Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
This morning, the Secretary-General spoke at an event here at Headquarters to mark the Day.
He said that every woman and every girl has the right to a life free of violence,
yet this right is violated every day for millions of women.
He pointed to the recent emergence of reports detailing sexual harassment in
the workplace from many organizations and institutions worldwide as evidence
of how pervasive sexual violence against women is. Violence against women is
fundamentally about power, he said, and it will only end with gender equality and the full
empowerment of women. He added that the UN is committed to addressing violence against women
in all its forms and called on the international community to further its collective action to end
violence against women and girls—for good.
His remarks are available online. And just after I am done,
in a short while, I will be joined by Pramila Patten, the UN
Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.
She will be here to talk to you about her recent trip to Bangladesh,
including Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar.
**Côte d’Ivoire
I have a trip to announce: The Secretary-General will travel to Côte d’Ivoire to attend the
fifth African Union‑European Union summit in Abidjan on 29 November.
The theme of the summit is “Investing in the youth for a sustainable future”.
The Secretary‑General will deliver remarks during the opening ceremony.
He will also meet with President Alassane Ouattara, as well as other participating
Heads of State and Government. We expect the Secretary‑General back in the office
in the afternoon of 30 November.
The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, is in Brussels,
Belgium, today on a two-day visit. He is meeting with senior Government officials, as well as
officials from the European Union and the African Union and key stakeholders.
He will discuss ways to further strengthen the partnership with the European
Union and the UN-AU-EU triangular cooperation, including at a European Parliament
High‑level conference that focusses on a renewed partnership with Africa.
Mr. Lacroix will also co‑chair the UN‑EU Steering Committee on Crisis Management tomorrow.