Nordic-Baltic Statement Advocates Women's Human Rights, Condemns Discrimination and Violence
On 15 September 2017, the Baltic and Nordic countries made a joint statement at the Annual Discussion on Integration of a Gender Perspective which took place in Geneva in the framework of the 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
The joint statement was read out by the Permanent Representative of Estonia, Ambassador Andre Pung. In it, the eight Baltic and Nordic countries stressed the need for all women and girls to live with dignity and free from fear and discrimination. They placed a special emphasis on women's economic, social and political empowerment and underlined the role of the HRC Universal Periodic Review in addressing gender issues in each UN Member State.
At Lithuania's initiative, the statement includes a reference to global economic costs of violence against women. Raising awareness and collecting data about such costs gives another incentive to seek gender equality as a factor of global economic prosperity. Last year, the Presidents of Lithuania and Chile issued a joint Call for Action on this issue. Earlier this year 57 countries supported Lithuania-led joint statement on the subject in Geneva.
