1st meeting, UN Women Executive Board, Annual Session

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Excellencies, distinguished delegates, it is my pleasure to declare open the annual session 2026 of the UN Women Executive Board. Please allow me to acknowledge and welcome among us Madame Sima Bahaus, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women. Thank you. I also welcome to the podium the following colleagues: Kisi Madi, Deputy Executive Director for Resource Management, Sustainability and Partnerships. Nyarandizai Gumbo-Zivanda, Deputy Executive Director for Normative Support, UN System Coordination and Program Results. Sarah Hendricks, Director, Policy, Program, and Intergovernmental Division. Anna Karim Jadfoss, Director, Strategy, Planning, Results, and Effectiveness Division. Madame Gilgun, Director, AI Strategic Partnerships Division. Johanna Clark, Deputy Director, Financial Management. And last but not least, Jalloch Boris, Secretary of the Executive Board. Thank you. Agenda item 1 will be on organizational matters. The Executive Board will start with this agenda item on organizational matters for the adoption of the anointed— annotated provisional agenda and work plan for this session and the report on the first regular session of 2026. For the adoption of the annotated provisional agenda and work plan for the current session, I now invite the Secretary of the Board, Mr. Jalok Boris, to outline the agenda for the session. Mr. Secretary, you have the floor.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Excellencies, Madame Executive Director, distinguished colleagues and delegates, I wish you a very good morning. Following the adoption of the provisional agenda and work plan for this session, as well as the adoption of the report on the First Regular Session 2026, we will continue with official opening statements by you, Mr. President, and by the Executive Director. The Executive Director will include in her opening statement the presentation on Item 2 on the annual report of the Executive Director to the Executive Board. Then the floor will be open for Member States' intervention managed by a speakers list that was circulated yesterday. The time limit is 3 minutes for individual delegation statements and 5 minutes for speakers on behalf of groups. The mics will be closed since we have a very long list of speakers. We apologize for that in advance, according to time limits, including for UN Women staff. At 1:15 PM, we will have informal consultation on the draft decisions in Conference Room D. We will resume the plenary meeting today at 3 PM with Agenda Item 3 on engagement with the UN AT Initiative. The following interaction will be managed through another speakers list following the same time allocations. After the conclusion of this item, the Executive Board will turn to Agenda Item 4 on audit and investigation matters to discuss the report on the internal audit and investigation activities for 2025, as well as the report of the Advisory Committee on Oversight. And both management responses. The Executive Board will reserve the rest of the day for internal consultation on the draft decisions. The informal negotiation will take place at UN Women headquarters, not here, but at UN Women headquarters. Please register online to be able to enter the building. The plenary meeting will resume tomorrow, Wednesday, 24th of June, at 10 AM, with Agenda Item 5 on evaluation. Whereby the Board will receive briefings on the Annual Report of the Evaluation Function for 2025 and the report on the corporate thematic evaluation of UN Women's support to intergovernmental processes. The Executive Board will then turn to Agenda Item 6 on ethics, with the report on the activities of the UN Women Ethics Function and its management response. After that, The Board will consider Agenda Item 7, the GIU review of governance and oversight of the Executive Boards of UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS, UNICEF, and UN Women, and receive an update by the Working Group on the progress made on the implementation of the GIU report. At 1 PM, the Executive Board will adjourn the morning session and reserve the entire afternoon for informal negotiation on draft decisions. The last day, Thursday, the 25th of June, at 10 AM, we will resume with Agenda Item 8 on policy and program matters and receive an update on the implementation of the General Assembly Resolution 72/279 on the repositioning of the United Nations Development System, as well as an update on UN Women's policies and procedure to tackle sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment. Next, the Board will consider Agenda Item 9, whereby the Executive Board will be presented with a report of the UN Women Executive Board field visit to Bolivia that happened in March 2026. The Board will then discuss Agenda Item 10 on other matters to take action on the draft decisions before turning back to organizational matters whereby the provisional agenda and work plan of the Second Regular Session 2026 will be discussed for approval. By then, we'll have exhausted all agenda items and the Annual Session will officially be closed by you, Mr. President, of the Executive Board. Before concluding, Mr. President, allow me to reiterate that we are tweeting on the Executive Board activities so that everyone can follow up in real time on its proceedings. You can see on the screen, you can follow us at UN Women Board, as shown on the screen. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General. May I take it that the Executive Board now wishes to adopt the annotated provisional agenda and work plan for the Annual Session 2026? I see none. Decided. Thank you. The agenda and work plan as adopted will guide us for the rest of this session. Let us now turn to the adoption of the report of the first regular session 2026. May I take it that the Executive Board wishes to adopt the report of the previous session? I see no objection. So, decided. Then, it is now my pleasure to turn to the official opening of the session. I will deliver my statement as the President of the Board. Madam Executive Director, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, It's my honor to welcome you to the Annual Session 2026. I greatly look forward to several rewarding days of discussions and consultations. Please note that the Annual Session adheres to the Code of Conduct to Prevent Harassment, including sexual harassment, at the UN system events. This document is of integral importance to ensure the safety of all personnel of personnel and participants during our events, including the Executive Board. You can access the Code of Conduct online. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, this session comes at an important moment as we review progress, reflect on challenges, and consider the strategic direction of our work to advance gender equality and the empowerment of all women And girls, as outlined by the Secretary, over the coming days the Board will consider several key reports, including the Annual Report of the Executive Director, which not only provides an overview of achievements, results, and lessons from the past year, but also reflects on the implementation and accomplishments of the Strategic Plan 2022-2025. As this cycle draws to a close. We will further discuss the famous UNAID initiative and the strategic merger assessment of UNFPA and UN Women as an important exercise that offers insights into opportunities for strengthening effectiveness, coherence, and impact across the United Nations development system. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the delegations of Albania, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Kirigisten, Sweden, Switzerland, and my own country, Uganda, for their leadership and facilitation of 8 draft decisions. As we move into negotiations I encourage all delegations to engage with flexibility, pragmatism, and a constructive spirit to achieve consensus outcomes that will strengthen the work of the UN Women. I also wish to thank the Executive Board Secretary and his team for their tireless efforts in preparing this session. And now, it is my pleasure to invite the Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, to deliver her opening remarks and present the annual report. Executive Director Bahaus, you have the floor.

Your Excellency Ambassador Godfrey Kiwoba, Deputy Permanent Representative of Uganda and President of the UN Women Executive Board, Excellencies, distinguished members of the Executive Board, Good morning to you all. Thank you, Mr. President and your team, for your leadership alongside our Vice Presidents and their teams, Ambassador Suela Janina of Albania, Ambassador Sophie de Smit of Belgium, and Ambassador Aida Kassymalieva of Kyrgyzstan. My thanks also to Ambassador Alejandra Hernandez Gonzalez of the Dominican Republic for representing the Latin American and Caribbean Group unofficially in the Bureau. This august Bureau has steered our Board at a complex time and done so ably and collaboratively. We could not have asked for more, so thank you. I also acknowledge with appreciation all members and observers of the Executive Board for your engagement in discussions and consultations that have brought us all well prepared to our session. And on the eve of the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, we honor all women who have opened doors, broken barriers, and reshaped diplomacy through their leadership. And all of us here at UN Women would be proud to serve under a Madam Secretary-General come January. Excellencies, we fully appreciate and will discuss together the complexities of the current moment of the multilateral system. This moment demands that we continue to do better, that we rise to evolving and growing challenges with agility, adaptation, and resolve. Democratic and human rights norms continue to be contested in places and ways we could not have anticipated just a few years ago. We see this persistent pushback on women's rights, the continued erosion of civic space, and increased risks for women human rights defenders. We also see structural barriers to women's political participation, economic empowerment, and leadership remaining deeply entrenched. The defunding of the women's organizations removes the ground from beneath us. The questioning of the social construction of gender and of the established language of equality that has long guided resolutions and multilateral debate strikes at the foundation we have built. Across the world, national women's machineries are being weakened or dismantled. These are not isolated developments. They reflect a broader challenge to the universality of rights and to the norms that have underpinned progress over decades. Excellencies, nowhere is this regression more keenly felt than in conflict. In Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Ethiopia, in Gaza, in Palestine, in Haiti, in Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine, and beyond. And no one feels it more keenly than women and girls, including human rights defenders and women leaders who are under attack everywhere. Yet only 0.4% of bilateral aid to conflict-affected contexts reaches women-led and feminist organizations. That thin $186 million is spread across some 45 or so conflicts, sliced too finely for any genuine impact. Crucial organizations are shuttering life-saving programs. Some are facing permanent closure. There is no excuse for this failure and the misery it causes and will continue to cause. We also see regression of a different sort closer to home. Data from the third iteration of the United Nations System-Wide Action Plan on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women shows 42% of UN entities reporting actual or anticipated weakening of their gender architecture in 2022, 2026, 2025, sorry, 2026. And in UN coordination frameworks, a standalone outcome on gender equality has decreased from 50% in 2022 to a mere 14% today. Yet this is not the whole story. Even in a difficult environment, Member States continue to demonstrate that multilateralism can deliver for women and girls. Earlier this year, the Commission on the Status of Women adopted agreed conclusions that reaffirmed the centrality of women's and girls' access to justice. In doing so, Member States demonstrated that even amid significant headwinds, multilateral processes continue to protect and advance global norms and standards for women and girls. Excellencies, our shared pursuit of equality has never demanded more courage, more intentionality, never called for us to be more unbending in our determination to pursue the triple mandate the General Assembly afforded us. And the evidence from across our collective work is clear. Where legal and policy frameworks are strengthened, where services and funding are accessible, And where women's participation is supported, outcomes improve, not only for women and girls, but for all of society in terms of peace, resilience, economic prosperity, sustainable development, and recovery capacity. Excellencies, I am honored to present at this session my fourth and final report on the implementation of our 2022-2025 Strategic Plan. It lays out results of which we should be proud, reflecting our powerful triple mandate. They are the baseline we strive to exceed under our current Strategic Plan. Allow me to summarize. Over the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan period, UN Women invested nearly $2.35 billion $135 million across 135 countries in protecting and advancing norms, translating global commitments into programs on the ground, and leading and supporting the UN system to deliver better for women and girls. In 110 countries, home to 3.1 billion women and girls, UN Women helped strengthen legal and policy environments for gender equality. Contributing to stronger protections, expanded rights, and greater opportunities for women and girls through 394 laws adopted, revised, or repealed in line with international standards. Across 78 countries, 732 gender-responsive national and local policies, strategies, and plans helped advance equal pay, the care economy, efforts to end violence against women, and strengthen resilience to conflict and climate change. In 50 countries, reforms supported by UN Women expanded women's access to decent work, income generation, climate-resilient agriculture, and care systems, while 1.6 million women directly accessed services, goods, resources, more information essential to their economic autonomy. We also helped make the promise of freedom from violence more real for women and girls. Through support to 180 laws and 213 strategies, policies, and action plans, nearly 1.7 billion women and girls benefited from stronger frameworks to prevent and respond to violence. In conflict and crises, UN Women advanced women's leadership, participation, and protection across 83 countries. Support for the Women, Peace and Security Agenda contributed to 59 new national action plans, bringing total coverage to 117 countries and territories, while more than 2.5 million women and girls accessed protection services cash assistance, and livelihood support in humanitarian and refugee response settings. Despite significant funding pressures, we lived up to our promise to women's organizations, with more than $285 million US channeled to civil society organizations, local women-led organizations and networks, helping sustain women's leadership and frontline responses in communities and crises. Across 128 countries, more than 10,300 organizations strengthened their capacities and leadership, while over 11,400 mechanisms enabled women's meaningful and safe participation in decision-making. Through the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, and the Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund, which UN Women hosts on behalf of the UN system, we continue to expand direct support to women's rights organizations and to advance locally-led solutions where they are most needed. Through these funds, despite scarcer resources, you are helping sustain women's leadership across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. And ensuring that local women's organizations remain at the forefront of response and recovery efforts. Excellencies, these results are not just numbers. They show impact. They show lives changed. They do not just create an immediate effect for the women and girls we serve, but also an enabling environment for gender equality, for women's rights, for normalizing women's leadership, for changing laws, policies, and norms. Allow me to share a few examples. In Ecuador, women gained stronger protections against violence in politics and greater opportunities to participate equally in public life through electoral reforms. In Afghanistan, over 350,000 women and girls accessed lifesaving services in one of the world's most restrictive environments for women's rights, while 191 women-led organizations strengthened their capacity to support communities and sustain women's leadership. In Palestine, more than 323,000 people, the majority of whom are women and girls, received protection, cash, and livelihood support amidst— a devastating humanitarian crisis. In the Great Lakes region, women's leadership in peace processes expanded, with women representing up to 40% of the African Union mediation team for Eastern DRC. In Egypt, 330,000 women gained financial and digital literacy support, enhancing their economic opportunities and resilience. And across the Pacific Islands, more than 50,000 market vendors benefited from safer, more resilient livelihoods. In Ukraine, more inclusive humanitarian strategies advanced women's rights and expanded the role of civil society in humanitarian response and recovery. In Vietnam, a landmark population law strengthened the recognition of reproductive rights and unpaid care work, helping lay the foundation for stronger gender-responsive care systems. Excellencies, our coordination efforts have shown impressive results. UNCT SWAP reporting increased by 105% from 61 UN country teams in 2021 to 125 in 2022. 2025. This growth is helping embed gender equality more consistently in UN country team planning, coordination, financing, and results. We also continue to engage system-wide through the Gender Equality Acceleration Plan, the GEAP, which raises the ambition of collective work on gender equality, seeking to deliver transformative change across the three pillars of peace and security, development and human rights, and supporting UNCTs and RCs in their work to prioritize gender equality as the linchpin for all the UN's work in-country. Excellencies, my report also describes how we have built a stronger entity, better equipped to deliver for women and girls, with the resources you entrust to us. Over the Strategic Plan period, we strengthened our internal governance mechanisms, advanced business transformation, and modernized corporate systems. We also enhanced oversight, accountability, and transparency, including by further strengthening our Transparency Portal, recognized as a good practice in public accountability for results and resources. We consistently exceeded corporate targets on follow-up to internal and external audit recommendations and maintained 5 consecutive years with no long outstanding audit recommendations from the UN Board of Auditors. We embedded enterprise risk management into planning, performance, and oversight cycles while institutionalizing the quarterly business review as a forward-looking, evidence-based performance management tool that connects strategic priorities, risks, and resources. These reforms have made UN Women even more agile, transparent, and result-focused. They deliver stronger alignment from country to global level and a clearer line of sight between our strategic objectives, the resources we invest, and the results we deliver. And our strengthened communication and partnership functions have further enhanced our visibility, stakeholder engagement, and resource mobilization effectiveness, helping sustain the trust and support of partners during a period of increasing financial pressure and change across the multilateral system. Excellencies, Allow me to remind you that we do all this with the most modest of resources. We have weathered the current uniquely difficult funding environment for the multilateral system better than most, but we are not unaffected. Like many, we are asked to do more with less. So once more, I ask you to take back to capitals a call to resource this crucial mandate fully, to advocate for our agenda and for the investment in gender equality and women's empowerment as the greatest multiplier for the Sustainable Development Goals. And investment in UN Women is your vehicle for their achievement. Excellencies, we will speak more extensively on UN80 this afternoon. But I will reiterate now our full support for the Secretary-General's UNAT reform efforts. As the United Nations' youngest entity, born and raised through the reform process, we continue to ensure that our three priorities permeate all aspects of the process: a stronger gender architecture that delivers for all women and girls, gender mainstreaming in all work packages, and the inclusion of voices of civil society and women-led organizations and movements. As you know, we were tasked by the Secretary-General in partnership with UNFPA to explore the merits of a merger between our two entities. The assessment concluded that there is merit in a merger which could reduce fragmentation, strengthen institutional architecture, and improve coherence and ultimate impact for women and girls. Safeguarding and protecting our critical two mandates must be guaranteed. You have requested more information and analysis, including around safeguarding of mandates, of course, and financial implications. We are also working with UNFPA, as requested by you, our board, on non-structural alternatives to a merger to be shared with you this coming Friday. Both entities are focused on seizing every opportunity to work better in the service of all women and girls everywhere, to deliver a UN system with a strong gender architecture at its heart, one that can withstand pushback and advance the rights and empowerment of all women and girls. Excellencies, before I conclude, I am pleased to share with you two pieces of UN Women management news. First, I welcome Mr. Cambou Fofana of Côte d'Ivoire, who has joined UN Women in May 2026 as the Chief Financial Officer, the CFO, and Director of the Division of Finance and Administration, DFA. My thanks to Ms. Joanna Clark for having so ably served as OIC for the Division while recruitment was ongoing. I know Cambu will be looking forward to engaging with all of you. Second, I am sure that you have seen our valued Executive Board Secretary Jean-Luc Boris is still here. I have asked him to usher us through the September Board as our recruitment for his successor is being finalized. We aim to have his successor with us also in September to ensure a smooth handover. My thanks to Jean-Luc again for putting his well-deserved retirement on hold for us. Excellencies, there is no doubt a daunting moment of disruption and change, division and crisis, but it is also one of hope. Our vision is clear, our movement strong, our resolve undeterred. Together, we have built in UN Women an institution that can rise to a moment such as this one. And so we rise together with you, our strong partner, our Executive Board. I thank you for standing so resolutely beside us Much will be asked of us over the coming year. I do not doubt that together we will deliver for all women and girls, and I thank you.

I thank Madame Executive Director for those very informative and comprehensive remarks. Thank you. I'll now be opening the floor for delegates' statements. We have quite a long list of speakers. For this reason, before opening the floor for your statements, I wish to gently— or rather, family. Family. Remind delegations that the time limits will be set for delivering statements during general discussion to 5 minutes for group statements and 3 minutes for individual delegations for efficiency and optimal use of time. And the time limits will be automatically enforced. Delegations are invited to send their statements, full statements, to statements@un.org. I would like now to give the floor to the first speaker on the list. Albania, you have the floor. Madame Pierre.

Thank you, Mr. President. At the outset, I would like to thank the Executive Director, Ms. Sima Bahus, for the comprehensive presentation of the annual report and the achievements delivered under the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan. Albania commends the work of the entire team of UN Women in the implementation of this Strategic Plan. As we acknowledge the progress made in many countries and regions, we also share the concern expressed regarding the growing challenges facing gender equality globally. The pushback against women's rights, shrinking civic space, and persistent structural barriers threaten not only the rights of women and girls, but also our collective efforts to achieve sustainable development, peace, and social cohesion. These trends require our renewed commitment to uphold international norms and ensure that gender equality remains at the center of national and global agendas. Distinguished colleagues, at the national level, Albania has made significant progress in strengthening its legal and institutional framework for gender equality and increasing women's role in country's political and public life. Efforts to advance women's economic empowerment, support entrepreneurship, and increase opportunities for women and girls in education employment, innovation, and digital transformation remain our national priorities. Mr. President, Albania also commends the progress achieved in strengthening coordination across the United Nations system. The increased integration of gender equality considerations into planning, financing, and accountability frameworks demonstrates the value of UN Women's coordination mandate and its leadership role within the UN system. As the UN advances towards broader reform efforts, Albania supports initiatives aimed at enhancing efficiency, coherence, accountability, and impact across the UN system. In this context, regarding the potential merger among entities working on gender equality, we trust that the reform process should be guided by evidence, transparency, and broad consultation with Member States and other stakeholders. Most importantly, Any change should strengthen, not dilute, our commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Preserving strong normative leadership, operational effectiveness, and dedicated support for women's rights must remain at the center of any reform. We have also entered into the implementation of the new strategic plan. We encourage UN Women to continue focusing on measures that are impactful, innovative partnerships, and sustainable financing, while ensuring that the needs and voices of women and girls, particularly those facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, remain at the forefront of all our interventions. In closing, Albania reaffirms its strong support for the mandate of UN Women. As member of the Bureau, we remain committed to working constructively with the Executive Director, Member States, and all stakeholders to strengthen our collective efforts and ensure that no woman is left behind. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegate from Albania for her statement. I now give the floor to Barijum. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. The annual report of Executive Director Bahus gives a clear and encouraging picture. Across countries and regions, UN Women is making a difference. By fully exercising its unique triple mandate, UN Women continues to advance the rights of women and girls in all their diversity at every level. These results matter, but they also remind us of something simple: progress does not move forward on its own. It depends on steady political backing and on funding that is adequate and predictable. Excellency, Ladies, we are meeting at a moment that feels both promising and fragile. In many parts of the world, we have seen real progress in recent years—more girls in schools, stronger legal frameworks, more women at decision-making tables. But at the same time, the pushback against gender equality, against rights, and sometimes against the multilateral system itself is continuing unabated. And when systems come under pressure, gender equality is often one of the first areas affected. We have seen this before. The budget— when budgets are reduced, gender expertise disappears from teams. Gender programs are scaled back. Dedicated funding lines are quietly eliminated. These are not abstract risks. They are concrete patterns. This is why we must continue to highlight that gender equality cannot be treated as optional. It is not something to be addressed if resources allow. It is central to development, to peace and resilience. In this context, the coordination mandate of UN Women is more important than ever. We count on UN Women to continue to push for strong gender integration across the UN system and to speak up when it risks being sidelined, and to ensure that commitments made by member states are reflected in practice, even in difficult budgetary environments. Excellencies, we need to be honest with ourselves. We cannot expect to deliver more with far fewer resources. But when choices have to be made, they must be strategic. We need to focus on what has the greatest impact, avoid duplicating— and ensure that the system works as efficiently as possible. For its part, Belgium has chosen to maintain its support to key partners, including in the areas of gender equality and SRHR, not only because these are core rights, but because they are also essential investments in stable and resilient societies. On UN80, Belgium supports efforts to make the UN system more effective and more coherent. At the same time, reform should strengthen the UN, not weaken it. It should help the UN deliver better on its mandate, not dilute it. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegate of Belgium for that statement. I now give the floor to Krygristen. You have the floor, Krygristen.

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, Madam Executive Director, distinguished colleagues, my delegation would like to thank Executive Director Ms. Sima Bahus for presenting the annual report and commend UN Women for its steadfast efforts to advance empowerment of women and girls in increasingly complex global environment. At a time when humanitarian needs are growing and progress on women's rights is facing new challenges,— the work of UN Women is more important than ever. We welcome the achievements under the Strategic Plan 2022-2025, including support for legal and policy reforms, women's economic empowerment, efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls, and the advancement of Women, Peace and Security Agenda. For Kyrgyzstan, gender equality is both a national priority and an essential foundation foundation for sustainable development and social cohesion. We are encouraged by the progress achieved in recent years. Following the 2025 parliamentary elections, women now hold 33% of seats in the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan. This is the highest level in our country's history. As recently highlighted by the IPU, Kyrgyzstan is among the countries demonstrating one of the strongest rates of growth in women's parliamentary representation. Kyrgyzstan is also proud to play a leading role in advancing WPS and youth peace and security agendas in Central Asia. We have adopted our 5th National Action Plan on WPS and the first YPS plan in the region. These efforts reflect our conviction that lasting peace requires the meaningful participation and leadership of both women and young people. In this regard, I would like to underline that women, peace, and security agenda will be among Kyrgyzstan's priorities during our tenure as a member of the United Nations Security Council for 2027-2028. We look forward to working with all partners to strengthen the implementation of this agenda and to ensure that women's voices are reflected in peace and security decision-making. As discussions under the UN80 Initiative move forward, Kyrgyzstan Russia remains supportive of reforms that enhance the effectiveness, coherence, and impact of the UN system. At the same time, we believe that reform must remain firmly anchored in mandates agreed by Member States and ultimately be measured by its ability to deliver tangible benefits for people on the ground. We attach particular importance to transparent, inclusive, and evidence-based consultations with Member States— playing a central role in shaping decisions on any potential structural changes. In this regard, it's essential that efforts to improve efficiency do not come at the expense of existing mandates, especially those relating to women's empowerment. Any reform should strengthen the capacity of the UN system to deliver for women and girls at the country level. Kyrgyzstan remains committed to working closely with the

I thank the distinguished representative of Kyrgyzstan for their statement. I now give the floor to the Dominican Republic. You have the floor. Señor Presidente.

President, distinguished Executive Director, honorable delegates, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to begin by expressing our sincere my sincere appreciation to the Executive Director and to her team for the comprehensive and candid presentation of both the results and the challenges that we face today. We are meeting at a time of profound global disruption. We are witnessing a worrying rollback in women's rights and serious funding gaps. These are forcing the closure of life-saving programs. As a country that has long championed— the cause of gender equality, we are deeply concerned about the weakening of global norms and the disproportionate suffering of women and girls. This is not a time to— for retreat, but rather a time for resolve. This determination is reflected in our domestic action. Dominican Republic remains committed to a transformative agenda that places women's empowerment at the center of our national development, even in the midst of global pressures. We have worked to strengthen our gender institutions. We are working hard to make tangible progress in strengthening legal frameworks in order to combat violence against women, to expand economic opportunities for women, and to increase women's political leadership and participation. As we welcome the Executive Director's assertion that UN Women has become a stronger and better prepared entity in terms of fulfilling its mandate. There have been improvements as a result of the Strategic Plan 2025, which we are reviewing. We're encouraged by the impact of gender equality in enhancing peace, resilience, and economic prosperity. However, this ambition must be accompanied by sustainable financing. The Dominican Republic therefore supports the call of this board to advocate for predictable, flexible, and adequate funding for UN Women's core budget in order to support its vital coordinating role across the entire UN system and to collectively safeguard the gains that we have made over decades. President, this is certainly a time of great disruption, but it is also a time of opportunity. The Dominican Republic places full confidence in the vision and institutional capacity of UN Women. Our partnership with the This work is critical and we remain fully confident in our collective ability to achieve results for all women and girls, leaving no one behind. I thank you, President.

I thank the distinguished delegate of the Dominican Republic for that statement. I now give the floor to Luxembourg. Thank you very much, Mr. President, and good morning.

I have the honor to deliver this joint statement. On behalf of Albania, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cabo Verde, the European Union as a donor, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Liberia, Mozambique, Nepal, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, Zambia, and my own country, Luxembourg. We thank Executive Director Sima Bahous for her presentation of the 2025 Annual Report of UN Women, and we commend UN Women and its staff for their continued commitment to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in an increasingly challenging global environment. We reaffirm our strong support for the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UN Women's unique and central mandate. As the report rightly highlights, equality for women and girls remains an unfinished task requiring urgent, sustained, and collective action. We commend the results achieved under the Strategic Plan 2022-2025, including progress in strengthening legal and policy frameworks, supporting women's participation in peacebuilding and political processes, expanding access to services and opportunities, and strengthening gender data and evidence-based policymaking. We note UN Women's support for the adoption, amendment, and repeal of legislation across regions, which demonstrates the importance of translating normative commitments into concrete national action. We also commend UN Women's continued support to women's rights and women-led civil society organizations, particularly in fragile, conflict-affected and humanitarian settings, where their role remains indispensable. Mr. President, we also recognize the important progress on the UN Women's Coordination Mandate, including strengthened accountability across the UN system and increased reporting under the System-Wide Action Plan on Gender Equality. This contributes to a more coherent and effective UN response and supports the implementation of system-wide commitments, including the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review, and we also welcome continued efforts towards gender parity and improved accountability across the UN system. At the same time, we remain deeply concerned that global progress toward SDG 5 remains off track amidst the growing backlash against gender equality. These trends reinforce the urgency of a strong, well-resourced, and effective UN Women. We welcome UN Women's sound financial management, positive audit outcomes, and efforts to strengthen oversight, risk management, and organizational effectiveness. These are important for maintaining confidence among Member States and partners. However, we are concerned by the increasingly constrained funding environment. Declining voluntary contributions and the persistent imbalance between core and non-core resources risk undermining UN Women's ability to deliver on its mandate. Predictable, flexible, and sustainable core funding remains essential. In this regard, we encourage continued efforts to broaden the funding base while safeguarding adequate levels of core resources. We also welcome ongoing efforts to improve efficiency, strengthen business transformation, and enhance cost-effectiveness without compromising impact. Mr. President, as UN Women moves toward the implementation of its Strategic Plan 2026-2029. We welcome its focus on prioritization, accountability, partnerships, and results. Against the backdrop of growing needs, resistance to gender equality, and constrained resources, we encourage further reflection on how UN Women will sharpen its comparative advantages and ensure that gains achieved under the previous Strategic Plan are sustained and translated into tangible improvements in the lives of all women and girls. In closing, we reaffirm our strong and continued support for UN Women and its mandate. We look forward to jointly advancing gender equality and ensuring that no woman and no girl is left behind. I thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished delegate from Luxembourg for their group statement. I now give the floor to Netherlands on behalf of the Benelux countries. Netherlands, you have the floor.

Mr. President, Madam Executive Director, Excellencies, colleagues, I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Benelux, our longstanding union with Belgium, Luxembourg, and my own country, the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Let me begin by thanking the Executive Director for her leadership and by commending UN Women and its staff for their continued efforts to advance gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in an increasingly challenging global environment. At a time when women's rights are facing growing pushback and development financing is under pressure, a strong and effective UN Women is more important than ever. Its unique triple mandate, bringing together normative supports, UN system coordination, and operational activities, remains essential to advancing gender equality across the UN system and beyond. Against this backdrop, we wish to emphasize the importance of predictable, flexible, and multi-year core funding. Core resources are not simply a funding modality. They are strategic investment in UN Women's institutional strength and effectiveness. They are able— they enable the organization to deliver across the entire mandate, maintain its normative leadership, support country offices, respond to emerging crises, and plan strategically for the long term. These crucial functions cannot be sustained through fragmented, short-term, and highly earmarked funding alone. We recognize and appreciate UN Women's efforts to maintain donor confidence in a difficult financial environment. As highlighted in the annual report, voluntary contributions reached over $523 million US $1.6 billion in 2025. While this represents a decline compared to the previous years, it remains a testament to the trust and commitment of UN Women's funding partners. At the same time, the continued stagnation in the ratio of core to non-core resources remains a matter of concern. Excessive earmarking can contribute to fragmentation and limit the ability needed to address evolving priorities and challenges. Additionally, a solid core funding base remains indispensable for the effective delivery of both institutional functions and quality programmes financed through earmarked resources. Madam President, adequate core funding is also successful— also essential for the successful implementation of ongoing UN reform efforts. Achieving a more effective, efficient, and coordinated UN development system requires Member States to match their political support for reform with predictable and flexible financing. Reform cannot be delivered sustainably through increasingly fragmented funding streams alone. A healthy funding mix is essential. The Benelux therefore reiterates its commitment to funding quality and encourages all partners, where possible, to increase predictable and flexible contributions in line with our collective commitments under both the 2019 funding compact and the revitalized 2024 Funding Compact. Finally, we underscore that transparency, accountability, and strong performance remains essential to maintaining donor confidence and fostering increased core funding. We value UN Women's commitment to open dialogue with Member States and appreciate the opportunity for strategic engagement on priorities, results, and challenges. How could UN Women further increase the visibility of results in its work in an effort to attract new donors and encourage the shift to more flexible funding by funding partners. Mr. President, we look forward to continuing our strong partnership with UN Women and remain fully committed to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls worldwide. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegate of the Netherlands for their statement. I now give the floor to our first speaker on the national statements. Vietnam, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I thank you, Madam Executive Director, for your very comprehensive report. Vietnam commends UN Women for delivering meaningful results in a very, very difficult global context, as well as the commitment by UN Women staff, given the uncertainties of the ongoing reforms and restructuring. Your presence and your operation in my own country, Vietnam, is highly appreciated. I wish to take this opportunity to perhaps highlight 3 points. First, implementation of our new strategic strategy— programmes should be country-driven and grounded in national priorities, should be practical and tailored and responsive to the needs on the ground. This may sound very basic and obvious, but I think it's worth reminding ourselves from time to time, because from a host country perspective, we sometimes see that activities are donor-driven. Sometimes it is the money, the funding that drives implementation. Exactly the point that the delegate from the Netherlands just pointed out. Second, we wish to put particular emphasis on areas that can drive long-term change: women's economic empowerment, leadership, digital inclusion, and participation in emerging fields, including in AI governance, as well as support to countries in adopting gender-responsive laws and policies. Like the one you mentioned, Madam Executive Director, was the support of UN Women to Vietnam in your report. In this connection, I wish to move on to the third point, which is to continue the engagement with the UN ATI process. I wish to emphasize in particular that reforms should be evidence-based. And aimed at making our work stronger, more effective, and adequately supported and resourced. I invite the Board and UN Women to look into some best practices and lessons learned from past and ongoing reform efforts, including the implementation of the Delivering as One initiative in Vietnam and other pilot countries. An empowered RC system, joint programming, common office, common back office services have proven to help enhance coherence, national ownership, and effective delivery, as well as efficient operations. We would welcome a visit by UN Women and the board, for that matter, to look into these experiences. Finally, Vietnam looks forward to working very closely with UN Women and all partners to turn our commitments into very concrete results for all women and girls. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Vietnam for his statement. I now give the floor to Bangladesh. Bangladesh, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. We thank the Executive Director for her comprehensive report and commend the UN Women for its steadfast partnership in advancing gender equality, women's economic empowerment, and political participation. Mr. President, following our successful national elections in February this year, Bangladesh has entered a new phase of stable and inclusive democratic governance. UN Women's engagement has significantly contributed to strengthening our national capacities. In this context, we deeply appreciate the technical support provided by UN Women in the development and implementation of our first National Plan of Action for Women, Peace and Security. Mr. President, we look forward to UN Women's program support with the priorities of our newly elected government particularly in advancing women's economic inclusion and climate resilience. As Bangladesh prepares for graduation from LDC category, our proposal for a 3-year extension until November 2029 is a precautionary step to safeguard our national development gains. In this regard, we call upon UN Women to provide predictable and sustained technical support ensuring that our transition remains fully gender responsive and continues to protect women's economic inclusion. Excellencies, on the question of institutional reform under UNAT initiative, Bangladesh reiterates that any process must be member-state driven, transparent, and evidence-based. Structural changes should enhance efficiency but never at the cost of delivery. Nor should it create additional financial burdens for program countries. Mr. President, Bangladesh reaffirms its firm commitment to working closely with the UN Women and all partners to advance gender equality and women's empowerment. We remain committed to ensuring that no woman or girl is left behind. I thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. President. I thank the distinguished delegate of Bangladesh for his statement. I now give the floor to Germany, followed by Canada, Moldova, Finland, Republic of Korea. Germany, you have the floor.

Mr. President, Madam Executive Director, distinguished members and observers of the Executive Board, Excellencies, At a time when we are constantly reminded of the challenges facing the United Nations Development System, I would like to begin by thanking UN Women for its work over the last Strategic Plan cycle and express Germany's appreciation for the progress that has been achieved. I would like to highlight three issues of importance to my country. First, the findings in the annual report highlight the significant impact of UN Women's efforts and emphasize the importance of continuing this work. We are very encouraged that over the course of the strategic plan cycle, UN Women helped advance 394 laws and supported the adoption of 732 gender-responsive policies and plans across 78 countries, which has created conditions for lasting change for up to 2.9 billion women and girls. More than 14 million women and girls gained access to services, resources, information, or support including 7.4 million in humanitarian crisis settings. All of these achievements are very important, but lasting progress depends on how well results are sustained over time, so continued attention to long-term impact is necessary to ensure meaningful and enduring change for future generations. Secondly, I would like to commend UN Women for the commitment to implementing the UN Development System reforms and encourage you to to build on these efforts. We particularly welcome the continued support for the Resident Coordinator System, because a trusted and sustainably financed RC system is central to the success of the reform of the development system, serving as a catalyst for more integrated, effective, and future-ready UN. We also value the leadership in advancing gender equality across the system, including as Secretary-General of the Gender Equality Acceleration Plan, which strengthens the system-wide coherence and accelerates the mainstreaming across the UN system. Thirdly, we must reaffirm the foundations of the global gender equality agenda. Over decades, the international community has worked to build a UN gender architecture that is resilient and accountable to millions of women and girls. The established system is more than a negotiated outcome. It is a global promise to advance gender equality. And in the ongoing UN 80 reform discussions, in which we will continue to constructively engage, we must ensure that the gender architecture is not placed under unnecessary risk. At the same time, Germany supports efforts to enhance the system's efficiency and effectiveness, and we highly welcome the relocation of parts of UN Women to Bonn in Germany. We welcome that further potential reform steps will be shared for discussion at the end of the month as alternatives to a full merger. So we look forward to continuing our dialogue and we appreciate the exchange.

I thank the distinguished representative of Germany for his statement. I now give the floor to Canada.

Thank you, President, Executive Director, delegates.

Microphone for Canada, please. Press your button. Microphone.

Notably persistent inequalities, limited resources, and a continuing setback in gender equality. As progress risks stalling, UN Women must remain a key driver of ambition, accountability, and change. Canada reaffirms its strong support for UN Women and its unique normative mandate, an essential pillar for advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and protecting the rights of women and girls in all their diversity. Gender equality remains a fundamental priority for Canada and a key lever for strengthening security, supporting sustainable economic growth, and building more resilient societies. I commend UN Women for strong results under its strategic plan, reaching over 14 million women and girls. Independent assessments, including MOPAN, highlight its critical role within the UN system as does the dedication of its staff. At the same time, persistent internal and external challenges must be addressed: financing constraints and the need to translate results into impact at scale. Addressing these challenges will require stronger coordination, more coherent country-level delivery, and alignment of ambition with sustainable resources. Canada sees the UN80 Initiative and the Secretary-General's reform agenda as an opportunity to respond to these challenges. We strongly support reforms that strengthen delivery and coherence while protecting gender equality. This includes reinforcing the RC system. Any structural reform must safeguard the integrity of UN Women's mandate. While Canada appreciates that the assessment has been shared, it does not yet provide sufficient clarity or assurance on mandate protection, expected outcomes, value for money. Since a merger would require a new General Assembly resolution and in the current context raise concerns about the potential erosion of mandates covering gender equality and sexual and reproductive health rights, Canada is not in a position to support the proposed merger as currently framed. This position underscores the need for stronger safeguards and clarity alongside Canada's continued support for for reform that strengthens system-wide impact while preserving mandates. As we move forward, we encourage continued dialogue while remaining vigilant about what we must protect and determined to accomplish the work ahead. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegate from Canada for his remarks. I now give the floor to Moldova.

Executive Director Bajos, President of the Executive Board, Excellencies the Circumstances Delegates, the Republic of Moldova fully supports and aligns itself with the work, role, and mandate of UN Women, both in our country and globally. In this regard, we welcome the Annual Report of the Executive Director, which provides a comprehensive overview of the organization's achievements, Challenges and strategic priorities. The report demonstrates the UN Women's continued commitment to delivering tangible results for women and girls, strengthening national capacities, supporting gender-responsive policies, and promoting inclusive and sustainable development worldwide. We particularly appreciate the report's emphasis on accelerating progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals addressing persistent gender inequalities, combating violence against women and girls, and ensuring that women are in the current center of the decision-making process. At the national level, the Republic of Moldova achieved significant progress in several key areas. We have continued to strengthen our legal and institutional framework to advance women's rights and access to justice, Important reforms have been undertaken to improve gender-responsive governance, enhance protection mechanisms for survivors of violence, and promote equal opportunities across society. This year, the Republic of Moldova has taken a bold step to protect women and girls from digital violence and for the first time criminalized digital violence, the landmark law protects women and girls from stalking and online abuse. We have also made notable strides in the economic empowerment of women by supporting women's entrepreneurship, increasing women's participation in the labor market, and promoting greater financial inclusion. Efforts have likewise been intensified to prevent and combat all forms of violence against women and girls through strengthening legislation, improved services, and awareness-raising initiatives. In closing, I would like to reiterate Moldova's appreciation for valuable support provided by UN Women and for dedication of Executive Director Bachelet and her team. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegate from Moldova for his statement. I now give the floor to Finland.

Madam Executive Director, first of all, Finland wishes to express its sincere appreciation for the important work of the UN Women. The annual report you presented tells a powerful story of 3 years of sustained engagement in 109 countries, reaching 4 billion women and girls. We also recognize the commitment of member states whose continued dedication remains essential to drive gender equality forward. We meet at a moment of multiple crises worldwide. Conflicts persist and inequalities deepen. At the moment when the need is the greatest, we see gender equality often deliberately reframed, not as a universal human right, but sometimes a political tool or even a geopolitical bargaining chip. In this landscape, UN Women's mandate carries exceptional urgency. Finland highly values UN Women's triple mandate because it brings global standards to local realities and also promotes coherence across the whole multilateral system. The global situation underscores the importance of how the UN system delivers. We reiterate our support to the UN80 Initiative objective objective of a more efficient and coherent UN that produces quality results to people all over the world. It is imperative to strengthen the UN's ability to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls and SRHR everywhere, despite current challenging circumstances. We thank the Executive Directors of UN Women and UNFPA for their letter of to member states on the further elaboration and refinement of a set of complementary alternative options intended to strengthen coherence, operational alignment, accountability, and delivery impact within existing institutional frameworks. This is a very important letter. Under current challenging circumstances, it is crucial to examine the options carefully in order for the member states to be able to to choose the right direction in the coming years. It is imperative also to have predictable and flexible funding. Investing in gender equality is foundational for peace, resilience, and sustained development. Finally, Finland highlights the importance of further strengthening disability inclusion across all areas of UN Women's mandates. Together, we must ensure that no woman or girl is left be left behind and that every one of them can thrive. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Finland for her statement. I now give the floor to the Republic of Korea.

Thank you, Mr. President. At the outset, let me thank the Executive Director and the whole team for their dedicated work over the demanding Today, my delegation would like to highlight 3 points. First, the strategic plan. We commend the strong results delivered over the last 4-year cycle, including support for 394 laws advancing the rights of women and girls, with a large majority of indicators on or close to target. Even in a climate of austerity and and backlash. As implementation of Strategic Plan 2026-2029 begins, we encourage UN Women to press forward with ambition, sustaining in particular the pivot to regions and countries so that mandated impact reaches women and girls where it matters most. Second, accountability and oversight. We welcome the reports on audit and investigation, evaluation, ethics, and the JIU review of governance and oversight. Sound oversight is what allows every contribution to deliver maximum impact. We encourage UN Women to maintain the highest standards of transparency. As a major contributor and host of the UN Women Large and Partnership Centre in Seoul, will continue to stand firmly behind the entity. Last but not least, the UNAID initiative. We approach this discussion with gravity it deserves, because what is at stake is clear. As the only United Nations entity dedicated solely to gender equality, UN Women's triple The mandate must be preserved and strengthened, not diluted. Reform should reinforce the gender equality architecture, not detrench it. In practice, close coordination is already how UN-WIMIN works. Each new strategic plan was designed hand in hand with UNDP, UNFPA, and UNICEF. And that entity has delivered real efficiency from within. This is precisely why we await the forthcoming report on alternative options with keen interest. Many on this board expect that the options beyond integration will be examined with equal rigor and genuine openness. The real measure of the report will be whether it offers a full and balanced a range of options so that Member States may deliver on a complete picture. Mr. President, in closing, allow me to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to this entity's mission for women and girls.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Republic of Korea for his statement. I now give the floor to Sweden. Followed by Bulgaria, Croatia, and Bahrain. Sweden, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President, Madam Executive Director, and the full UN Women team. Sweden recognizes the powerful impact of UN Women in advancing gender equality across the globe. We welcome UN Women's critical work and note progress on promoting global norms, women's economic empowerment, and participation in public life, women, peace and security, and in humanitarian action. UN Women's work remains necessary for protection from gender-based violence. Achieving such results despite global challenges, including financial restraints and increased pushback against gender equality, is truly commendable. We appreciate the continued work with the Gender Equality Acceleration Plan. Through its leadership, UN Women plays a key role in strengthening the UN's capacity to deliver on gender equality. Sweden fully supports the ambition of UN AT. UN Women's constructive engagement in this process is important to drive reform, efficiency, and coherence across the UN system. RCs should be the primary interlocutor for partners to ensure continued alignment with the cooperation framework at country level. We also support the Secretary-General's recommendation that entity-specific programming tools align with the cooperation framework. Entity presence should be based on identified needs and available resources, prioritizing delivery and technical expertise. On the possible merger of UN Women and UNFPA,— we see clear risks of a dilution of mandates and a weakened ability to perform crucial tasks that rest on both organizations. It is questionable whether a merger will succeed in advancing the key UN 80 objectives of efficiency and effectiveness. As things currently stand, we are not in a position to support a merger of UN Women UNFPA. We strongly welcome receiving comprehensive information on all alternatives and expect to be consulted if the matter would advance to the General Assembly. Sweden remains one of UN Women's most significant donors. Our contributions are accompanied by the highest of expectations regarding effectiveness, transparency, and achieving tangible results, especially at country level. UN Women can count on Sweden's continued support and engagement. In return, we count on your leadership. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished delegate of Sweden for his remarks, and I'll give the floor to Bulgaria.

Mr. President, I extend my gratitude to you and the Bureau for your leadership. You can count on Bulgaria's continued support and constructive engagement. I thank the Executive Director for her presentation. Bulgaria welcomes the results achieved under the Strategic Plan 2022-2025, a time during which my country had the privilege of being a member of the Executive Board. At a time of numerous and intersecting crises, growing pressures on the multilateral system, and persistent challenges to gender equality and women's rights, UN Women's role is more important than ever. Bulgaria remains a strong supporter of the entity's triple mandate and commends its continued effort to advance gender equality through normative support, operational activities and coordination across the UN system. We welcome the progress achieved in strengthening legal and policy frameworks, expanding women's economic empowerment, supporting the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, and increasing assistance to women and girls in humanitarian and crisis settings. We also recognize the important contribution of women-led and civil society organizations as indispensable. Bulgaria further appreciates UN Women's continued effort to enhance transparency, accountability, and institutional effectiveness, as well as its engagement in broader UN reform processes. We thank the UN Women for the shared document regarding the legal elements on the potential merger of UN Women and UNFPA, and would like to reiterate that in case of a merger, it would be of utmost importance to fully preserve the UN's mandate. As the entity implements its strategic plan 2026-2029, we reiterate our support for Member States allocating predictable and sustainable funding, and look forward to continuing our constructive cooperation with the UN Women and fellow board members to advance the rights, equality, and empowerment of all women and girls. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegates of Bulgaria for her remarks. I now give the floor to Bahrain, followed by Croatia. Bahrain, you have the floor.

Mr. President, at the outset, we would like to thank Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General and the Executive Director of UN Women, for her presentation of the annual report. We also I appreciate the President and the members of the Executive Board for their efforts in facilitating this session. The Kingdom of Bahrain emphasizes the central role played by UN Women as part of its mandate in supporting member states in translating international commitments related to women into practical policies and programs that take into account national priorities and respond to the needs of states. In this context, the oversight and guiding role of the Executive Board is important in enhancing governance, transparency, and accountability, and ensuring the effectiveness of UN Women's programs and their consistency with the needs and priorities of countries in a way that contributes to achieving tangible and sustainable results in the field of women's empowerment and equal opportunities. In light of the emphasis in the discussions of the Strategic Plan on the Importance of Governance, Oversight, and Risk Management. We stress the importance of continuing to follow up on these issues in order to enhance the efficiency of UN Women's work and the effectiveness of its programs and support the ability of member states to achieve tangible and sustainable results in the field of women's empowerment and equal opportunities. Mr. President, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, And with the support and directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister, the Kingdom of Bahrain has paid great attention to the advancement of women and has made them a key partner in the national development process through policies and legislation that promote equality, equal opportunities, and non-discrimination, and link their empowerment efforts to national development priorities. Based on this, the Supreme Council for Women, chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of His Majesty the King, plays a pivotal role in equal opportunities and gender balance. These efforts foster a system of economic initiatives and programs to support women entrepreneurs and facilitate their access to the labor market. Including those under the umbrella of the Supreme Council for Women and the Labour Fund, referred to as Temkeen. As an embodiment of this approach, Her Royal Highness Princess Sabika Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa has an international award for women's empowerment launched by the Kingdom of Bahrain in partnership with UN Women as an initiative to highlight successful experiences in this field in line with SDGs and the Beijing Declaration platform for action. In conclusion, we reiterate our support for the work of UN Women and we stress the importance—

microphone has been cut off. I thank the distinguished delegate of Bahrain for her statement. I see the speakers list. The following will speak. We shall have Rwanda. —followed by the Philippines. Rwanda, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. A very good morning, Excellencies. Madame Executive Director and your team, thank you very much for presenting your report. Impressive results. We read it very carefully. We saw the numbers. We saw the data. We saw the strength. It presents a very encouraging picture to see what we are achieving. In whole, and Madam Executive Director, you presented it very well, the numbers, the amount of money you've given to different societies, to different organizations. We're impressed of that. Thank you very much also for reaching to more than over 2,300 women organizations. That is impressive in our countries. Also encouraged by the data you provided in terms of the availability of data to measure SDG 5. While we are not where we need to be, but I think 60% since 2022 is very impressive. We look forward also to having probably more data available to measure that SDG in the coming strategic plan. The report also presents very stressful things that probably we need to be looking at, and they have been mentioned by several colleagues. The decline in finance, the decline in official development assistance, budget, that is a very, very, very big thing that probably we need to focus on, not you as both, I mean UN Women, but probably as member states. Especially for us in Africa and the least developed countries which benefit more with the work you do on the ground, we would wish to see more in finance. And probably lastly, Madame Executive Director and your team, we read in terms of the 2026-2029 plan, if you can tell us a little bit some of the lessons you have learned in this strategic plan that you are concluding and the report that is going to be used, the lessons you're drawing to be used in the next strategic plan, that would be very useful. Also, maybe if you can, Madame Executive Director and your team, what are you thinking of given this decline in financial— with the financial constraints? What are your thoughts in terms of the 2026-2029 strategic plan that you intend to do to better deliver more? As we look for 2030, I think it's like a World Cup. With all our hearts stressing we want to see more done within the remaining period. I think as UN Women, you should focus on those areas where you think you can scale and achieve more within the remaining time. But by all, thank you very much for the report. Very encouraging, very impressive. We look forward again to going to the next strategic plan.

I thank the distinguished delegate of Rwanda for his remarks. I now give the floor to the Philippines.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Philippines thanks the Executive Director and her team for the presentation of the annual report and welcomes the achievements of UN Women under the Strategic Plan 2022-2025. We commend UN Women's efforts to advance gender equality and women's empowerment despite a challenging global environment. The Philippines recognizes UN Women's important role within the UN development system and its contribution to accelerating progress towards the SDGs. We particularly appreciate the entity's work in supporting Member States in strengthening gender-responsive policies, institutions, and public services. As a developing country highly vulnerable to climate change and disasters, the Philippines underscores underscores the importance of ensuring that women and girls remain at the center of development, humanitarian, and climate action efforts. We therefore welcome UN Women's initiatives that strengthen women's economic resilience, leadership, and participation in all decision-making processes. We likewise encourage UN Women to continue supporting efforts to close gender gaps in employment, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and digital access. As technology increasingly shapes economies and societies, women and girls must be fully equipped, along with their peers, with the skills and opportunities necessary to participate more fully and safely in the digital world. The Philippines also wishes to highlight the importance of protecting and empowering women migrant workers and their families. Who continue to make significant contributions to economies and societies in both countries of origin and destination but are still faced with increasing risks and dangers. We encourage UN Women to further strengthen its work on gender-responsive migration governance, including through efforts that promote decent work, social protection, skills development, and access to justice for women migrants. Looking ahead, Mr. President, Madam Executive Director, to the next Strategic Plan, we encourage UN Women to strengthen support for country-led approaches and national priorities and contexts. We also emphasize the need for predictable and sustainable funding to enable UN Women to more effectively deliver on its mandates. In conclusion, the Philippines remains firmly committed to working closely with UN Women and partners in advancing gender equality and empowerment of women and girls as a key driver of sustainable development. I thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Philippines for his statement. I now give the floor to Denmark.

Mr. President, Madam Executive Director, Excellencies, colleagues, let me start out by thanking Madam Executive Director and all UN Women staff and implementing partners for the 2025 annual report and for the overall achievements in the implementation of the Strategic Plan 2022-2025, illustrating that UN Women continues to deliver strong advocacy for women's and girls' rights as human rights. Denmark is deeply concerned by the development within global norms on gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and women, peace and security. No former achievements can be considered safe, and no hard-won gains can be taken for granted. In this context, UN Women's coordination and normative mandate is more important than ever. We must insist to advance the empowerment, economic participation, and full realization of gender equality for all women and girls. As expressed at the Tribal Board earlier this month, Denmark views the Secretary-General's UNAIDI initiative as an excellent opportunity and strong call for systemic reform. Denmark would like to thank the UNAIDI task force and the Joint Assessment Task Team for their consolidated report on the UNFPA and UN Women merger, which we find provides a coherent and balanced view of the potential risks and benefits by an organizational merger. On that basis, Denmark continues to see clear value in exploring closer integration between UNFPA and UN Women, not as a cost-saving exercise, but as a means to strengthen coherence, institutional capacity, and more effective and sustained delivery of mandates at country level. We look forward to receive answers to the questions that need to be explored further, including the technical and implementational aspects. It's essential that fully mandates are protected and that implementation continues uninterrupted. Mr. President, Madam Executive Director, Excellencies. Finally, Denmark reiterates our strong support for the Strategic Plan set for UN Women 2025— 2026-2029, with its strong focus on gender equality, women's empowerment, system-wide gender mainstreaming, and reaching those furthest behind. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Denmark for her remarks. And now I give the floor to France.

Merci, Monsieur le Président. Thank you, President. Madam Executive Director, dear colleagues, I would like first of all to pay tribute to the of UN Women and its staff for the benefit of women and girls, even as crisis situations and the international context and global budgetary context become more challenging. I thank you, Madam Director— Executive Director, for the presentation of your annual report on the activities of UN Women. As regards your performance, the agency has obtained excellent results in achieving the goals set in the strategic plan for the period 2022-2025. 25, UN Women has worked to strengthen norms to protect the rights of more than 3 billion women and girls. UN Women has contributed to supporting more than 18,000 organizations on the ground and to providing quality goods and services to women, including in context crises. Your action in more than 130 countries has made it possible to make considerable progress in the area of gender equality. Madam Executive Director, Protecting and promoting the rights of women and girls is essential in order to guarantee the development of fairer, more peaceful, and sustainable societies. It is recognition of this reality that has led France to equip itself with a feminist diplomacy and very soon a new national plan of action on the theme Women, Peace, and Security. This is also the reason why France supports the activity of UN Women on the ground, such as in Ukraine, where the agency has supported the empowerment of women and girls in the context of Russia's now 4-year-long war of aggression. More broadly, France encourages the agency to play a role in the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. We are thus following closely and supporting the ELSI program for greater recognition of women's needs in peace operations, as well as UN Women's coordination of the international network of women, peace, and security focal points. Madam Executive Director, colleagues, the current context of reform of our organization calls for collective responsibility. The legitimacy, credibility, and sustainability of our multilateral system is at stake. In this connection, France hails the streamlining efforts undertaken by UN Women. We encourage the agency to build on the momentum to refocus its activities for pooling resources on the ground and for greater consideration of the opportunities offered by the UN80 initiative. The prospective merger with UNFPA needs to be scrutinized by member states in light of potential efficiencies provided that the capacity for action and the mandates entrusted to it can be guaranteed in a context that is worrying in terms of the polarization and undermining of the progress that has been made between men and women.

The speaker's microphone has been cut off. I thank the distinguished representative of France for his statement. I'll now give the floor to Nepal. I'll be followed by Japan, Croatia, South Africa, Russian Federation, China, according to my updated list of speakers. Nepal, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President, Madam Executive Director, dear colleagues. Nepal associates itself with the cross-regional joint statement delivered by Luxembourg. Nepal thanks the Executive Director for the comprehensive presentation on the implementation of UN Women Strategic Plan 2020-2025. 2025. We commend UN Women for its steadfast leadership, partnership, and impact at a time when progress on achieving gender equality faces headwinds globally. The report demonstrates that even in a context of multiple crises, UN Women delivered tangible results, supporting legal and policy reforms, helping countries and communities in need, and enabling millions of women and girls to access services, resources, and protection. These achievements remind us that gender equality is fundamental to safeguarding sustainable development, peace, and resilient societies. Despite these gains, the report also delivers a sobering message. We are clearly off track to achieve SDG 5 by 2030. Women remain underrepresented in leadership, continue to shoulder disproportionate unpaid care responsibilities, face persistent violence including in digital space, and remain most vulnerable to conflicts. Climate shocks, and economic crises. President, for Nepal, this strategic cycle is about transforming global commitments into action. Our constitution enshrines gender equality and women's rights as fundamental rights, while providing legal safeguards that make gender-based discrimination punishable by law. We have strengthened women's participation in public life as a result of constitutional guarantees and affirmative measures. Over 34% of lawmakers in the House of Representatives of the federal parliament, and about 42% representatives in local bodies are women. This has expanded women's voice in governance and decision-making. Likewise, gender-responsive budgeting has become an integral part of Nepal's public financial management system, aligning national resources with gender equality outcomes. We continue to strengthen protection and access to justice for all women and girls, including through local mechanisms to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, and through greater investment in survivor-centered services. Mr. President, as we move into the next strategic plan, 2026-2029, Nepal welcomes the strategic plan's strategic pathways to progress: advancing women's leadership and decision-making, women's economic empowerment, ending violence against women and girls, and strengthening women's role in peace, security, and humanitarian action as mutually reinforcing pillars of transformative change. Nepal remains firmly committed to advancing the Beijing Declaration Platform for Action, CEDAW, WPS, and 2030 Agenda to ensure gender equality for all women and girls. Let us remind ourselves, equality cannot and should not remain a promise deferred. It must become power, institution, adequate resources for mandate implementation, safety in communities, and opportunities for a sustainable future of all women and Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Nepal for his statement. I now give the floor to Japan.

Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to start by expressing my sincere appreciation to the Executive Director, Shima Bafus, for her opening statement and comprehensive annual report. Japan deeply appreciates UN Women's tireless efforts toward the achievement of SDG 5, as reflected in the annual report and anchored in the Strategic Plan 2022-2025. UN Women's achievement of 61% of indicator targets and good performance for 80-80% of indicators at the development result/output level demonstrates resilient capabilities in the face of global divisions and backlash. Japan remains steadfast in its unwavering support for UN Women as it stands at the forefront of realizing SDG 5. Japan also welcomes The fact that active bilateral dialogue has been maintained through Executive Director's visit to Japan on the occasion of the UN System Chief Executive Board for Coordination this year, following her visit last December— Japan highly values the continued accumulation of substantive dialogue, including the subsequent policy dialogue between UN Women and the Government of Japan, and the bilateral meeting of Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Eri Harufiya with Deputy Director— Executive Director Kashimari in May of this year. Japan strongly recognizes UN Women as an indispensable partner in advancing gender equality, women's empowerment, and women and peace and security. Japan remains fully committed to maintaining and further strengthening this close partnership going forward. Regarding the ongoing discussions on the proposed merger of UN Women and UNFPA, it is Japan's utmost priority to ensure that the mandates of both entities are preserved, regardless of which option is ultimately pursued. Japan also strongly urges that the process be conducted with full transparency. Mr. President, Japan, as an Executive Board member, will continue to work closely with UN Women in further advancing its mandate. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Korea for his statement— sorry, Japan. My apologies. Japan for his statement. And I give the floor to Croatia.

Thank you, Mr. President. Executive Director, Excellencies, Croatia thanks the Executive Director for her report and presentation. We also express our sincere appreciation to the staff of UN Women for their dedication and hard work in a challenging global context. Distinguished colleagues, no country has achieved gender equality. This sentence is written on the second page of the report of the Executive Director. We should not take lightly that this is a sentence we still must write in 2026. This is by no means a reason to concede defeat, but the weight of those words should stay with us. The report confirms the scale of the challenges upon us, but it also confirms the value of a strong, effective, and well-resourced UN Women. At a moment of disruption, we must match political commitments with financing and and sustained support. And Croatia welcomes the tangible results achieved under the strategic plan, including the scaling up of UN Women's work on peace, security, and humanitarian action. The impact of conflict on women and girls is evident across many contexts. Yet women remain underrepresented in peace processes, as well as reconstruction efforts. And Croatia therefore strongly supports UN Women's continued presence in crisis settings. From our own experience, Croatia can attest to the positive role women play in reconciliation, accountability, the search for the missing persons, and the rebuilding of the social fabric after conflict. Madam President, gender equality should be a system-wide effort. We should like to underline the important work of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund, whose gender-responsive programmes have delivered tangible results in the most fragile contexts. Croatia has also consistently advocated within the Peacebuilding Commission for a stronger focus on women's economic empowerment as an important component of sustaining peace. Croatia remains committed to cooperation with UN Women, including through the "She Demines" project in Ukraine, which brings together mine action, recovery and women's leadership. Finally, as discussions on UN Aid Reform continue, Member States need clear and timely information to take decisions that strengthen, not weaken the UN gender equality architecture. We welcome committed efforts to improve governance, accountability, transparency, and results-based delivery. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegate of Croatia for his comments. I now give the floor to South Africa.

Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to thank the Executive Director for for her report, and South Africa commends UN Women's resolve and commitment to effectively implement its strategic plan. The most striking elements of the report is the successful advancing of the triple mandate of the UN— of UN Women while making gains on the achievement of the SDGs. South Africa is particularly pleased with the progress made in women's economic empowerment, especially the normative efforts in championing gender-responsive care systems. These results are a validation of the strategic approach of UN Women, as well as its importance towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. We remain concerned about the continued prevalence of gender-based violence and recognize the continuous efforts of UN Women in support of whole-of-society approaches to combat this scourge. Continued support in the development of prevention action plans, survivor-centered services, and partnerships with key stakeholders is deeply appreciated and greatly encouraged. Mr. President, the proliferation of conflicts and impact on civilians has the greatest impact on women and girls, and these groups often remain overlooked in the potential value they offer under the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Despite these and other ongoing challenges, the results reported today are a testament to the inherent value of the multilateral processes and constructive partnerships. The triple mandate of UN Women is serving its objective. This formula is working. In conclusion, We recommit our continuous support for the strategic direction of UN Women. The report on the implementation of the Strategic Plan confirms sustained progress. Whilst we may not be observing this at the pace which we have targeted, we should not diminish this progress nor change our course. Our commitment to UN Women as a valued partner remains steadfast, and we look forward to the next strategic plan in the final push towards 2030. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of South Africa for his remarks. I now give the floor to the Russian Federation.

Thank you, Mr. President. We thank the Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahus, for her presentation of the report. At this challenging time for the United Nations, the Russian Federation supports the organization's efforts to achieve equality between women and men. Our country, which enshrined equality between women and men in the Constitution over 100 years ago, has traditionally attached particular importance to this agenda item and the associated entity. The entity's activities should be focused on implementing its unique trickle mandate and not go beyond the limits of that mandate. UN Women must also act exclusively at the request and with the consent of member states. The unauthorized expansion of its activities, especially in the human rights area, not only dilutes the important work of the entity in improving the status of women but also undermines trust in it from— on the part of developing countries for whom socioeconomic issues are particularly acute. Genuine improvement in the status of women is achieved not by promoting controversial concepts, but by providing genuine assistance for women's professional development, support for mothers and families, and ensuring social protection and equal access to economic opportunities and education. Noting the important role of UN Women in supporting women's organizations on the ground, We call on it to avoid going beyond the scope of engagement agreed with states and to promote dialogue between governments and the non-governmental sector. UN bodies cannot support the confrontational activity of externally sponsored civil society organizations. The Russian Federation is committed to a constructive dialogue within the Executive Board. We believe that UN Women must act as an impartial body whose sole task is to improve the status of women worldwide. To this end, it is important that it distance itself from political bias, avoid double standards, and take the interests and positions of all states into account equally. Thank you for your attention.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation, Federation. And I'll give the floor to New Zealand. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President and Madam Executive Director. New Zealand commends UN Women for its continued leadership in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of all all women and girls in an increasingly complex global environment. We meet at a time when progress on gender equality is under significant pressure. Conflict, climate change, and economic instability are exacerbating inequalities and reinforcing barriers to women's full participation in society. In this context, UN Women's triple mandate is more important than ever. We particularly welcome UN Women's continued focus on reaching those most at risk, including in fragile and crisis-affected settings, and its emphasis on strengthening national systems, supporting women's organizations and movements, and locally-led approaches. New Zealand places particular importance on UN Women's engagement in our Pacific region. Women and girls in the Pacific face disproportionate challenges, including climate-related risks, economic vulnerability, the lowest levels of women's political representation globally and among the highest rates of gender-based violence. We welcome UN Women's continued work to support women's leadership, resilience, and economic participation in Pacific Island countries. Turning to the broader context, New Zealand strongly supports the Secretary-General's UN80 initiative. The UN development system must be more focused, more efficient, and better coordinated particularly at the country level, including through the retention of strong in-country technical capability. As we consider the reform agenda ahead, New Zealand recognises that a range of options are being advanced to strengthen the effectiveness and coherence of the system. It is important that these are assessed holistically, and we underline the important role of this Board in providing strategic guidance and driving timely informed decisions. Given the urgency of the challenges we face, we should move beyond analysis and towards clear conclusions and direction so that reforms can be implemented without delay. Mr. President, Executive Director, New Zealand remains concerned about the challenging funding environment facing UN Women. Core, predictable, and flexible funding is essential to enable UN Women to effectively to advance gender equality and women's rights, maintain its normative leadership, strengthen systems and institutions, and respond to emerging needs. We encourage all partners to support UN Women through flexible contributions and to ensure resources are directed toward areas where they can deliver lasting impacts for all women and girls. In closing, New Zealand reaffirms its strong support for UN Women and its vital role in advancing gender equality globally. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegate of New Zealand for his remarks. I now give the floor to Switzerland.

Monsieur le Président, Madame la Directrice, President, Madame Executive Director, Switzerland commends UN Women for its accomplishment in the context of the Strategic 2030 Plan 2022-2025. Despite an exceptionally difficult context, UN Women has delivered excellent results in implementing its triple mandate. Switzerland welcomes the fact that UN Women remains a reliable and agile partner, including in crisis situations. Allow me to share 3 observations. First, UN Women reaffirms its central role in strengthening women's voices, leadership, and agency by achieving 115% of of its targets in this area for the period. We particularly commend UN Women's efforts to strengthen localization through the provision of high-quality and flexible funding to local women's organizations and feminist movements. Second, significant global challenges in gender equality remain. Progress is still too slow. At the current pace, SDG 5 will not be achieved by 2030. This finding comes at a time when voluntary contributions to UN Women and global funding for gender equality are declining. In this context, UN Women plays an essential role in accelerating progress. Switzerland remains committed to supporting UN Women through predictable, flexible, and multi-year financing and calls on all Member States to do the same. Third, we recognize the significant progress made by UN Women in the context of the United Nations Development System reform initiated in 2018. We call on UN Women to actively contribute to the implementation of the UN80 Initiative and accelerate the necessary reforms. Switzerland invites UN Women to continue strengthening system-wide coherence through shared services, joint programs, and pooled funding mechanisms, particularly with UNFPA. Reform efforts must translate into tangible efficiency gains at the country level, and we encourage UN Women to establish indicators to measure this progress. Finally, Switzerland reaffirms its strong support for UN Women's triple mandate: normative leadership on the rights of all women and girls, coordination and accountability of the collective action of the United Nations system in favor of gender equality, and the operational implementation of women's empowerment. Supporting and protecting this mandate has never been more important than it is today. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegate of Switzerland for his statement, and I'll give the floor to Colombia.

Thank you, President. Colombia is grateful to Madam Executive Director and to her team for the report. We recognize the sustained leadership of all of you at UN Women, and we recognize your work in promoting gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls, in preventing and responding to all forms of gender-based violence. We especially appreciate the results achieved by the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women. These results show that prevention is most effective when women's leadership is supported, social norms can be transformed, and community capacity is strengthened. Columbia also welcomes the fact that 74,300 women and girls have accessed specialized services supported by the Fund's partners. This is the, uh, highest figure in the strategic plan, uh, for the period through 2025. These developments show the value of integrated, sustained, and survivor-centered approaches, and also the importance of strengthening referral pathways, institutional capacity, efficiency and quality standards. We also recognize UN Women's management efforts to consolidate priorities, streamline indicators, and strengthen program— programmatic coherence. The Executive Board also has a central responsibility. We must accompany efforts aimed at efficiency, simplification, and institutional coherence without reducing the substantive scope and programmatic orientation of UN Women. Efficiency cannot be understood as an administrative exercise. It must serve to enhance the entity's capacity to address the priorities of women and girls, especially in those contexts of greatest exclusion, violence, and inequality. It is incumbent upon this board to ensure that management decisions preserve the UN Women's normative ambition, programmatic presence and capacity for transformation. But this cannot be achieved without the predictability and sustainability of resources. We must strengthen the core funding of UN Women. Flexible funding is crucial to ensuring that all women, and especially women facing multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination, continue to to lead conservation actions, community resilience, and sustainable development. We agree with the Executive Director that these commitments must translate into strengthened collective capacity to deliver stepped-up and effective enhancement for women and girls. Thank you, the distinguished representative of Colombia, for his statement.

I now give the floor to China. Uganda has the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President, Executive Director, distinguished members of the board, fellow delegates. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the delegation of Uganda. We wish to thank the President of the board and Executive Director for their leadership and comprehensive updates shared. We commend UN Women for the significant and measurable results it has delivered across the globe, including in the African region. UN Women has been a vital partner in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, including in the areas of political participation, economic empowerment, elimination of violence against women and girls, and the promotion of women's leadership in peace and security. These achievements have been hard-won, often under complex and resource constraints.— circumstances. We recognize the urgent need to accelerate progress on SDG 5, which remains foundational to achieve the full 2030 Agenda justice. We welcome the updates on the strategic plan with sharpened focus, strong regional engagement, and commitment to partnership with governments and women-led organizations. We stress the need for sustainable, predictable financing and encourage continued efforts to expand and diversify resource mobilization. We welcome the UN Women's leadership in advancing system-wide reforms through the UN 80 reform process, and we stress the need for timely, transparent, and comprehensive assessments to enable member states to engage meaningfully in the process. Reform efforts must strengthen rather than dilute the capacity of UN Women to deliver on its mandate and support member states in achieving gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls. As I conclude, equality is not just a right, It is a pathway to peace, resilience, and progress. Uganda stands ready to work in partnership to realize this vision for all women and girls. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegate of Uganda for his statement. I now give the floor to the United Kingdom.

Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the United Kingdom, I thank the Executive Director for her briefing and continued leadership alongside the UN Women staff operating in challenging and complex circumstances. The United Kingdom remains steadfast in its commitment to gender equality and to the rights, safety, and agency agency of all women and girls. Tackling violence against women and girls is at the heart of UK foreign policy, and we remain fully committed to UN Women's mandate. We welcome the Executive Director's final report on the Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and UN Women's demonstratable results at scale. Yet the picture is clear: progress has been real, but nowhere near fast enough. No country has achieved gender equality. The world is off track to meet SDG 5 by 2030. Violence against women and girls remains an international emergency. Participation in work and public life remains unequal, and unpaid care continues to fall disproportionately on women. These are not only indicators but measures of power, opportunity, and security. Women and girls want to live free from violence, contribute equally to their economies and societies, and shape decisions that affect their lives. The international system must stand with them, including against rollback of hard-won rights. We value UN Women's work to tackle these challenges, including our partnership on the Gender Justice Platform and the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict. Conflict alongside our collaboration on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. The UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women also remains an important instrument for supporting community-level responses, particularly in conflict and humanitarian settings. Together, these efforts help advance women's meaningful participation, strengthen survivor-centered accountability, and improve the international response to conflict-related sexual violence. Looking ahead, and as a longstanding partner, we look to UN Women to protect and advance gender equality norms and standards, gender mainstreaming, system coherence, and support to resident coordinators and UN development system reform. Strong accountability is essential. The strategic plan and results framework must help sharpen priorities, support learning, and monitor impact as we crucially approach 2030. 2030. Progress on risk management, financial oversight, and safeguarding must continue with consistent implementation across country offices. Equally, strong controls must persist in the approach to protect— to protecting against sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. The UK will remain a constructive partner, ambitious of reform, clear on mandates, focused on accountability, and committed to results for women and girls. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom for her statement and I'll give the floor to China.

Chair, China thanks Executive Director Bajous for the briefing and commends UN Women for the efforts in advancing the implementation of the previous strategic plan. The current challenges confronting the global cause of women's empowerment further underscore the importance of UN Women. I would like to make 4 points. First, UN Women should lead through action. The Strategic Plan 2026-2029 of UN Women provides the framework and strategic blueprint for advancing gender equality over the next 4 years. Only by working together with determination and resolve, and by translating the plan's 4 strategic Strategic Pathways and the 3 Transformative Goals into concrete results, can we effectively accelerate progress towards achieving the gender equality targets of the 2030 Agenda. Second, UN Women should prioritize key areas. Gender issues are not just about matters of human rights, but also matters of development. Survival and development provide the foundation for women's empowerment. We hope that the UN Women will continue to be development-oriented, invest more resources and focus on areas such as poverty alleviation, education, health, employment, and social protection for women, thereby laying a solid foundation for women's comprehensive development. Third, UN Women should embrace changes. Advancing the cause of women requires us to uphold fundamental principles while fostering innovation. We support UN Women in continuing to participate in the UN 8 Initiative while focusing Based on its triple mandate, UN Women should further optimize its organizational effectiveness, better leverage its competitive advantages, and strengthen coordination and collaboration with the UNFPA and UNICEF and other agencies so as to better deliver results. Fourth, UN Women should better mobilize funding. Currently, the funding gap for the global cause of women's development continues to widen, seriously hindering progress towards the gender equality targets, particularly in developing countries. We call on all parties to increase their support for UN Women's core budget and development programs. We also hope that UN Women can effectively diversify its funding sources and fundraising strategy, and also enhance the transparency, effectiveness, and efficiency of fund utilization. China will fulfill its commitment to contribute $10 million to UN Women over the next 5 years, bilateral exchanges and cooperation, and we are ready to work with all parties to translate the consensus reached in the Global Leaders Meeting on Women last October into concrete actions and accelerate the new progress for women's all-round development. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of China for his statement. I now give the floor to Lesotho. Lesotho, you have the floor.

Mr. President, Madam Executive Director, distinguished members of the Executive Board, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the Kingdom of Lesotho is honored to address the annual session of the UN Women Executive Board under Agenda Item 2. We thank the Executive Director for the comprehensive annual report which demonstrates UN Women's continued leadership in advancing gender equality, strengthening multilateral cooperation, and supporting member states to accelerate the implementation of Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the 23rd Agenda, and commitments under UNAET. The Kingdom of Lesotho welcomes the strong results achieved in 2025, particularly in women's economic empowerment, ending gender-based violence, advancing women's leadership in peace and governance, and strengthening gender-responsive financing. We commend UN Women for its expanded support to countries in crisis and for its efforts to ensure that humanitarian responses remain gender-responsive and grounded in the lived realities of women and girls. As a committed Executive Board member For the 2026-2028 term, the Kingdom of Lesotho reaffirms its dedication to working collaboratively with all Member States to ensure that UN Women is well-resourced, strategically positioned, and institutionally strengthened to deliver on its mandate. We underscore the importance of predictable, flexible, and sustainable financing, which remains essential for achieving transformative results at scale. At the national level, Lesotho continues to advance gender equality through strengthened social protection systems, expanded digital inclusion initiatives, and renewed efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. We are deepening partnerships with UN Women to enhance institutional capacity capacity, accelerate implementation of the African Gender and Development Index, and support women's leadership across all sectors of society. The Kingdom of Lesotho also emphasizes that the UN 80 Initiative must reinforce multilateralism and ensure that gender equality remains central to global development, peace, and security efforts. We welcome UN Women's role in the shaping in shaping this agenda and call for continued support to least developed countries, where structural inequalities remain profound and where investment in women and girls yields the highest returns. Mr. President, the Kingdom of Lesotho emphasizes the Executive Director's commitment to transparency, accountability, and results-based management.

I thank the distinguished delegate of Lesotho for his comments. I now give the floor to Morocco.

Merci, Monsieur le Président. Thank you, President. The Kingdom of Morocco would like to begin by expressing its gratitude to the Executive Director of UN Women for the presentation of the annual report, which reflects remarkable work accomplished under particularly demanding conditions. Morocco also wishes to extend its warm congratulations to the President of the Executive Board, as well as to the entire Bureau, for their sustained efforts in the service of a mandate that has never been more crucial. President, Morocco fully aligns itself with the priorities advanced by UN Women and is a committed partner in their implementation. Equality between men and women, the empowerment of women and girls, and their full and effective participation in economic, political, and social life constitute key pillars of the Kingdom's national policy under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. At the legislative and institutional levels, Morocco continued in 2026 to strengthen its legal framework in favor of women's rights by pursuing ongoing reforms in the areas of protection against violence, access to justice, and economic empowerment. With regard to political representation, Morocco is continuing its efforts to increase women's participation in elected bodies and positions of responsibility through quota mechanisms and proactive parity policies. The pioneering study conducted by Morocco and referenced in the Executive Director's report which estimated that unpaid domestic work represents 26% of national GDP, illustrates the data-driven approach that now guides public policy development in Morocco, an approach that recognizes and gives due appreciation to women's invisible contribution to the economy. Regarding the issue of a potential merger between UN Women and UNFPA, Morocco has taken note of the strategic evaluation of April 2026, as well as the document on legal implications presented by the Office of Legal Affairs. Morocco reaffirms its commitment to full respect for the distinct and complementary mandates of the two organizations. To predictable and sustainable financing can measure it with their ambitions. Action must remain strong, targeted, and measurable for the benefit of recipient populations. Morocco renews its affirm support for UN Women and its Strategic Plan 2026-2029 and commits to remaining an active, contributing, constructive partner in achieving gender empowerment, gender equality, and the empowerment of women and girls. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Morocco for his statement. I now give the floor to Spain.

Spain thanks the Executive Director and the entire UN Women team for presenting this annual report, and above all, we thank them for their leadership at a particularly complex time for the multilateral system and for the global gender equality agenda, at a time when women's rights are once again being questioned and renegotiated. And in this context, UN Women represents one of the main institutional guarantees in terms of safeguarding the progress made and further promoting transformation still pending. Spain has a firm commitment to feminist cooperation on foreign policy. This is grounded in the universality and indivisibility of human rights and the conviction that gender equality is not just a fundamental right, but a necessary condition for achieving sustainable development, lasting peace, and more robust and inclusive democracies. This is why Spain considers UN Women to be a key strategic partner, and we are particularly gratified to have recently signed a new strategic partnership framework for the period 2026 through 2029. In it, we reaffirm our shared priorities and our willingness to further strengthen this historic partnership. This new framework reflects our common commitment to three priority areas. Firstly, the economic empowerment of women through the promotion of care policies, financing, and budgets with a gender perspective. Secondly, the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls. This includes technology-facilitated violence. And thirdly, promoting women's leadership and the effective participation of women at all levels of decision-making, including advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and supporting feminist and women's organizations as essential agents of change. Spain also wishes to highlight the importance of the recent conference on feminist foreign policy held in Madrid. This brought together governments, international organizations, civil society, and feminist leaders from all different regions of the world. The conference highlighted that feminist approaches are not just a matter of principle, but also of effectiveness. This commitment is reflected also in our financial support to the organization. Just 3 years, Spain has more than increased its contribution to UN Women's core resources by 6-fold. We reiterate the importance of predictable, flexible, and quality funding to enable UN Women to effectively fulfill its normative coordination and operational mandates. For this reason, Spain has increased the level of multi-year commitments to the agency in order to increase the predictability of the lines of work. Spain thus reaffirms its full support for UN Women, and we look forward to continuing to work together to advance the rights, leadership, and empowerment of all women and girls. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Spain for his comments, and I'll give the floor to UAE.

Madam Executive Director, colleagues, I thank you for your statements, and Executive Director Bahous for presenting the final report on the Implementation of the UN Women Strategic Plan 2022-2025. The report underscores that the progress toward gender equality remains fragile and cannot be assumed. Despite persistent challenges, it shows that targeted investments, effective partnerships, and sustained political commitment can yield meaningful results— even in a complex global environment. The implementation of this strategic plan offers clear guidance for the future. First, amid fiscal constraints and competing priorities, we must expand blended financing mechanisms, mobilize private capital through targeted incentives, and deepen collaboration with international financial institutions to scale proven high-impact programs that deliver measurable outcomes for women and girls. Second, closing gaps for women and girls in conflict and crisis settings require operationalizing the humanitarian-development-peace nexus through joint programming, ensuring that dedicated funding for women-led organizations and systematically integrating women's leadership and participation in peace processes, recovery planning, and reconstruction efforts. Third, as emerging technologies evolve, we must establish clear policy framework to prevent and respond to technology-facilitated violence, invest in the digital literacy and STEM education for women and girls, and expand equitable access access to digital infrastructure so they can safely and fully benefit from innovation. Looking ahead to Strategic Plan 2026-2029, the UAE encourages a continued focus on impact and efficiency. The next strategic plan should leverage UN Women's comparative advantages, strengthen its coordination role across the UN system, and prioritize scalable solutions to accelerate progress toward the 2030 Agenda. The UAE remains a committed partner to the UN Women and looks forward to constructive engagements with Board members throughout this session. And I thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegate of United Arab Emirates. I now give the floor to Australia.

Thank you, President. Gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls remain urgent global priorities. Australia is firmly committed to this agenda, recognizing the clear and well-established benefits. Advancing gender equality reduces poverty and conflict, strengthens social cohesion and well-being, unlocks economic growth, and enhances prosperity for current and future generations. In this context, we continue to see the enduring importance of UN Women's triple mandate— its normative role, its coordination across the UN system, and its programming work on the ground. Together, these functions are essential to driving systemic change and delivering tangible outcomes for women and girls everywhere. Australia continues to support efforts to advance meaningful reform through the UN80 Initiative. We support bold change that preserves what matters most and ensures the system is equipped for future challenges. At the same time, the proposed merger of UN Women and UNFPA must be assessed on its merits, based on clear evidence of its capacity to strengthen delivery and impact while fully preserving agreed mandates. We again seek assurance that those mandates will be safeguarded through any reform process and underscore the important role of the executive boards in reviewing merger proposals. While we are prepared to consider the merits of a merger, alternate reform options should also be fully examined. We welcome the joint work underway to develop options for member states' consideration, and encourage these to be shared at the earliest opportunity. As a long-standing partner of UN Women, we remain committed to reforms that protect its critical functions and mandates, preserve service delivery, and strengthen the UN system's capacity for delivering for women and girls. UN Women's work to build resilience to disasters, reduce discrimination, and support survivors of violence, including in our region, the Indo-Pacific, has made a meaningful difference, and we would like to see it continue. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Australia for her statement. I now give the floor to Noe. My updated list of speakers has Libya, Brazil, Cuba, and Mexico. Norway, you have the floor.

Thanks a lot, President, and dear colleagues. Norway wishes to thank UN Women for its tireless efforts to promote and to protect women's rights and gender equality. And Madam Executive Director Sima, thanks a lot for your briefing and for the annual report presented to us today, and to your entire leadership here and to all staff working 24/7 across the globe to protect women's rights. Allow me to highlight 3 quick points. First, women's rights and gender equality remains a top priority in Norway's foreign and development policy, both politically and of course financially. This is why we are maintaining a high level of core support to the UN Women. Second, we welcome the very robust results documented in the annual report. We would, however, encourage a stronger analysis on how outputs contribute to systemic change, including impacts on target groups. And given the continued, continued funding pressures, we are worried about how financial constraints potentially also can affect the UN Women's performance and the UN system-wide efforts towards gender equality. Could you share insights into the consequences of persistent gaps in capacity and financing for gender equality across the UN system, and what can be done to improve this situation? We'd welcome reflections on that. We welcome how the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women strengthens local women's organizations, as you emphasized in your briefing, Zima. Could you also then share more information about UN Women's work towards supporting local women's organizations? And are different mechanisms, including the UN Trust Fund and the Women, Peace and Humanitarian Fund, complementary at country level. Third and finally, when rights and democracy are weakened, the risk of conflict and crisis increases. And we know it is the poorest and the most vulnerable amongst us who suffer the most when the ideological tide is turning and funding is cut. Strengthening the UN as a key arena for developing and defending norms on gender equality is therefore a top priority for Norway. We want a UN that is fit for purpose and that delivers measurable impact for people on the ground. This is why Norway firmly supports the Secretary-General's UN reform initiative generally. When it comes to the suggested merger, we will come back to that in the afternoon, but just stress here, we need safeguards and we need to protect and preserve the distinct mandate of UN Women. Thanks a lot.

I thank the distinguished representative of Norway for his statement. I'll now give the floor to Libya. Libya have the floor.

Mr. President, distinguished members of the Executive Board, the State of Libya wishes to express its appreciation for the efforts undertaken by UN Women in the implementation of its mandate and to thank the Executive Secretary for the comprehensive reports presented during this session, particularly those related to the implementation of the strategic plan, as well as the functions of evaluation, internal audit, and ethics. Libya reaffirms its continued support for the work of the entity in advancing the rights and empowerment of women in a manner consistent with the priorities of member states and their national specificities. Libya has carefully reviewed the reports submitted on offsite functions and underscores the importance of strengthening transparency and accountability within the system, ensuring the independence of these essential functions and providing them with the necessary resources. Libya also commends the progress achieved in improving the quality of evaluations and stresses the need to draw upon their findings to guide policies and programs, thereby enhancing efficiency and effectiveness at the national level. With regard to efforts to support women and girls, Libya reaffirms its its firm commitment to ensuring their full rights and enhancing their participation across all sectors, in line with national priorities and the country's broader trajectory towards women's empowerment. In this context, Libya highlights the important role played by the Ministry of Women's Affairs in formulating policies and programs aimed at advancing the status of women and girls, strengthening their participation in public life, and ensuring equal access to services and opportunities. Libya emphasizes that investing in the capacities of women and girls constitutes constitutes a fundamental pillar for achieving sustainable development and promoting societal stability. Libya welcomes the progress made in the implementation of the United Nations Development System reform and underscores the importance of enhancing inter-agency coordination, improving operational efficiency, and developing joint working mechanisms that contribute to achieving tangible results at the national level. Libya stresses that these reforms must be grounded in respect for national priorities and development needs while taking into account the cultural and social specificities of member states. Regarding the ongoing discussions on structural reform initiatives, Libya underscores the importance of ensuring that such discussions are inclusive and transparent and that they are based on complete information and thorough analysis, including assessments of potential impacts on country programs, existing mandates, and technical capacities. Libya stresses the need to preserve the mandates of entities as established by UN bodies and to ensure the programs responding to national priorities remain unaffected. Libya reaffirms its commitment to constructive cooperation with the Executive Board and UN Women and to working collectively to advance the rights and empowerment of women in full respect for the cultural and social values of member states in a manner that contributes to sustainable development for all. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegate of Libya for his statement. I now give the floor to Brazil.

Mr. President, Madam Executive Director, distinguished Board Members and observers, Brazil values its close partnership with UN Women and remains firmly committed to strengthening our cooperation. Regarding the Annual Report for 2025, Brazil considers it a comprehensive and balanced assessment of the entity's work. The report demonstrates that UN Women successfully concluded an implementation cycle —of its strategic plan, achieving positive overall performance and delivering significant progress across its three pillars of work. Brazil welcomes the report reference to the country as an example of positive results in the areas of human rights and nondiscrimination. We are committed to institutionalizing intersectional approaches in gender equality policies, making them more responsive, to the specific needs of African descendant and indigenous women. We remain committed to strengthening public policies that promote equality, inclusion, and social justice. Although the annual report does not explicitly refer to South-South and triangular cooperation, several of the initiatives highlighted, such as the Tlatelolco Commitment, refer to valuable collaboration among developing countries. I take this opportunity to highlight some important initiatives undertaken in 2025 within the framework of Brazil's cooperation with UN Women. Under the program Pathways to Equality, the regional dimensions— the regional dimension was expanded with a focus on generating and disseminating knowledge to advance the economic empowerment of rural women in Latin America and the Caribbean. At the institutional level, important progress was made in mainstreaming gender into Brazil's international development cooperation. Another important development was the establishment of a partnership among the Brazilian— the Brazilian Agency for Cooperation, UN Women, and Brazil's Ministry of Development and Social Assistance to promote regional dialogue on care policies. We reaffirm the strategic importance of our partnership with UN Women in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, fostering the exchange of best practices and strengthening capacities among countries. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Brazil for her comments. I now give the floor to Cuba.

President, esteemed Sima Bahus, we recognize the indispensable work of UN Women and we support the calls to guarantee sufficient, flexible, and predictable funding to enable the entity to fully complete its mandate in the furtherance of gender equality and women's empowerment. For Cuba, the advancement of women is not a future aspiration or an abstract concept. It is a reality that we have built up over decades with political will and social justice, and the results are tangible. Cuban women actively participate in all areas of our national life. Women represent a considerable majority among professionals in the areas of health, education, science, and the legal sector. Women represent more than half of parliamentary constituencies, and they enjoy firm legal footing through the Constitution, the Family Code, and the Comprehensive Strategy for Preventing and Tackling Gender Violence, including domestic violence. Cuba was the first country to sign and the second country to ratify CEDAW. With this record in defense of the advancement of women, Cuba has decided to to present the candidacy of Dr. Yamila González Ferrer for reelection as an expert on CEDAW, and we would be grateful for the support of member states on the coming 26th of June. President, women and girls in Cuba are suffering today as they have never suffered before. They are suffering the devastating impacts of the United States economic, commercial, and financial blockade, the oil stranglehold, and secondary sanctions against those who have decided to trade with Cuba. More than 32,000 pregnant mothers— women today face greater risk due to the lack of medical supplies and also due to prolonged blackouts that prevent follow-up diagnostics. Cuban women today face a lack of transportation, a lack of electricity, gas, and water services due to fuel shortages. Cuban mothers live with the anguish of continuous power cuts. These are a hindrance to daily life and to the normal functioning of hospitals, neonatal wards, and intensive care units, and also surgical units where their children receive care. These are not mere statistics. The blockade exists, it causes harm, and on many occasions it kills. It amounts to the collective punishment of an entire people and its effects fall disproportionately upon women and girls. Despite these enormous challenges, Cuba will rise up again as it has done so many times. We will not give up on our commitment to gender equality, social justice, and the empowerment of women. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Cuba for her statement. I now give the floor to Mexico.

Muchas gracias. Thank you very much, President. Distinguished Executive Director, colleagues, members, observers. Allow me to begin by pointing out that Mexico recognizes UN Women as the central actor in the multilateral system for converting global commitments in the area of gender equality into concrete public policies, such as, for instance, those derived from the Commission on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, CEDAW, the Beijing Platform, and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. The report we are reviewing today is particularly important. It concludes the cycle for the UN Women Strategic Plan 2022-2025. It highlights important progress in a global context that is adverse, that includes multiple crises, setbacks, and growing opposition to gender equality. And we note with great concern that there is a— there's still a global structural lag. No country has achieved gender equality. Women only have 64% of the rights that men enjoy. And under the current trajectory, SDG 5 will not be achieved by 2030, and this was an indispensable condition for sustainable development. The gaps that we find to be particularly critical are found in the areas of labor participation, unpaid care work, political representation, and gender-based violence. And we recognize that despite this challenging context, UN Women has been able to achieve results on a global scale, including strengthening legal frameworks, adoptioning— adopting equality laws and policies, and enabling access to services and resources for more than 14 million women. Against this backdrop, Mexico emphasizes the need to speed up action to strengthen financing and avoid regulatory regression. As regards our At the national level, Mexico has its priorities aligned with the actions reported in the report, especially promoting comprehensive care systems. We have a national progressive care system which we continue to strengthen, and we think that this is the best vehicle to achieve substantive equality and for the full enjoyment of women's rights. Secondly, combating all forms of violence against women and girls, including digital violence, and promoting women's participation in decision-making. We hope that we will be laying the groundwork for strengthening UN Women, both in terms of its mandate and in terms of its actions on the ground. We hope that member states will unite around the priority of equipping UN Women with the resources that it needs in order to continue bringing services to millions of women and girls, and in contributing to the construction of a world where substantive equality is a reality for all people. Mexico. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegate of Mexico for her comments. We have had the last speaker on my list. I'll now invite the Secretariat for a few more remarks. May I now invite the Deputy Executive Director, Executive Director, Madam— okay, Deputy Executive Director, Chrissy Mahdi, for the remarks. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Mr. President, and I really would like to start by just thanking all the delegations for your, first of all, insightful comments, but most importantly, especially for your strong support for UN Women. It's been really heartwarming to listen to you this morning, how you have emphasized our mandate, the criticality of our triple mandate, how you have emphasized the challenging context that is there and the importance of the political commitment, how you have also noted the improvements that UN Women has made as an organization on how we are working, on our effectiveness, on our efficiency, and how you have highlighted the results that we have been able to achieve. At the same time, your strong call for predictable and flexible funding, core funding for the organization, has been really critical. So I really want to thank you on behalf of all of us for that very strong expression of support for our work until now and moving forward. There are a couple of specific questions and I would like to— I know we are running out of time soon, but I will try to respond concisely to some of the specific questions that have been raised and my colleague Narazai will then complement, and if you need further details afterwards, we'll be of course available. In the group statement that was presented by Luxembourg, there were questions, for example, on sustainability, how we are actually ensuring the sustainability moving from one strategic plan to the next one. And just very concretely tell you, 80% of the indicators of the strategic plan were adopted from the previous strategic plan. This helps us to really build on a multi-accumulative results across moving from one strategic plan cycle to another. Also, the— we've embedded sustainability at the core at the core of the Strategic Plan, both through our programming strategies that are all aimed at building national and local ownership, but also through our revamped partnerships approach, with focus on working with and through others and building capacity of our partners. In terms of enhanced focus, we have simplified the results framework, going from the from 7 strategic plan outcomes in the previous cycle to 3, and also introduced fewer indicators so that we can measure our aggregate impact more clearly. Improving how we are actually telling our results story. I hope you all have visited our transparency portal, and if you haven't, please do so immediately after this session. We are in the process— Exactly. We are very proud of the Transparency Portal, and actually we are improving it further. Currently, we are publishing results and financial data against a strategic plan and strategic notes of the country offices and regional offices. But we will also in the future, later this year, publish results and financial data against projects, against the strategic note direct funding modality, and joint programmes later this year. So this, we believe, will help us to tell an even more powerful results story, including the impact of flexible and core funding. There was also a question on what were the lessons learned from the previous cycle that informed the current Strategic Plan. The key lessons learned from our work is that most effective and sustainable results come from adaptive evidence-based programming, which is locally owned, institutionally embedded, inclusive, and supported by strong monitoring and diversified funding. These lessons from the implementation of the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan were really central to the design of the current Strategic Plan. In terms of— there was also a request or sort of comment on the importance of monitoring the impact of our work. We have introduced a quarterly business review a few years ago, which is a very, very powerful internal tool which we have used so far to track the organizational efficiency and effectiveness results. Now, we are under the leadership of Nara Zai, we are introducing a standardized periodic development results monitoring as well. So this strengthens our monitoring, and it also helps us with— through our new results management system, PRISM, to really bring a focus on strategic-level monitoring for multi-year, whole strategic plan, and strategic note results. And just the last word on our strategic note process, so which covers all country and regional offices and all headquarters divisions. We are very important— we are very consistent in calling that we are clear not only on what results we want to be delivered, but also how we are delivering those, including by leveraging partnerships and our UN coordination mandate. But it is also important, I think all of us to recognize that strengthening capacity of partners and of the UN system as a whole takes time. I think we see this as a gradual process. It takes time before we can really measure results at the impact level. So let me just stop there in the interest of time, but I really want to thank you for your very insightful questions. We are happy to provide more details. Our leadership The whole leadership team is here on the podium and available in the course of the day. But again, really sincere thanks for your support and commitment to our mandate. Over to Nelson.

I thank the DED, Madame Kissi Madi, and I'll give the floor to the ED. The Director of the— Sorry. I give the floor to the DED, Deputy Executive Director, Madam Nyaradzaye Gumbo-Zivanda, you have the floor.

Thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. President. Let me join my Executive Director in her report and the responses also provided by Deputy Executive Director Kesi Made in reflecting on a number of key points on the issues that you have raised. First is a deep appreciation of the work that is happening in your own countries, an appreciation of a reaffirmation of our current strategic plan 2026 to 2029 and its four priorities, which really echoed the ethos of the United Nations Charter to ensure that we balance the peace and security agenda, the human rights focus, and development, respecting the humanitarian context within which we are— in the crisis context within which we respond. You raised and shared with us a very clear direction around impact, country ownership, country leadership, and that for us is where we are so much rooted within our coordination mandate, and how our strategic plans for the country, strategic notes, really aligns with the cooperation frameworks that are at the country level. We will share more information on the agenda that is before the board when we discuss our contribution to the sustainable development system, so we'll provide more details on the issues and the questions that you have raised. And equally, later this afternoon, you also have a discussion around the UN 18. Within that is also the groundedness of our involvement as UN Women on the country and regional research as a core of the reflections that you have raised. You also shared with us, and very deeply, around the Women, Peace and Security. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the member states that at this moment we have 119 member states with national action plans on women, peace, and security. And that is member states— member states continue to lead in advancing the women, peace, and security, whether it's the focal points network or it's the Women, Peace, and Humanitarian Fund or the ELSI Initiative. It is the partners, the member states themselves who are leading this work and us— trusting us as UN Women to be your secretariat and to deliver together with other UN agencies. So with this peacebuilding work, we just wanted to reaffirm that. There were two other questions that I just want to do a quick reflection, conscious of time indeed. The lessons learnt. So one lesson— two lessons that we learnt is focus., and that focus is provided in the strategic plan that you adopted, which has only 3 systemic outcomes to ensure that we have a deep focus on the policies, laws, and norms which member states themselves develop, the focus on capacity and institutions— of institutions, and monitoring through data and resources, and the importance of communities and the rights holders. This, for us, is where the focus is within the context of the theme. Also, the clear commitment we have expressed throughout this discussion on young people, on young women and girls, we are deepening that work and we'll come back to you with the approaches that we are taking. The trust funds, which you also shared, which you contribute to, and which you co-lead, are a critical mechanism, especially at this moment of limited resources. That complements the support that you provide through assessed contributions and co-funding to make sure that we reach the communities and directly. I also want to appreciate the contribution, and especially from Finland, the echo on disability. The work on women, gender equality, and disability remains very important. I can attest to it in my own personal life, but really I just wanted to express our appreciation to it. We'll come back indeed within the course of the board's agenda to discuss more on coordination and how we are positioning our coordination work and our normative work as we prepare for CSW71, which should be focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals. So thank you so much, Mr. President, and I sit back your chair.

Thank you. I thank the Deputy Executive Director, Madam Nyara Dizayi, for her comments. I now give the floor to the ED, Madam Sima Bahaus. You have the floor.

Thank you. Thank you very much, our dear President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and colleagues. Let me begin by expressing my sincere thanks and appreciation also to all of you delegates, to all of you who are in this room, for your very strong support to UN Women and to the work that we are doing together with you. We have heard you very clearly and we are very happy to hear what you have said this morning. I know that UN Women team in this room and equally our colleagues who are working every day across the globe in countries and regions we serve. They take great pride in the results we have achieved together. They are truly deserving of the recognition and the appreciation that you have expressed here today, and I must say that I am profoundly grateful to all of them for their dedication and hard work. It remains always my privilege to lead UN Women at this critical moment. Looking ahead, our focus across the organization is clear. We will continue to deliver on the Strategic Plan that you have approved in September. It remains our North Star, and we firmly believe it is the vehicle through which we can accelerate progress on sustainable development as well as on peace and security. We will pursue this with our unwavering commitment and dedication. Our work will continue to be guided by you and also by national priorities. We will work in close partnership with you, with civil society, and with women and girls in their diversity to deliver on our shared objectives. I really very much appreciate your strong— call for more flexible and predictable funding. Let me reiterate, this is the surest way for us to achieve our common goals. I thank you for underscoring this point, many of you did, and I ask you once again to take this message back to your capitals. We will be issuing our regular resources report next month, in line with your requests. And we will continue to strengthen our communication on results and on the return on investment in gender equality and women's empowerment. Excellencies, I have also heard the many views shared on the UNAID reform process, including the assessment of a potential merger between UN Women and UNFPA, and I look forward to discussing this further with you this afternoon. In this context, we will be guided by two central principles. First and foremost, delivering for all women and girls through a strong UN gender equality and women empowerment architecture. And second, by the decisions you as member states take. Across the broader reform agenda, UN Women will continue to leverage its coordination mandate, working closely with the resident coordinator system to strengthen coherence and impact at country level in support of gender equality and women's empowerment. Allow me to thank you once more for your guidance, for your trust, and for your confidence. This relationship we have with you, our Board, is among our most cherished, a space of deep commitment to women's rights, to women's empowerment, of support in advancing UN Women's triple mandate and of support to deliver lasting impact for all women and girls, to deliver on the promise of gender equality for everyone, for every woman and girl everywhere. I thank you and I look forward to seeing you this afternoon. Thank you.

I thank the Executive Director for her remarks. Excellencies, dear colleagues, we have come to the end of the morning session for our annual session for 2026. Before suspending the morning segment, I'll give the floor to the Secretary for some quick reminders. Secretary, you have the floor. Is he still here?

I'm still here, Edy. So just very quickly, we will resume in Conference Room D at 1:15 PM. For the negotiations on the decisions, and we'll go until 2:45. And then a very quick also reminder that we will take a group photo with the leadership team and the Bureau right now when we close. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary. The plenary meeting is hereby adjourned. We will resume the plenary session 3 PM in this room. 3 PM. Thank you.

Hi, thank you so much.