Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

1. At the outset, allow me, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, to express our thanks to the Secretary-General for the reports submitted under agenda item 28: Advancement of women, which undoubtedly will contribute to enrich our deliberations.

2. The year 2010 is indeed a significant year for women. It marks the fifteenth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995. Therefore, at its fifty-fourth session, the Commission on the Status of Women undertook a global review of progress in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly. On the 2nd of July this year, the General Assembly passed a landmark resolution aimed at improving the system-wide coherence of the United Nations in which the new United Nations Entity on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) was established. The 2010 High-level Segment of the Economic and Social Council was devoted to the implementation of the internationally agreed goals and commitments on gender equality and the empowerment of women. The High-level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals in September 2010 provided an opportunity to commit to the actions needed to meet the goals by 2015, especially those actions related to gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Mr. Chairman,

3. Some achievements have been made since the Fourth World Conference on Women. Efforts have been exerted in reducing the number of people living in extreme poverty especially women. Access to education increased globally for girls at all levels, particularly in primary education. Several gains in women's health have been made. Member States have undertaken a variety of measures to prevent and address violence against women. Recognition of the impact of armed conflict on women and their contributions to peace processes and peace building has increased significantly. Women's access to employment opportunities has improved in recent years. The participation of women in public and political life increased in all regions. In the last few years, the number and diversity of institutional mechanisms for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls has continued to expand in many countries. Since 1995, action has intensified on the promotion, the protection and the realization of the human rights of women. Women's participation has increased in the media sector. There is a growing understanding of the links between gender equality and sustainable development. The promotion of children's and girls' rights, and their protection from violence, is increasingly strengthened.

4. Despite progress made in gender equality and the empowerment of women, it is uneven between and within regions and countries and challenges and obstacles remain in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly.

5. Women still outnumber men among the world's poor. Since 20 years two-thirds of illiterate adults are women. Women's health continues to face challenges that should have been attenuated in the last century. Violence against women persists worldwide. Conflicts have profoundly different impacts on women. Women's economic empowerment is constrained by gender inequalities and disparities in economic power sharing. Access to labour markets and to decent work remains particularly limited for women .Women are still underrepresented at senior decision-making levels in all areas. National mechanisms for gender equality continue to face constraints and challenges in the implementation of their mandates, including inadequate human and financial resources. Many women face challenges to the enjoyment of their human rights. Stereotyped portrayals of women in the media have remained a serious problem in many countries. Environmental degradation results in negative effects on the life of women in particular. Girls remain subject to different forms of violence.

6. It goes without saying that the women are disproportionately affected by ongoing global crises such as the financial and economic crisis, the food crisis and continuing food insecurity, the energy crisis, as well as the challenges posed by climate change which are threatening the progress made on gender equality and the empowerment of women in many fields.

7. The Group emphasizes that the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly remain the guiding policy frameworks for gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Mr. Chairman,

8. With regard to the process of system-wide coherence, including among others the new gender entity, the G77 and China together with the Non-Aligned Movement in the Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC), engaged actively and constructively in the process with the aim to institutionalize concepts like universality, national ownership and equitable geographical representation, which undoubtedly are some of the fundamental principles of the United Nations, in the creation of this new entity. The highlight of our proposals was the initiative to establish a new Executive Board, which is strong, independent, well funded; and most importantly, has equitable geographical distribution.
        
9. We welcome the establishment of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), through the adoption of the General Assembly 64/289 on system-wide coherence, and pledge our full support to its operationalization. In this context, we welcome the appointment of Ms. Michelle Bachelet, a woman from the South, as the first head of UN Women and we are confident that under her wise leadership the UN Women will strengthen the United Nations' ability to support the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women in the world.

10. The G-77 and China trusts that the integration of the mandate of INSTRAW into the UN-Women will be effective, resulting in a global training and research work of greater impact, supported by an availability of generous resources and managed by an efficient and able staff, with the view to contribute to the empowerment of women and the achievement of gender equality worldwide. The Group is also certain that once the transitional period of the Entity is concluded, the training and research will continue to be carried out globally from the physical installations located in the Dominican Republic, taking advantage of the recognized added value of the work experience, the programs, the convenient geographical location and the low operational costs that it offers

11. The G-77 and China express their deep concern about the suffering of women and girls living under foreign occupation, and underlines the urgent need for respecting the international law and for collective actions to remove the obstacles to the full realization of their rights.

12. The Group believes that international cooperation is the sine qua non for the achievement of the gender equality and the empowerment of women. Therefore, it should be enhanced and raised to the level of the challenges that face developing countries.

13. The G-77 and China welcomes the recent development on gender equality and the employment of women, namely the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons and the Global Strategy for Women and Children's Health.

14. In conclusion, the Group of 77 and China reaffirms its commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly.

I thank you