UNCTAD leadership reaffirms commitment to gender equality by becoming a Geneva Gender Champion

UNCTAD has reaffirmed its commitment to the empowerment of women by joining the Geneva Gender Champions network, a new initiative that aims to promote gender equality through strong leadership, public advocacy, talent development and accountability.

UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi used the occasion of a panel discussion on the role of women as a catalyst for trade and development at the sixty-second session of the Trade and Development Board at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, to make four concrete pledges on gender equality and women's economic empowerment.

Dr. Kituyi commited to support the Geneva Gender Panel Parity Pledge by making efforts to have at least one woman in all panels, roundtables or sessions that UNCTAD organizes in Geneva and during UNCTAD XIV.

In addition he committed to:

1. mainstream gender in all of UNCTAD's flagship publications;


2. review, with the help of the network of gender focal points of UNCTAD, all UNCTAD's technical assistance programmes and mainstream gender in them;


3. foster gender equality in UNCTAD's recruitment and promotions - when equal qualification, we recruit the individual of the unrepresented gender.

Dr. Kituyi said: "We look forward to raising the profile of gender-related issues both a means and end of development [at UNCTADXIV in 2016]. But even before holding the ministerial conference, I am pleased to share with you the small steps we are ourselves taking here in Geneva."

Since its inception in July 2015, the Geneva Gender Champions initiative has attracted pledges from more than 30 heads of international organizations and Permanent Missions in Geneva, conferring on them the status of Geneva Gender Champion.

The initiative is sponsored by Ambassador Pamela Hamamoto, the Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), and by UNOG Director-General Michael Møller.