The Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the UN, Ambassador Andreas Hadjichrysanthou, delivered a national statement yesterday, 11 October 2022, during the general debate on "Advancement of Women", in the framework of the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian & Cultural Affairs) of the 77th UN General Assembly.
In his intervention, the Permanent Representative said that the progress made to date towards achieving the goal of gender equality and the advancement of women is at risk due to the new challenges brought about by the pandemic. She noted that the promotion of women's rights would only be achieved if there was real gender equality so that crises, including climate change, would not disproportionately affect women. She added that further efforts should be made to address all systemic inequalities that negatively affect the full, equal, effective and meaningful participation of women, as well as increasing the number of women in leadership positions.
The Permanent Representative referred to the alarming statistics regarding violence against women, particularly during the pandemic period when restriction and curfew measures were in place. The elimination of all forms of violence against women, including sexual harassment and femicide, was a priority for the Republic of Cyprus and commitments had been made at the highest political level. In this context, the Permanent Representative referred to a number of important measures taken in recent years to eliminate gender-based violence, promote gender equality and empower women in Cyprus, such as the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in November 2017, as well as the adoption of a number of laws by the Cypriot Parliament relating to the elimination of violence against women. The Permanent Representative also referred to the recent adoption of a law by the House of Representatives on the offence of femicide, the first legislation of this kind in Europe.
Chatzichrysanthou then referred to the protection of girls, especially those in vulnerable situations, as one of Cyprus' priorities, as well as the adoption of a national strategy for the sexual and reproductive health of young people. He gave as good examples the establishment of the "Women's House" - a support centre for women victims of violence and their children, the establishment and training of special police teams dealing exclusively with cases of gender and domestic violence, and the systematic training of professionals from various disciplines working in the field. Reference was also made to the important role played by civil society in the eradication of violence against women, informing that Cyprus funds NGOs that protect and assist women victims.
Finally, the Permanent Representative referred to the announced candidacy of Cyprus to the Human Rights Council for the period 2025-2027. He noted that human rights is the cornerstone of the multilateralism system and Cyprus will strengthen its efforts on a wide range of priorities, including gender equality. The Permanent Representative reiterated Cyprus' support for the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all women and girls, and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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