On February 9, First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Emine Dzhaparova delivered a welcoming speech at a thematic event on climate change and women’s rights, initiated by the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN. Diplomatic missions of Maldives, Qatar, Botswana and Honduras to the UN co-hosted the event.

The First Deputy Minister stated that the event, initiated by Ukraine, yet again proves the readiness and firmness of Ukraine’s policy on countering climate change and its negative impact on women’s rights. Ukraine demonstrates readiness to not only take active part in elaborating on the prioritized items of the UN agenda, but also to simultaneously build a network of like-minded people.

“Ukraine fully recognizes the fact that the implications of climate change have an impact on the gender factor and are a common challenge for all countries. Neither Ukraine, nor any other state can stand aside and observe that”, Emine Dzhaparova noted. She emphasized that raising awareness of the interdependence of the current state of the environment and gender issues will strengthen the understanding that climate change increases the risk of new conflicts and worsens the ecological implications of the existing ones.

Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya, Government Commissioner for Gender Policy Kateryna Levchenko, and activist, Member of the Kyiv City Council Evgeniya Kuleba also addressed the participants of the meeting.

Ukraine is an active contributor of the gender equality subject. As a Member of the UN Security Council in 2000-2001, Ukraine made efforts to adopt the UN Security Council Resolution №1325, which laid the foundation for the UN Women, Peace, Security agenda. Right now, the Ukrainian side is implementing the Second National action plan on this Resolution, scheduled for 5 years.

MFA of Ukraine takes the lead in ensuring equal opportunities of women and men among the Ukrainian state institutions. In 2018 the Ukrainian MFA joined the HeForShe movement and conducted a gender audit. As a result, we have launched the gender-oriented approach in recruiting and promoting the diplomatic personnel and in fostering awareness to the matter of gender equality.