New York: The United Nations Women Executive Board has elected Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the UN, to the presidency of the UN Women Executive Board for 2017.
Nusseibeh will be representing the Asia-Pacific Group at the UN.
In her acceptance speech, Nusseibeh thanked the previous president, Ambassador Mohammad Khalid Khiari, Tunisia’s Permanent Representative to the UN and Phumzile Mllambo-Nguka, Executive Director of UN-Women for their leadership.
Nusseibeh highlighted the UAE’s achievements towards attaining gender equality and the empowerment of women, and noted that “gender equality is of paramount importance to the UAE”. She underscored that “the Constitution of the UAE guarantees equal rights for both women and men, and underpins the fundamental belief that women and men are equal partners in society.”
She noted that a key aspect of women’s advancement has been due to a steady focus on women’s political participation, and that, today, women comprise 17.5 per cent of the Federal National Council. She mentioned that Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, FNC Speaker, was the first woman in the UAE and in the Arab world to lead a national assembly.
She added that women constitute 28 per cent of the UAE Cabinet.
The UAE has been a core supporter of UN-Women since its foundation in 2011, and has recently launched a UN Women Liaison Office in Abu Dhabi, the first of its kind in the Gulf.
Nusseibeh announced that 2017 will be a very important year for the Executive Board of UN-Women as the Board will adopt the new Strategic Plan for 2018-21 and the new Integrated Budget for 2018-19.
She expressed confidence that together with the vice-presidents from Guyana, Liberia, Montenegro and Switzerland, and with the support of the entire membership, the Executive Board will be able to build on the good work of 2016.
