Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,
H.E Ms. Annalena Baerbock
at the Closing of the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women?
Monday, 22 September 2025
[As Delivered]
Heads of State and Government,
Ministers,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Distinguished participants,
Feminist leaders.
This was a special day.
Today we celebrated the undeniable progress we have made over the past three decades, which I heard from so many of you today: from stronger legal protections against violence and discrimination, to rising political representation of women, to increased access to education for girls around the world.
Yet, as we¡¯ve heard again and again today as well, the path forward is under threat.
We are seeing policy backsliding and growing resistance to women¡¯s rights, reduced space for civil society, and protracted conflicts that pose disproportionate threats to women and girls.
These challenges demand our urgent and united recommitment to women¡¯s rights, resources, and representation.
To the world leaders in this room, and out there in the halls and other corridors, we need you to stand up for women¡¯s rights as you did today.
We need you to stand up, like today, and I think there was really a special moment in this room when we started this conference, so many female Presidents and female Presidents who were the first of their kind.
We showed today that women are not only there, but they belong there, as the first Presidents of their nations
And we need this spirit all the other 364 days of the year.
Not only in this General Assembly,
Not only in these United Nations Institutions,
But in our communities, in countries, in our regions.
And as I said after the great speech by one of these female Presidents, the Representative of Namibia, the President of Namibia, after she presented all these incredible numbers of female participation in her government, I would like to underline, whenever you see an all-male panel, an all-male peace negotiation table, or an all-male speaking list, don¡¯t even accept it.
Give them the advice to call to Namibia or all the other great countries who have delivered their remarks today, because obviously in every community, in every country, in every session of the United Nations, out of 4 billion candidates, you can always find a strong woman.
Which underlines that this United Nations is Better together when all men and women are participating equally.
So I would like to thank all of the more than 150 speakers we heard today, who showed that Beijing was a revolution, it started, and it will continue.
It showed that we are better together.
Better together for women and girls, but also for societies and countries.
Because these are our rights. And this is our future.
I thank you.