UAE pledges $15m to UN Women to advance gender equality

The UAE has strengthened its commitment to support gender equality, the Women, Peace and Security agenda, and the empowerment of women and girls by committing an additional $15m to UN Women over the next three years (2023-2025) through a pledge made on June 15 in New York.

Noura Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of State, announced the contribution in a meeting with Sima Bahous, executive director of UN Women, reported the state news agency, WAM.

At the meeting – attended by Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN; Amierah AlHefeiti, Deputy Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN; and Abdulla Al Harthi, Advisor to the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs – Minister Al Kaabi stated that that the UAE’s partnership with UN Women is key to not only advancing gender equality, but also other mutually shared priorities.

According to the WAM report, Al Kaabi said: “We firmly believe that the full, equal and meaningful participation and inclusion of women across society is essential for achieving sustainable development and lasting peace,” stated Minister Al Kaabi. “This partnership will not only contribute to the Women, Peace and Security agenda – it will also advance the role of women and girls in climate action in the lead-up to and throughout COP28 in the UAE, as well as foster tolerance and peaceful co-existence, especially in light of yesterday’s historic resolution.”

The funding announcement follows the adoption of a landmark UN Security Council resolution, presented by the UAE and the UK on ‘Tolerance, Peace and Security’. The resolution, adopted on June 14 during the country’s Security Council presidency in June, recognised that gender discrimination can contribute to conflict and violence, including sexual and gender-based violence.

It also underscored that the full, equal and meaningful participation of women, gender equality and women’s economic empowerment are key in enabling tolerance and peaceful coexistence and curbing extremism.

UAE shows its support for UN Women

Executive director Sima Bahous said: “Over the years, the strong collaboration between the UAE and UN Women has resulted in a number of achievements, including the establishment of the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak WPS Training Initiative and the UN Women GCC Liaison Office in Abu Dhabi.”

Ambassador Nusseibeh also said. “We are joining forces with UN Women across platforms, as co-chairs of the Informal Expert Group on Women Peace and Security, as well as a member of the UN Women Executive Board,” she stated.

Ambassador Nusseibeh stressed the country’s willingness to collaborate further with UN Women on advancing climate action and technologies, particularly as the incoming host of COP28, according to the WAM report.

The UAE is currently serving on the UN Women Executive Board from 2023 to 2025. It previously served as member of the board from 2013-2019 and as its president in 2017.

To date, the UAE has provided more than $46m in voluntary contributions and is one of the top fund contributors of the organisation globally and in the region.