The high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women was held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, on September 22, 2025. The meeting focused on the theme of accelerating the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment.
Huang Xiaowei, Vice-Chairperson of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council of China, led a Chinese delegation to attend the meeting. Huang, as a representative of the host of the Fourth World Conference on Women, was invited as the third speaker to address the event's opening ceremony, after Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, and Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General. During the meeting, Huang also had discussions with Sima Bahous, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director.
Huang noted global governance is at a critical crossroads. Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Governance Initiative in early September, suggested countries should adhere to sovereign equality, abide by international rule of law, practice multilateralism, advocate the people-centered approach and focus on taking real actions. The initiative aims to address global governance deficit, and it was proposed at the right time, Huang added.
Huang outlined the historical achievements in Chinese women's development in the new era, which were gained under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. She noted China has not only been a sayer but a doer in promoting gender equality and it has fulfilled its commitments with actions. China has established a legal system covering more than 100 laws and regulations to safeguard women's rights and interests. China, by using quantifiable and practical institutional tools, has significantly improved the levels of economic empowerment, health, education, employment, political participation, social security, and more for 690 million women. Chinese women, with extraordinary creativity, have held up half the sky in the country's cause, Huang continued.
Huang introduced the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, which was established by China and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2015, and she noted Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, is a UNESCO special envoy for the advancement of girls' and women's education. Huang also outlined China has implemented innovative plans and concrete measures to support the global women's cause. For example, China has trained more than 200,000 women professionals for more than 180 countries and regions; carried out women-related projects worth nearly US $40 million across more than 20 countries; and established the Global Exchange and Cooperation Center for Digital Empowerment of Women. Huang called on all parties to remain committed to ensuring women to have equal access to development, empowering women's innovative development and promoting shared development for women around the world. She urged the global community to translate the blueprint of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action into solid outcomes, and to work together to write a new chapter in promoting women's all-round development and building a community with a shared future for mankind. Huang said she expected to discuss with the global community on the development of women's cause during the upcoming Global Leaders' Meeting on Women.
Participants spoke highly of the remarkable progress in Chinese women's development, and looked forward to the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, which will be held in Beijing soon. They said they will step up efforts to enhance cooperation, address challenges, and continue to implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
High-level representatives from more than 170 countries, regions and international organizations attended, and they addressed the General Assembly plenary meetings.
(Source: Women Voice)
Editor: Lei Yang
