Joint statement delivered by Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations Samuel Žbogar, also on behalf of Mexico, Spain and additional 69 Member States, at the informal meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly

Dear Co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of Mexico, Spain and my own country, Slovenia, as well as on behalf of 69 Member States. The full list will be shared with the Co-Chairs and will be available online.

Albania, Andorra, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Kingdom of the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uruguay.

Let me start by thanking you for convening this informal meeting and for preparing the Elements Paper for this years’ Draft resolution on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly.

In our remarks we will focus on two of the Elements you presented, which together address the critical issue of women’s underrepresentation in the highest leadership positions at the United Nations, namely the positions of Secretary-General and President of the General Assembly.

It is high time for our Organization to lead by example. We must all demonstrate our shared commitment to gender equality by ensuring the full, equal and meaningful participation of women at the highest levels of decision-making. Prioritizing gender parity in the nomination and selection of the Organization’s highest ranking representatives is a key step in this regard.

We therefore call for the inclusion of strong and concrete language on gender parity to be included in this years’ resolution. The Elements paper provides a good basis for our discussion.

First, on the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General:

The Elements paper rightly points out the fact that no woman has ever held the post of the UN Secretary-General. And it also rightly recognizes the growing global expectations for this to change.

We would, however, like to also see a clear commitment to the principle of gender balance throughout the selection process, including strong language explicitly requesting the nomination of women as candidates for the position of UN Secretary-General.

Second, on the President of the General Assembly:

We support the Elements paper in recognizing and welcoming the prospect of appointment of the fifth woman as the President of the General Assembly. However, the fact that among 80 Presidents only 5 of them have been women highlights a significant imbalance and calls for a serious reflection and a concrete commitment to achieve gender parity. The language in this section could be strengthened by including a clear pledge for the nomination of women candidates, an agreement to enable rotation between men and women at the Presidency of the General Assembly or any other formula that will facilitate equal representation of women and men in this role.

Co-Chairs,

These two leadership positions provide important guidance for the work of the Organization but at the same time also hold a strong symbolic value both within the system as well as for the global public. Therefore, they should reflect the diversity, potential and wisdom of all the peoples it serves, not only half.

We call on Member States to facilitate the selection of the first Madame Secretary General and achievement of gender parity in the position of President of the General Assembly. Strong and clear language in the Resolution and nominating women candidates are crucial steps on this path.

I thank you.

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