On 25 October 2024 the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was strengthened with the launch of important new guidance on women’s representation in international decision-making spaces.
The guidance, known as “General Recommendation 40” was launched by CEDAW’s Committee at an informal meeting of states parties in Geneva following a period of consultation with states and civil society. Its adoption makes it clear that women must have “equal and inclusive representation” in all decision-making systems and that, as a starting point, this requires no less than 50-50 parity between women and men.
The recommendation covers women’s participation in all aspects of society: public, private sector, political, economic, and digital spaces. Of particular relevance to 1 for 8 Billion are the recommendations on the establishment of parity in the work of international organizations and negotiations, asking states parties to:
“Institutionalize parity laws and transparent procedures at the national level for nomination and selection for positions in international organizations, within and outside of the UN system, regional organizations, COPs, international and regional mechanisms, international arbitration and financial institutions, including multilateral development banks, tribunals, quasi-judicial bodies, and delegations with regards to all sectors, including timely dissemination of information on vacancies, comprehensive job descriptions, the inclusion of gender parity as a criterion, and merit-based selection procedures;”
General Recommendation 40 also asks states parties to “collect, monitor, and publish disaggregated data on women’s representation and seniority levels in international organizations”. In this regard 1 for 8 BIllion welcomes the work of civil society colleagues and partners who have been at the forefront of producing original research to monitor women’s representation in international spaces including GQUAL, GWL Voices and the NYU-CIC senior appointments dashboard. We also refer those interested to 1 for 8 Billion’s own work on this issue, including our recent readout tracking state positions on the appointment of a woman Secretary-General in a recent General Assembly debate.
The new guidance reinforces 1 for 8 Billion’s call for states to take action on the striking 80-year absence of a woman UN Secretary-General by committing to a variety of measures to ensure a woman is appointed at the next juncture, thereby starting to redress the lack of gender parity in the UN’s highest office. These measures include states parties committing to only considering nominating women candidates and stating their readiness to reject the Security Council’s chosen candidate should the Council recommend yet another man for the General Assembly to appoint.
CEDAW is a legally binding human rights treaty with 189 States Parties obliging them to fulfill, protect and respect women's human rights. A transcription of the oral statement that 1 for 8 Billion submitted to the CEDAW Committee on the occasion of the launch of the new guidance has been reproduced below.
Watch GQUAL’s interview on the significance of the new guidance with Nicole Ameline, CEDAW Committee member and Chair of the GR40
Transcription of the oral statement submitted to the CEDAW Committee on the occasion of the launch of General Recommendation 40.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests,
My name is Ben - I work for 1 for 8 Billion is a global campaign calling for a fair, open and inclusive process to appoint the first woman UN Secretary-General.
1 for 8 Billion welcomes General Recommendation 40 (GR40).
Gender equality is a core guiding principle of the United Nations. It is a fundamental human right and a necessary foundation for a peaceful, fair and sustainable world. For almost 80 years, civil society and various UN initiatives have worked on the deep inequalities relating to women’s participation.
Some progress has been made. But the progress to date is not nearly enough, not systematic and not at all guaranteed. Indeed we see clear evidence of backsliding across many agenda spurred on by a resurgent swathe of regressive political leaders.
Distinguished guests, despite some progress, the sphere of international relations remains woefully monopolised by men.
We know from GWL Voices research that 13 multilateral organizations (including the four largest development banks) have never been led by a woman. And just 24% of UN Permanent Representatives are women,
We know from GQUAL’s research that women hold only 17% of positions in major international tribunals
And we know from 1 for 8 Billion’s own work that the issue with the UN’s highest office - that of UN Secretary-General - is so glaring it requires zero research at all: for 79 years, since the UN was founded, the organisation has been led exclusively by men, almost half of whom have been from Western Europe
General Recommendation 40 marks a significant step forward. It expands States’ legal obligations under Article 8 of the CEDAW Convention, and asserts the specific right to equal representation in all echelons of decisionmaking in international organizations.
We therefore call on all states to implement this recommendation and to address the historic imbalance by announcing that their country will only consider nominating women candidates for the next Secretary-General selection process while sparing no effort in encouraging all states to do the same.
Thank you