Dear colleagues,
We have the pleasure of inviting you to participate in a special event to celebrate International Women’s Day, which, this year, is being organized under the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, in line with the theme of the upcoming 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women on “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes”.
Within the International Geneva Community, this year’s theme provides an opportunity to highlight the recognition, in 2021, of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, through the adoption of Resolution 48/13 of the Human Rights Council. The resolution underlines that the most vulnerable segments of the population are more acutely impacted, including women and girls. This dialogue will therefore convene different stakeholders to examine the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment from a gender and human rights perspective. It will examine the real impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and disasters on women and girls, before exploring concrete areas for action, hearing from successful programmes and projects on the ground.
This will be a hybrid event: Join us in person at the Palais des Nations, Geneva (Conference Room XXVI), or Register to join us online
Programme:
Opening remarks:
· H.E. Katharina Stasch, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations in Geneva: Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes.
- H.E. Catalina Devandas Aguilar, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations in Geneva: Realizing the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
- Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - Video Message
Panel: Human-centred stories from the ground
· Mr. David. R. Boyd, Special Rapporteur for Human Rights and the Environment.
· Ms. Vasiti Soko, Director of National Disaster Management Office, Fiji: Fostering Climate Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction in the Pacific.
· Ms. Susan Grey, Executive Director, FemLINKPacific: Empowering women’s organizations in disaster preparedness, response and recovery and to respond to climate impacts.
Moderated by: Adriana Quiñones, Director, UN Women Geneva Liaison Office
Facilitated Discussion:
- Participants will be invited to intervene from the floor to share their experiences and best practices in terms of building synergies between the protection of human rights and the protection of the environment, and in terms of integrating a gender perspective into climate change, environmental protection, resilience to disasters and disaster risk reduction policies, programmes and projects.
Further information is included in the attached concept note and flyer. We hope that you will be able to join us.
Kind regards,
UN Women Geneva Liaison Office
