In progress at UNHQ

Press Conference


Ahead of International Women’s Day, commemorated annually on 8 March, the United Nations top adviser on gender issues said today that the occasion provided an opportunity to celebrate women’s advancement since the adoption of the landmark 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, and emphasize the need for continued vigilance to help all countries promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Women office-holders were making steady progress in the political arena, but not nearly enough, said Anders B. Johnsson, Secretary-General, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), at the launch of a poster-sized map entitled “The World Map of Women in Politics 2010”, issued by the IPU today alongside findings from a recent survey on progress and setbacks of women in parliament.
Catherine Bragg, Assistant Secretary-General and United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, today again reiterated that the United Nations system stands ready to support in every way possible the Chilean Government’s efforts to recover from the devastation of the earthquake the country suffered four days ago.
Calling the Decade of Action for Road Safety scheduled to be proclaimed today by the General Assembly “long overdue”, a representative of the World Health Organization pledged concerted action to halt the increasing trend of road-traffic deaths seen over the last few decades and ensure that between 2011 and 2020, the trend would be reversed.
Addressing journalists at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon, Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS discuss a plan launched today strongly focused on women and aimed at addressing gender inequalities that hamper the fight against AIDS, a disease rife with complexity ‑‑ including its links to sexual and reproductive rights issues, maternal health concerns, education and women’s economic empowerment.
The Security Council will have an open debate on the impact of illicit arms trafficking on peace and security in the Central African region on 19 March, Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet of Gabon, this month’s Council President, said today at Headquarters.