Madam President,

I welcome you presiding over today’s meeting, and I thank Executive Director Sima Bahous, President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, and Special Envoy Bineta Diop for the briefings. It is my pleasure to attend today’s Security Council meeting as the Vice Chairperson of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council of China.

Twenty-three years ago, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolutions 1325, which redefined the relationship between women and peace and security. Since then, women have not only been seen as victims of war, but also as contributors to peace, and their active role and participation in the field of peace and security has continued to grow. More and more women are serving as special representatives and envoys and becoming mediators on hotspot issues. More and more women are sitting at the negotiating table and becoming the signatories of peace agreements. More and more women are wearing the blue helmets and becoming guardians of peace and security. More and more women are devoting themselves to humanitarian relief and becoming protectors of vulnerable groups in conflict areas. She Power continues to grow and the foundation of lasting peace continues to be consolidated.

At the same time, In many countries and regions, women are still suffering from conflict, instability, hunger, poverty, gender discrimination, and violence. There is still a long way to go to build a world where women are free from the scourge of war and fear, and a society with gender equality and inclusive development.

The Beijing Declaration of the Fourth World Conference on Women pointed out that peace is attainable and is inextricably linked with the advancement of women. The Platform for Action adopted at the Conference lists women and armed conflict as one of the twelve priority areas, emphasizing that if women are to play an equal part in securing and maintaining peace, they must be empowered politically and economically and represented adequately at all levels of decision making.

The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the World Conference on Women held in Beijing and the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the 2030 Agenda. We call on the international community to make greater efforts to fulfill its commitments on the women, peace and security agenda, achieve synergy between this agenda with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and inject new impetus into the cause of global gender equality and women’s development.

Madam President,

China is an advocate of gender equality, and has taken concrete actions on women’s empowerment. On the great journey of promoting Chinese path to modernization, the status of Chinese women has undergone tremendous changes, and their sense of gain, happiness, and security has continued to improve. We have made it a national priority to protect women’s rights and interests. We have put in place a legal system comprising over 100 laws and regulations for fully protecting women's rights and interests. We support women from all walks of life to actively participate in politics, and continue to expand the channels for women to participate in decision making and administration. At present, women account for more than 40% of the workforce in China, about 45.8% of scientific and technological workers nationwide, and 55% of the entrepreneurs in the internet field. From rural revitalization to scientific and technological innovation, from social governance to international exchanges, more and more Chinese women have become leaders in all walks of life, writing wonderful and heroic chapters of women.

Madam President,

On the journey of maintaining common security, promoting common development, and building a shared future, we can always see the positive contributions of China and Chinese women. Over the past 30 years, China has sent more than 1,000 female uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping operations, performing tasks such as mine clearance, explosive removal, patrolling and security, and medical treatments, bringing hope to people in conflict areas. In recent years, we have helped developing countries implement 100 maternal and child health projects and worked with UNICEF to improve maternal and newborn health in relevant African countries. We have provided emergency food aid to women and children facing the threat of hunger in the Horn of Africa, and helped eliminate poverty for low-income women and their families by promoting Juncao technology. We have trained more than 130,000 female professionals for developing countries and have funded the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education to enable more women to use knowledge and skills to change their lives.

Madam President,

Tomorrow is International Women’s Day. I want to take this opportunity to extend my best wishes to all the female colleagues here and to all the women of the UN family. When more women become able to create value and gain the opportunity to realize their dreams, our world will be one step closer to peace, civilization, and prosperity.

Thank you, Madam President.

(Photo/Xie E)