Beijing+30 Regional Review meeting for UNECE member countries took place in Geneva, co-chaired by Kazakhstan and Spain, El.kz cites MFA.
This meeting marked a significant milestone as the international community prepares to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), and contributed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, assessing progress in gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
The meeting was attended by ministers, vice ministers and other high-level delegates from the 56 member states of UNECE, as well as heads of international organizations, including Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary of UNECE, and Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Chair of the International Gender Champions Global Board.
Delivering a statement at the General segment, Kazakhstan’s Permanent Representative Yerlan Alimbayev outlined the significant steps Kazakhstan has taken in advancing gender equality as part of its comprehensive political and democratic reforms. These include a 60% reduction in the gender inequality index; introduction of a 30% quota in Parliament for women and youth, including women with disabilities; and increased female leadership in state governance. The Kazakh diplomat reflected on the progress in such areas as women entrepreneurship and innovation, and closing the gender gap in technology.
Ambassador Alimbayev also highlighted Kazakhstan’s efforts to combat gender-based violence: the country has adopted laws criminalizing domestic violence and played a leading role in the unanimous adoption by the UN Human Rights Council in October 2024 of a resolution to eradicate domestic violence. As a dedicated partner in the UN-EU “Spotlight” initiative, Kazakhstan also launched the Central Asian Alliance to End Gender-Based Violence, benefiting thousands of women and girls across the region.
Lyazzat Kaltayeva, Advisor to the Speaker of the Senate of the Parliament and Chair of the Inclusion Council under the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, in her role as a co-chair, in her statement at the thematic session on ending violence against women and girls, highlighted Kazakhstan’s commitment to tackling this issue both nationally and globally.
As part of the regional review process, Kazakhstan has submitted its national implementation report on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The outcomes of the review in the UNECE region will be presented at the global review in March 2025 in New York.