Credit: MEGA
Luxembourg’s Minister of Gender Equality and Diversity, Yuriko Backes, participated in the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York from Monday 10 to Wednesday 12 March 2025.
In a press release, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity confirmed that Minister Backes was accompanied by two Luxembourg Deputies (MPs), Mandy Minella, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Family, Solidarity, Living Together, Reception, Gender Equality and Diversity, and Georges Engel, a member of the same committee.
Held annually at the United Nations Headquarters, the CSW is the organisation's largest annual gathering on gender equality and women's empowerment. Marking the 30th anniversary of the 1995 World Conference on Women ("Beijing +30"), the 69th session reviewed progress made in implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. At its opening session, the CSW adopted by consensus a political declaration in which Member States committed to ensuring the full, effective and accelerated implementation of this Platform for Action.
In her address to the CSW General Debate, following the adoption of the political declaration, Minister Backes emphasised that "we must use all our energy to defend women and girls, as well as LGBTIQ+ communities and other minorities, against attacks on their inherent rights. An attack on women's rights is ultimately an attack on all human rights. Women's rights are human rights. This famous statement bears urgent repetition, 30 years later."
The ministry added that during the CSW, as part of its chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Luxembourg co-organised the event "Threats and Opportunities of Digital Technologies: Women in the Public Eye" with the Council of Europe. In her opening remarks, Minister Backes stated that "advanced digital technologies such as artificial intelligence can generate and reinforce harmful stereotypes and biases embedded in algorithms, which can continue to foster gender-based discrimination and limit women's economic potential" and that "a collective effort by national states and international intergovernmental organisations, civil society and the private sector at the national and international levels is essential."
Together with her Polish counterpart, Equality Minister Katarzyna Kotula, Minister Backes also opened an event, co-organised with the Centre for Reproductive Rights, on the topic of adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. Minister Backes reaffirmed that "sexual and reproductive health is not just a personal issue, it is a human rights issue. We all have a role to play in creating an environment where young people feel safe, heard and supported and where they can make choices without coercion or stigma."
During a ministerial roundtable discussion on "National mechanisms for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls: recommitting, resourcing and accelerating implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, also with a view to achieving the SDGs”, Minister Backes assured the audience that: "Equality and diversity are not just women's business. We need collective commitment at all levels. We need boys and men as allies. We must show them that equality benefits all of society."
The minister’s programme continued with a roundtable discussion organised by the International Peace Institute on the future of the "women, peace and security" agenda, in the context of the 25th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. She noted that she recently presented Luxembourg’s second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2025-2030) and that "as Minister of Defence and Minister of Gender Equality and Diversity, I know that what makes our armed forces strong and resilient is their diversity."
Minister Backes also met bilaterally with many colleagues, including: Aurore Bergé, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister for Gender Equality and the Fight against Discrimination of France; Mariana Betsa, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Kateryna Levchenko, Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy of Ukraine; Antonia Orellana, Minister for Women and Gender Equality of Chile; Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth of Canada; Magnus Heunicke, Minister of the Environment and Gender Equality of Denmark. Minister Backes also chaired a Benelux ministerial lunch with Caroline Gennez and Mariëlle Paul, the heads of delegation of Belgium and the Netherlands, to discuss joint initiatives within the Benelux framework.
Moreover, the Luxembourg minister participated in a ministerial breakfast with her colleagues from the European Union, hosted by Poland, which holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU. Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality and Crisis Preparedness and Management, also attended the event. The discussion during this session focused on current challenges surrounding gender equality within Member States and beyond. The minister met with representatives of the LBTI Caucus, an informal group of more than 300 LGBTIQ+ rights organisations, to discuss the current challenges facing lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people around the world.
Furthermore, Minister Backes participated in an event organised by the Luxembourg-American Chamber of Commerce (LACC) to mark International Women's Day. On this occasion the minister discussed Luxembourg's efforts and emphasised the importance of promoting gender equality and diversity to ensure peace and prosperous societies.
HOM
