Summary Report: The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action turns 20

The present report is a synthesis of the Secretary-General's report (E/CN.6/2015/3) on the 20-year review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly. The report provides a review of national-level implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, including current challenges that affect the implementation of the Platform for Action and the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women, as well as opportunities for strengthening gender equality and the empowerment of women in the post-2015 development agenda through the integration of a gender perspective, as mandated in the Economic and Social Council resolution 2013/18.

The first section of the report provides an overview of 20 years of implementation of the Platform for Action. The following sections highlight the trends and priorities in the implementation of the 12 critical areas of concern, concluding with an overview of remaining challenges and actions needed to accelerate implementation. The synthesis report concludes with an analysis of the lessons learned and priorities for accelerating the implementation of the Platform for Action and the realization of gender equality, the empowerment of women and the human rights of women and girls in the post-2015 context.