Level Participation and Global Partnership

The event demonstrated a strong global partnership for the goals, as outlined in SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Attendance included:

• 155 total speakers
• 15 Heads of State
• 10 Heads of Government
• 77 Ministers
• Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan
• Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of the Belgians

This broad participation signals a renewed global consensus on the importance of gender equality for creating a sustainable and equitable world, contributing to SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article primarily addresses issues related to gender equality and the empowerment of women, which directly connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The following SDGs are most relevant:

• SDG 5: Gender Equality – This is the central theme of the article. The entire text focuses on the “global agenda for gender equality,” celebrating the Beijing Declaration, and mobilizing actions to support “women and girls’ rights.” The meeting’s purpose was to affirm that gender equality must be a “unifying force.”
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – The article connects gender equality to broader global imperatives. The UN Secretary-General is quoted saying, “Equal rights and opportunities for women and girls are… the foundation of peace, prosperity and progress.” Furthermore, the discussion revolves around a high-level UN General Assembly meeting and the revitalization of the “Commission on the Status of Women,” highlighting the role of strong, inclusive global institutions in promoting these rights.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The event described is a multilateral effort, bringing together “leaders from around the world.” The article emphasizes the collective action of “109 national governments mobilizing 212 national actions” and describes the meeting as the “strongest multilateral stand for women and girls in the past 30 years.” This highlights the importance of global partnerships to achieve gender equality.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s focus on policy, leadership, and institutional action, several specific targets can be identified:

1. Under SDG 5 (Gender Equality):
   • Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. The article’s core message is about upholding the “visionary and groundbreaking global agenda for gender equality” set by the Beijing Declaration, which is fundamentally aimed at ending discrimination.
   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life. The article explicitly mentions the attendance of “15 Heads of State and 10 Heads of Government, 8 of them women,” and notes the new President of the General Assembly is the “5th woman President… out of 80.” This highlights the focus on women’s leadership in political life.
   • Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels. The call for leaders’ words to be “matched by courage tomorrow: in the policies you pass, the budgets you allocate” directly points to this target. The commitment of “109 national governments mobilizing 212 national actions” is a direct response to this call for policy implementation.
2. Under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions):
   • Target 16.b: Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development. The UN Secretary-General’s statement that “Equal rights and opportunities for women and girls are… global imperatives” and the call for leaders to do “everything possible to realize the vision of the Beijing Declaration” align with the enforcement of non-discriminatory policies.
3. Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
   • Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development… The high-level meeting itself, gathering leaders from around the world to mobilize support for the Beijing+30 Action Agenda, is a clear example of this global partnership in action.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article contains several explicit and implicit indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• For Target 5.5 (Women’s leadership): The article provides specific numbers that serve as indicators of women’s representation in high-level political positions. This relates to Indicator 5.5.1 (Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments and local governments). The data points mentioned are:
  • The number of women Heads of State and Government present (8 out of 25).
  • The number of women Presidents of the UN General Assembly (5 out of 80).
• For Target 5.c (Policies and systems for gender equality): The article mentions commitments that can be tracked, which relates to Indicator 5.c.1 (Proportion of countries with systems to track and make public allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment). The specific measures mentioned are:
  • The number of national governments making commitments (“109 national governments”).
  • The number of specific actions pledged (“212 national actions”).
  • The call to action regarding “budgets you allocate,” implying that tracking financial commitments is a key measure of progress.
• For Target 17.16 (Global partnerships): The scale of the event itself serves as an indicator of the strength of the global partnership for gender equality.
  • The number of high-level speakers (155).
  • The number of participating Heads of State (15), Heads of Government (10), and Ministers (77).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: unwomen.org