SG Berset Joins UN Event on 30 Years of Beijing Women's Conf

• The Secretary General Berset participated in the High-Level Conference in New York during UN General Assembly week
• The occasion was the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women
• Berset represented an important European organization with engagement in the global multilateral system

At the High-Level Conference for the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference of Women, during UN General Assembly Week in New York, Secretary General Berset represented an important European organization in the global multilateral system.

Berset reaffirmed that the founding values of the Council of Europe – human rights, democracy, and the rule of law – are the best means to strengthen the rights and well-being of women and girls.

Berset underlined that gender equality is still a distant goal, citing that almost a third of women are victims of violence by partners and one in six women face sexual violence, which continues to perpetuate inequality.

He stated that the Istanbul Convention is important because it is a legally binding tool that has changed legislation, improved services and even training of other professional workers engaging with women to take action against violence.

He indicated that a threat to women’s involvement in public life and politics is also changing and his thinking refers to cyber bullying and disinformation, deep fakes, and AI discrimination. The Council of Europe is developing new standards to prevent tech-enabled violence and to impose accountability on AI systems.

Berset emphasized that the organization embarks on its work with a core value and immediate needs surrounding the protection of human rights, democracy, and rule of law for all.

He noted, also, the support of the Council of Europe for its long-standing cooperation with the United Nations and its impact on established norms of international system and democratic security.