Statement by the Republic of Latvia at the UN-Women Annual Session,
17-19 June 2025, New York
Madam President,
Executive Director,
Excellencies,
I wish to express my sincere appreciation to UN-Women - and to Executive Director Sima Bahous - for your steadfast leadership in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. You can count on Latvia’s unwavering support for the entity’s triple mandate.
Let me begin by acknowledging the reality we cannot overlook: the growing constraints on the UN budget. Maintaining every programme at its current scale may no longer be feasible. Therefore, we must adopt calibrated, evidence-based responses that prioritize measurable impact. These deliberations should recognise that human rights, including gender equality, have historically received one of the thinnest shares of resources. Encouragingly, UN-Women’s thirteenth consecutive audit—with assets outpacing liabilities nine-to-one—attests to exemplary financial stewardship.
In this context, Latvia will continue to place gender equality at the center of its national policy – and at the heart of our upcoming term on the UN Security Council.
This year has already brought tangible results: in May, Latvia hosted a Women, Peace and Security capacity-building workshop under the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), translating the principles of Resolution 1325 into practical mediation tools for practitioners across both continents. Additionally, the Latvian NGO Riga TechGirls, together with local partners in Egypt, successfully implemented a project that equipped over one hundred girls with advanced coding and cyber-hygiene skills.
During our Security Council term, Latvia will prioritise women’s rights and leadership by promoting their meaningful participation in peace processes, embedding gender perspectives in climate-security responses and addressing digital threats such as gendered disinformation. We take this approach not only because it is right, but because it works: evidence shows that gender-equal societies are more resilient, less prone to conflict, and better equipped to sustain long-term peace.
In conclusion, Latvia reaffirms its steadfast commitment to gender equality and to UN-Women’s mission. We will continue to provide stable financial support and remain a constructive partner in strengthening the entity’s impact. As we navigate a period of difficult decisions let us not lose sight of what truly drives long-term change. With political will, shared responsibility, and smart investment, we can turn today’s commitments into lasting progress for every woman and girl.
Thank you.