Madam Chairperson,

The delegation of Ukraine welcomes to the Permanent Council meeting the UN Women Deputy Executive Director Ms. Åsa Regnér and thanks her for the comprehensive presentation.

Ukraine enjoys fruitful cooperation with the UN Women focusing on increasing women's leadership and participation, addressing violence against women, engaging women in all aspects of peace and security processes and humanitarian action, as well as making gender equality central to national and local development planning and budgeting in Ukraine.

In the context of ongoing external military aggression against Ukraine, we especially appreciate our close cooperation with the UN on addressing the multifaceted negative consequences of the international armed conflict on women and girls, including assistance to the internally displaced women representing 60% of the IDPs in Ukraine. 

 Following the successful completion of the National Action Plan (NAP) for the Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security for the period up to 2020, the second NAP for 2021-2025 remains among state policy priorities, helping to address the impact on women of the ongoing international armed conflict, and ensuring gender equality in security and defence sector. I wish to note that during the development of the NAP extensive consultations were held with the civil society and the UN Women in Ukraine.

In 2020, Ukraine joined the Group of Friends of the UN Member States on implementing the agenda "Women, Peace, Security", and as Chair of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation my country made its contribution in promoting the UN SC Resolution 1325 implementation, placing this important cross-cutting issue high on the agenda.

Ms. Regnér, 

My country views the importance of ensuring equal rights of women and men as one of the central elements for fostering peace, sustainable democracy and economic development.

Ukraine has integrated gender equality into many sectors of state policies and national legislation. The Government of Ukraine takes consistent measures, in line with Ukraine’s international obligations and OSCE commitments, to ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men, to guarantee balanced participation of women and men in the political processes and public decision-making, as well as to prevent and combat violence against women, domestic violence and gender-based discrimination.

In addition to the Law of Ukraine on Ensuring Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men of 2005, the State Social Program on Equal Rights of Women and Men has been underway since 2018. A position of the Government Commissioner on Gender Equality Policy was established in 2017.

In 2020, the Government approved the Concept of Communication in the Field of Gender Equality. The purpose of the Concept is to improve the understanding in society of the essence and tasks of the state gender policy, its perception as an integral part of a democratic and legal state.

My country ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and signed the Council of Europe’s Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention). There is a number of ongoing activities, including in close cooperation with the international organizations, aiming to bring Ukraine closer to ratification of the Istanbul Convention.

In conclusion, let me reiterate Ukraine’s support to the UN Women and its activities, as well as our interest to foster co-operation and wish Ms. Åsa Regnér every success in her important endeavours. 

Thank you, Madam Chairperson.