Media Advisory: Women's inclusion critical to future global agenda

At the UN General Assembly, UN Women will call for women’s equal participation and leadership, equal economic opportunity and freedom from violence

Date:

Media Contacts: 

Oisika Chakrabarti, +1 646 781-4522; oisika.chakrabarti[at]unwomen.org
Sharon Grobeisen, +1 646 781-4753; sharon.grobeisen[at]unwomen.org
Hadrien Bonnaud, +1 646 781-4751; hadrien.bonnaud[at]unwomen.org

As global leaders meet at the UN General Assembly in New York, UN Women, the organization which leads the UN’s efforts towards women’s empowerment and gender equality, will call for inclusion of and investment in women’s rights and gender equality in order to bring transformative change to women’s lives and enable real progress in the context of a future global agenda.  At the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly, the focus of the discussions will be on accelerating achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, developing an inclusive, universal post-2015 development agenda, and promoting sustainable development and outcomes of the Rio+20 Conference.  Building on these dialogues and through a series of high-profile events, UN Women will ensure women’s concerns and voices are in the foreground and advocate for women’s leadership, access to opportunities and freedom from violence to be central to all discussions on the future development agenda.
UN Women events are open to accredited UN media. 

For more information on UN press accreditation:  https://www.un.org/media/accreditation

UN WOMEN EVENTS DURING THE 68th SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY INCLUDE:

19 September
UN Global Compact Leaders’ Summit Event: Empowering Women to Lead the Way to a Low-Emission and High-Resilient Future 
This event hosted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN Global Compact, UN Women, and The Rockefeller Foundation and organized in conjunction with the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2013, will bring together influential women CEOs with the goal of promoting the role of the private sector in addressing climate change, enhancing women's leadership in the green economy and unlocking the potential of women in accelerating climate action. Lakshmi Puri, UN Women Deputy Executive Director will speak at the event.
Time: 9:00 – 10:30 a.m; Venue: Grand Hyatt New York

UN Global Compact Leaders’ Summit Event: Women's Empowerment and the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Achieving Equality in the Workplace, Marketplace and Community 
Hosted by the UN Global Compact, UN Women, International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the International Trade Centre (ITC), the event is organized in conjunction with the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2013 and will focus on women’s empowerment as a key driver of sustainable development.  The Women’s Empowerment Principles, a joint initiative of UN Women and the UN Global Compact, will provide a starting point for the discussion. John Hendra, UN Women Deputy Executive Director will speak at the event.
Time: 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.; Venue: Grand Hyatt New York

23 September
Launch of UN Women’s Economic Empowerment Knowledge Gateway: 
UN Women in partnership with the Government of Canada will launch the Global Knowledge Gateway for Women’s Economic Empowerment (http://www.empowerwomen.org), an online ‘one-stop service’ for resources, advocacy, innovation, partnerships and collaboration around women’s economic empowerment.  This open online platform seeks to re-vitalize women’s economic empowerment by building connections, and bringing together people who need resources with those that have them.  Participants will include leaders from government and private sector, including Lynne Yelich, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs and Consular of Canada, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Executive Director, Geena Davis, Academy Award Winner, Frank McCosker, Managing Director, Microsoft, Danielle Saint-Lot, Ambassador-at- Large and Special Representative for investments for Women's Empowerment of Haiti, and Dina Bina, Founder of Dina Flowers Company Ltd, Tanzania. Moderation: Pat Kiernan, NY1.
Event will be webcast live. Time:  11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Venue: Conference Room 6, NLB, UNHQ  Event is open to the press, but advance RSVPs are mandatory. See invitation.

25 September
Freedom from Violence for Every Woman and Girl A Priority for the Post-2015 Agenda:
Organized by the Permanent Missions of Finland and Liberia, and UN Women, the event will focus on freedom from violence and how critical it is to the realization of human rights and the achievement of sustainable development now and beyond 2015. Speakers will include amongst others Erkki Tuomioja, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Finland, Julia Duncan Cassell, Minister of Gender and Development, Liberia, Heidi Hautala, Minister for International Development, Finland, and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Executive Director.
Time: 1:15 – 2: 45 p.m.; Venue: West Terrace Dining Room, Conference Building
Participation is by invitation only. 

26 September
PBC high-level ministerial event on ‘Women’s Economic Empowerment for Peacebuilding’:
The UN Peacebuilding Commission, under the chairmanship of the Republic of Croatia, will hold a high-level ministerial event on Women’s Economic Empowerment for Peacebuilding to highlight  the importance of women’s economic security  during post-conflict and peacebuilding situations. Bringing together ministers of foreign affairs, civil society and UN entities, the event is supported by UN Women and the UN Peacebuilding Support Office. Members of the UN Peacebuilding Commission will adopt a declaration underlining how the economic empowerment of women greatly contributes to the effectiveness of post-conflict economic recovery, and reaffirming the commitment to promote and prioritize women’s economic rights and access to employment and productive assets in post-conflict environments. The meeting will be chaired by Ms. Vesna Pusić, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs. Speakers include Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director, UN Women; Judy Cheng-Hopkins, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support; and Ruth Ojiambo Ochieng, Executive Director of Isis-Women’s International Cross Cultural Exchange.  Event will be webcast live. 
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; Venue: UN Headquarters, Conference Building, Conference Room 1
Event is open to the press, but advance RSVPs are mandatory.

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo- Ngcuka also participates at these events during the UN General Assembly:

  • United Nations Private Sector Forum 2013: Africa, hosted by the UN Secretary General, 20 September.
  • Social Good Summit, hosted by Mashable and partners, 22nd September. Live webcast available.
  • Equal Futures Partnership Event, hosted by US Department of State, Office of Global Women’s Issues, 23 September.
  • Clinton Global Initiative, Girls and Women Strategy Event, UN Women Executive Director will give the keynote speech, 23 September.
  • MDG Countdown for Women and Girls, High-level event hosted by USAID and the UK Department of International Development (DFID), UN Women Executive Director will deliver remarks, 24 September.
  • Inclusive transition: the role of women in political transition in the MENA region, organized by the Kingdoms of Netherlands and Morocco, 24 September.
  • Annual Global Business Coalition for Education Breakfast, 25 September.
  • Business Council for the United Nations – Members Luncheon, organized by UN Foundation, 26 September.
  • High-Level Ministerial Working Meeting on FGM Resolution and Implementation, organized by Permanent Missions of Italy and Burkina Faso, 27 September.
Please note:
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