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STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. SUKHBOLD SUKHEE, AMBASSADOR PLENIPOTENTIARY AND EXTRAORDINARY, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MONGOLIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS ON AGENDA ITEM 28 - ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN

Thursday, 05 October 2017

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SEVENTY SECOND SESSION OF THE UNGA
THIRD COMMITTEE

5 October 2017

New York

STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. SUKHBOLD SUKHEE,

AMBASSADOR PLENIPOTENTIARY AND EXTRAORDINARY,

PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MONGOLIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS

/On Agenda Item 28 – Advancement of Women/

 

Mr. Chairman, 

It is my pleasure to deliver a speech on agenda item 28 as Mongolia traditionally has utmost respect and high regard for women and attaches a high priority to the advancement of women.

My delegation would like to thank the Secretary-General for the comprehensive and insightful reports submitted under this agenda item and appreciate the continued contribution of the UN-Women in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment worldwide.

My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the delegation of Ecuador on behalf of the Group 77. I would like to highlight few points in my national capacity.

Mr. Chairman, 

The effective implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly and the fulfilment of the obligations of States Parties under the CEDAW are vital for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, as well as the realization of their human rights.

Mr. Chairman, 

Women in their roles as mothers, wives, sisters and daughters do possess the potential to act as a catalyst for change and development within their own families, communities and countries. Their full and equal engagement and their empowerment are the prerequisites for inclusive and sustainable development. Reflecting this, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development not only has stand-alone gender equality Goal 5, but the other 16 goals also have key indicators related to women and girls. Likewise, the Mongolia Sustainable Development Vision 2030, adopted by the Parliament in February 2016, pledges to promote gender equality and empower women and girls in a comprehensive manner.

Mr. Chairman,

According to the 2016 Human Development Report, for its Gender Inequality Index value, Mongolia is ranked 53rd out of 159 countries in the 2015 index, which reflects the gender-based inequalities in three dimensions – reproductive health, empowerment, and economic activity. The same year, its Gender Development Index value places the country into Group 2, with medium-high equality in Human Development Index achievements between women and men. Also, within the past year, Mongolia undertook robust measures towards enhancing the legal framework to safeguard the rights and well-being of women.  

The Law to Combat Domestic Violence, which revises the 2004 Law, took in effect earlier this year. By criminalizing domestic violence for the first time in the country’s history, this law presents a momentous step for Mongolian women, who, despite our country’s relatively high gender equity measurements, experience high levels of domestic violence. To further consolidate the above law, five other laws, including the Criminal Code and the Law on Victim and Witness Protection, were also amended.

In April 2017, the Cabinet has approved the National Program on Gender Equality for the period 2017-2021 in order to further support the implementation of the 2011 Law on Promotion of Gender Equality, which emphasizes women’s equal participation in all sectors and promotes the increased ratio of women in political decision-making level. Mongolian women are underrepresented in decision-making positions, as the current ratio of 17.1% of female parliamentarians stands still below both the world and Asia-Pacific averages.

The 2015 Law on Childcare Services aims to further support employment opportunities for women, who make up 46% of the workforce, by addressing the lack of kindergarten facilities in Mongolia through the establishment of childcare service centers.

Notwithstanding the progress registered thus far, the main challenges for Mongolia remain in full and effective implementation of the existing respective legislations, policies and strategies to give further impetus to gender mainstreaming and pursuing gender-responsive and gender-sensitive planning and budgeting in all sectors and at all levels. Given the crosscutting nature of the issues related to advancement of women, enabling multi-sectorial coordination mechanisms and inter-agency partnership will be crucial for further progress.

Mr. Chairman, 

As the main sponsor of the bi-annual UNGA resolution on "Improvement of the situation of women and girls in rural areas", my delegation will submit its draft in the coming days and is looking forward the valuable support of all member States. It is our firm belief that rural women are critical agents in poverty reduction and that they crucial to the achievement of food security and nutrition in poor and vulnerable households and to environmental sustainability, and that, in other ways, they are also critical to the achievement of SDGs.

I thank you.