Ambassador Elisabeth Millard
Senior Area Advisor for Europe and Eurasia
New York, New York
October 5, 2021
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Executive Director.
The United States welcomes the newly appointed Executive Director of UN Women, Ambassador Sima Bahous. We are confident that she will be a strong advocate for the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls in all their diversity.
UN Women performs a critical function at the center of advancing gender equality, including women’s leadership and political participation, women’s roles in peace and security, and women’s economic empowerment. President Biden has elevated these issues as priorities for his Administration.
Critical to these efforts is advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights while simultaneously ending gender-based violence and discrimination. We must also recognize and fully integrate the intersecting needs of LGBTQI+ persons. This is a significant undertaking and one that is necessary for the health and wellbeing of all.
We are eager for the new Executive Director to build on her predecessors’ efforts to proactively engage and generate enthusiasm within the communities UN Women serves. We look forward to working with you to inspire the change all women deserve.
Let me conclude with a question. How do you plan to tackle systemic discrimination and advance inclusive, integrated approaches through UN Women’s work?
Thank you, Executive Director Regner.
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