High-level meeting on the implementation of General Recommendation No. 40 and the follow-up to the political declaration adopted in New York

Wednesday, April 29, 3:00 p.m. to 4:10 p.m.
In-person, Palais des Nations, Room V

Objective of the session: 

The objective of this high-level meeting is to: 

• Present in Geneva the political commitments regarding the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems, reaffirmed in March 2026 in New York,
• Strengthen the global partnership involving the United Nations, States, and institutional partners around the implementation of General Recommendation No. 40 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW),
• Promote an operational framework for the implementation and activation, through international aid, of concrete measures to implement General Recommendation No. 40 in national and multilateral forums, 
• Reaffirm and ensure the centrality of women’s rights and gender equality in national and multilateral forums, in discussions on the future of the multilateral system, and as a key focus of the Global Alliance for Human Rights initiative.

Background:

Adopted on October 25, 2024, by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), General Recommendation No. 40 (GR40) establishes an ambitious legal and policy framework for the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems. It reaffirms that the full, equal, and effective participation of women in all their diversity is a fundamental right, not merely a political aspiration. In particular, it enshrines the principle of 50/50 gender parity as a universal standard and a principle of good governance. 

In a context marked by rising inequalities, challenges to women’s rights, the fragility of multilateralism, and the proliferation of crises, RG40 takes on particular importance. It emphasizes that the response to contemporary challenges must closely involve women to ensure the legitimacy, quality, and sustainability of the decisions made. It reaffirms the centrality of Article 8 of the CEDAW Convention, which calls on States to take measures to ensure that women, on an equal footing with men and without any discrimination, have the opportunity to represent their governments at the international level. The UN80 initiative launched by the United Nations Secretary-General represents a unique opportunity to place gender equality at the center of the multilateral system, for inclusive, peaceful, and developed societies.

During the 70thsession of the Commission on the Status of Women, the joint statement presented by France on the theme of women’s participation in decision-making systems—building on the joint statement on the implementation of General Recommendation 40 adopted at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council—served to reaffirm a collective commitment to women’s rights. The purpose of this high-level meeting is to extend this momentum from New York to Geneva, with a view to ensuring policy continuity and operationalization. It aims to bring together supporting States, institutional partners, and civil society organizations to maintain political momentum and identify concrete levers for the implementation of Resolution 40.

This meeting will also provide an opportunity to reiterate that women’s rights cannot be treated as a sectoral issue. On the contrary, they are central to the credibility of the international system, which is founded on rights and universal values, and which promotes a more just, inclusive, and representative international order.

Program: 

Moderated by Caitlin Kraft-Buchman, Founder of Women at the Table

Welcome and opening remarks: 

Ms. Aurore Bergé, Minister Delegate for Gender Equality and the Fight Against Discrimination 

Panel:

Ms. Nahla Haidar, Chair of the CEDAW Committee 

Ms. Nada Al-Nashif, Deputy United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union

Ms. Adrian Quinones, Director of the Geneva Office of UN Women 

Mr. Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Key discussion points:

– Maintaining political momentum around General Recommendation No. 40;

– Promoting its effective implementation in public policies and in multilateral forums and organizations;

– Encouraging equal and inclusive representation of women in diplomatic appointments, delegations, and international forums;

– Ensuring that women’s rights are permanently at the heart of discussions on the future of the multilateral system, including within the framework of the UN80 initiative;

– Identify avenues for concerted action in response to challenges to gender equality and resistance to women’s participation in decision-making systems

Statements by States – Questions and Answers

Closing remarks:

Ms. Nicole Ameline, Expert on the Human Rights Council’s Advisory Committee