Ministry Statements & Speeches:
New Zealand was pleased to co-sponsor this resolution on Improvement of the situation of women and girls in rural areas. This is an important issue for New Zealand, and we would like to thank Mongolia for their leadership on this resolution.
As a Pacific Island country, it was important to New Zealand that this resolution acknowledged remote areas and islands. We were pleased to see this inclusive language included in the final text, as it recognises the diverse needs and interests of women and girls living in rural or remote areas and on islands. Understanding and acknowledging these needs and interests is a vital step towards meaningfully addressing the barriers to empowerment.
There are significant disparities in access to available, acceptable and quality sexual and reproductive health services, particularly for women and girls living in rural and remote areas and on islands. While New Zealand welcomes the retention of language on sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights in this text, our preference would have been strengthened language that acknowledges sexual and reproductive health and rights. We are disappointed that agreement could not be reached on this issue.
Human rights violations including sexual violence and gender-based violence remain higher for those experiencing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. We were pleased to see such an important reference included in this resolution as well as calls to address all forms of discrimination.
We also support language on gender-responsive budgeting, as an important means to advancing gender equality, and the strong language promoting the rights of indigenous women and girls in rural areas and their critical role in achieving sustainable development.
Thank you.