Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider travels to New York for the UN Commission on the Status of Women

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is the key global policy framework on gender equality. It was adopted in 1995 by 189 governments including Switzerland, at the fourth UN World Conference on Women. Thirty years later, the CSW, the United Nations’ main body for the promotion of women's rights and gender equality, is marking this groundbreaking commitment.

This 69th session of the CSW will therefore focus on accelerating the measures that states are taking to promote equality under the Beijing Declaration. The aim is to assess the progress made and the current challenges.

During the general discussion, Ms Baume-Schneider will give a speech that reaffirms Switzerland's commitment to promoting the rights of all women and emphasises the need to join forces to achieve and advance the goals set 30 years ago. She will also participate in a ministerial round table as well as different side events, and visit a shelter in New York for victims of violence. Ms Baume-Schneider will attend bilateral meetings with her counterparts from other countries as well as with high-ranking UN representatives, including Secretary-General António Guterres. She will also speak with representatives of Swiss civil society in New York.

In the current polarised international context, Switzerland intends more than ever to express its commitment– at both national and international level –  notably by supportingwomen's economic autonomy, through a better work-life balance and more equitable sharing of unpaid work. The country will also emphasise its support for women's participation in decision-making and peace processes, while combating all forms of gender-based violence, such as sexist or sexual violence, violence related to armed conflict and online violence. Finally, Switzerland will continue to promote the agenda of UN Security Council Resolution 1325: Women, Peace and Security.

Further information:

Review

Address for enquiries:

Sina Liechti, FOGE Head of Communications,
+41 58 467 42 04, media@ebg.admin.ch

Publisher:

Federal Department of Home Affairs
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs