UN Women and EESC Seal Global Pact to Advance Gender Equality at HLPF 2025

In a landmark move underscoring transatlantic solidarity for gender equality, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) signed a pivotal Joint Declaration on 23 July 2025 during the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The declaration reaffirms both institutions' unwavering commitment to advancing the rights, agency, and opportunities of women and girls worldwide.

The document was formally signed by UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous and EESC President Oliver Röpke, in what both leaders described as a historic and timely collaboration. The signing comes amid the confluence of major global milestones: the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and a decade into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Comprehensive Framework for Action

The Joint Declaration outlines a far-reaching vision for collective action on gender equality. Both UN Women and the EESC commit to intensified cooperation in the following priority areas:

• Mainstreaming gender in governance and policymaking: Ensuring all levels of policy incorporate gender perspectives and are inclusive in design and execution.

• Promoting women’s leadership and representation: Championing women’s participation in political, economic, and civic life, with a focus on parity and inclusive decision-making structures.

• Combating gender-based violence and social discrimination: Strengthening legislative and societal responses to violence against women and addressing harmful gender norms.

• Addressing unpaid care work and economic barriers: Highlighting the need for social protection systems, labor market reforms, and fiscal policies that acknowledge and redistribute unpaid domestic work.

• Ensuring access to education, digital tools, and economic empowerment: Advancing equal opportunities for women and girls, especially those affected by multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.

• Advancing the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda: Supporting women’s roles in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and post-conflict recovery processes.

A Shared Vision for Global Impact

“Our Joint Declaration is a pledge to a world where every woman and girl lives free from violence, fear, and inequality—fully able to lead and thrive,” said Sima Bahous. “As we mark Beijing+30 and look to the future, together with the EESC, we will turn this vision into reality for all women and girls, everywhere.”

Oliver Röpke echoed this sentiment, stressing the urgency of turning values into actionable outcomes:

“This Joint Declaration is not just a symbol of shared values. It is a call to action. The EESC and UN Women are sending a clear message that gender equality must be at the core of global policy and democratic resilience.”

The partnership is grounded in shared principles and builds upon existing frameworks such as the European Union’s Gender Equality Strategy and the Care Strategy, while aligning closely with UN Women’s global mandate to foster gender equality and eliminate discrimination.

Context and Global Significance

The timing of this joint statement is particularly significant. It reinforces global momentum around Beijing+30—a critical moment to evaluate progress since the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 and reinvigorate commitments to its unfulfilled promises. It also acts as a reminder of how deeply intertwined gender equality is with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5.

The move also comes against a backdrop of increasing gender pushback worldwide, as crises—from armed conflict to climate change—disproportionately affect women and girls. Both organizations emphasized that such challenges must not reverse hard-won progress. Instead, they stressed, collective resilience must be built by ensuring women’s rights are prioritized in policy and practice.

Call to Action for Governments and Civil Society

UN Women and the EESC urged governments, international institutions, civil society, and the private sector to join the cause, scale up their gender-focused commitments, and implement policies that create real change. The declaration encourages a multilevel approach, uniting grassroots activism with institutional reforms to ensure that “no woman or girl is left behind.”

With this agreement, UN Women and the EESC have laid the groundwork for intensified cooperation across continents—connecting Europe’s social and institutional infrastructure with global gender equality efforts to create more just, inclusive, and democratic societies.