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UN Women and the Global Partnerships Forum Celebrate SDG 5 in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

As the international community gathered for the historic adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development during the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly, UN Women and the Global Partnerships Forum hosted a VIP Reception for First Spouses of Heads of State/Government of Member States of the United Nations, on 27th September 2015 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. This high-level event took place at the Penthouse of 50 United Nations Plaza.

We mark this occasion and celebrate the landmark adoption of the Sustainable Development Goal 5 “Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls” as an integral component of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The presence of First Spouses at this high-level event represented an important signal in supporting Sustainable Development Goal 5, as well as the initiatives launched by UN Women to achieve “Planet 50-50 by 2030” and “Step it up for Gender Equality".   

UN Women works to develop and uphold standards and create an environment in which every woman and girl can exercise her human rights and live up to her full potential, and it is a leader in the effort to achieve gender equality by 2030.  The Global Partnerships Forum is a unique platform that supports the UN’s goals and objectives, and brings together thought leaders and practitioners to address global challenges, to foster economic growth, and to help achieve greater prosperity around the world.  

We were honoured to hear encouraging remarks from Her Excellency Madame Ban Soon-taek, First Lady of the United Nations,  “I want to congratulate all governments for their foresight and dedication, and deep commitment to making this happen.  I also want to thank leaders from academia, business, civil society and the philanthropic community, for their untiring efforts in contributing to this process”.

The event was hosted by Madame Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women. She stated the importance of recognizing that, “women’s rights are human rights, that girls have got what it takes to make the world better”.

The event was made possible through the tireless effort of Madame Lakshmi Puri, Assistant-Secretary-General, and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, and members of her team, including Ravi Karkara, her Strategic Adviser on Partnership and Hind Alowais, Senior Advisor to her office.  Madame Puri, made a call to action to First Ladies, many of whom, she noted are already involved in social projects, “to support gender equality in the context of all that you do, at home, in influencing leadership and the political class and in political discourse”.

To thank UN Women for all of their critical work around the world and to inspire more to contribute, Mr. Amir Dossal and Mrs. Tas Dossal presented Madame Mlambo-Ngcuka with a check for $25,000 on behalf of the Global Partnerships Forum. 

Mr. Spar Street, a renowned artist, pledged to auction off a striking piece of art and donate the proceeds to UN Women.

We were graced with the presence of; H.E. Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, Wife of the Prime Minister of Malaysia; H.E Madame Andri Anastasiades, First Lady of Cyprus;  H.E. Madame Jeannette Nyiramongi Kagame, First Lady of Rwanda;  H.E Madame María Mercedes Peñas Domingo, First Lady of Costa Rica;  H.E. Madame Sylvia Ondimba, First Lady of Gabon; H.E Madame Dragica Nikolić, First Lady of Serbia; and H.R.H. Princess Mabel van Oranje of the Netherlands.  

VIP Speakers included; Madame Wanda Nowicka, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Poland; Ms. Laura Turner Seydel, Chairperson, Captain Planet Foundation; Ms. Kerry Kennedy, President, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights;  Ms. Marie C. Wilson, Honorary Founder and Former President, Ms. Foundation;  Ms. Lesley Jane Seymour, Editor-In-Chief, More Magazine;  Madame Edith Kutesa, Wife of the President of the 69th Session of the General Assembly, and Jihae, recording artist.

The GPF would like to thank Ms. Jill Mangone, and her amazing team at 50 United Nations Plaza for being incredible partners in facilitating this important event.

To view the invitation and programme, please click here.

Additional photos can be viewed on our Facebook Page.

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