Ministry Statements & Speeches:
New Zealand is pleased to participate in the First Regular Session of the Executive Board for 2026. We commend, you, Executive Director, and all UN Women staff for your sustained commitment to advancing gender equality and the rights and wellbeing of women and girls worldwide. As global crises intensify, UN Women’s mandate remains vital.
New Zealand is proud to be a long‑standing partner of UN Women. In that regard, we were pleased to confirm recently a new multi‑year core contribution and reiterate our call for predictable, flexible core funding, which is essential for enabling UN Women to maintain its normative leadership, respond effectively to emerging needs, and support country‑driven efforts.
As a Pacific nation, New Zealand underscores the importance of ensuring that UN Women’s work continues to reflect the priorities of Pacific Island Countries, including enhancing women’s leadership, supporting economic resilience, addressing gender‑based violence, and ensuring women and girls are central to climate adaptation and disaster preparedness. The Pacific region faces distinct vulnerabilities, and UN Women’s tailored, evidence‑based interventions are essential to strengthening equity and resilience.
New Zealand also emphasises the importance of the UN80 initiative, which represents a significant opportunity to build a more coherent, efficient, and fit‑for‑purpose UN development system.
We want to stress several key points:
- First, reforms must remain focused on improving system‑wide coherence and effectiveness, ensuring that gender equality remains central across UN entities.
- Second, transparency is critical. Member States need clear information on proposed reforms, required decisions, and timelines.
- Third, reforms must be shaped through meaningful consultation with Member States, recognising the diverse contexts in which the UN operates, including in the Pacific.
- Fourth, any structural or operational changes must be grounded in rigorous analysis and must not weaken UN Women’s core normative mandate. Executive Boards must remain central to the governance of these reforms.
New Zealand looks forward to working with UN Women, the Executive Board, and fellow Member States to advance gender equality globally. We remain committed to a multilateral system that is inclusive, accountable, and fit for purpose – and one that delivers real, lasting change for women and girls, including across our Pacific region.