UNGA80: Leaders Renew Commitment to Gender Equality at Beijing+30 Meeting

The year 2025 marks a landmark for women’s rights and gender equality worldwide: 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 15 years since the creation of UN Women, and 80 years since the founding of the United Nations. Yet these milestones arrive at a moment of profound global challenge, as backlash against women’s rights intensifies, threatening decades of progress.

Against this backdrop, world leaders gathered in New York for the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women. The event, held during the opening of UNGA80 High-Level Week, was both a celebration of the Beijing Declaration and a call to action to safeguard women and girls’ rights as a unifying global cause.

Beijing+30: Renewing the Vision

Adopted in 1995, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action remains the most comprehensive global blueprint for achieving gender equality. Thirty years later, leaders reaffirmed its relevance while warning of the dangers posed by rising authoritarianism, shrinking civic space, and rollbacks in reproductive and human rights.

At the meeting, 109 national governments pledged 212 national actions under the Beijing+30 Action Agenda, described as the strongest multilateral stand for women and girls in three decades. These commitments range from legal reforms and expanded protections against violence, to investments in education, healthcare, and women’s leadership.

Calls for Courage and Action

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous emphasized that bold commitments must translate into concrete action:

“Your words today must be matched by courage tomorrow: in the policies you pass, the budgets you allocate, and the change you drive together with and for women. These actions form a map of the possible, and we know what that possible can deliver when we come together. Because gender equality remains a unifying force for the world.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated the urgency of political will:

“Equal rights and opportunities for women and girls are not partisan issues. They are global imperatives – and the foundation of peace, prosperity and progress. The United Nations stands with them, and all leaders should do the same, by speaking out and doing everything possible to realize the vision of the Beijing Declaration.”

High-Level Representation

The gathering attracted 155 speakers, including 15 Heads of State and 10 Heads of Government, with 8 female leaders representing Suriname, Switzerland, Namibia, Peru, Slovenia, the Marshall Islands, North Macedonia, and Barbados. Additionally, 77 Ministers participated, underscoring the breadth of political engagement.

Notable voices included:

• President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia, who underscored the role of African women in shaping Beijing+30 priorities.

• Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, both of whom highlighted the moral imperative of investing in women’s rights.

A Historic First for the General Assembly

The event was also the first major initiative of the new President of the General Assembly, H.E. Annalena Baerbock, only the fifth woman in 80 years to hold the role. She reflected on the unfinished journey:

“We stand on the shoulders of giants, of women who paved the way forward for us. Today we celebrate the courageous women who fought for every single phrase in the Beijing Declaration. The fight paid off, but 30 years later the revolution remains unfinished.”

Her leadership is expected to bring renewed visibility to gender equality within broader UN reform and multilateral initiatives.

Strengthening Multilateral Mechanisms

The meeting coincided with another significant development: the adoption by consensus of a resolution to revitalize the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). As the primary global intergovernmental body dedicated to gender equality, the revitalization of CSW is seen as a crucial legacy of Beijing+30, ensuring that global commitments translate into practical outcomes.

Looking Ahead

While the Beijing+30 meeting highlighted unprecedented multilateral solidarity, speakers repeatedly warned that the stakes are higher than ever. From the erosion of reproductive rights in some countries to the rising incidence of gender-based violence in conflict zones, the event underscored the urgent need to defend and expand women’s rights.

The commitments made in New York will serve as a roadmap for the next generation of gender equality efforts, but their success depends on accountability, financing, and political will.

As Bahous summarized: “The revolution is unfinished—but with courage and unity, we can complete it.”