Thank you Madame Chair,
Thank you Ambassador Žugić for sharing your report with us today.
I would like to pick up on three of the themes you have mentioned.
First, on women's economic empowerment and the wider issue of gender equality. In this week we reflect again on the impact gender inequality can have on economic and environmental affairs. At the first Economic and Environmental Forum (EEF) preparatory meeting this year we heard how women are economically disempowered, through gender stereotypes limiting job and training options; practices in the workplace that disadvantage women; through companies not paying women and men equally for doing the same job; or through employers limiting the financial and career prospects of women who have children. The UK shares your - and the Swedish Chairpersonship's - assessment that empowering women is key to achieving security and stability.
Beyond the economic, we agree that ensuring women have equal social rights and access to healthcare and education is not only a moral imperative - it can boost growth and enhance sustainability - which is in everyone's interest.
It is right to recognise the disproportionate effect that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on women. Women are only half as likely as men to have full-time paid jobs in the formal economy, and certain sectors in which women are over-represented continue to be particularly hard hit. Gender equality must be built into recovery plans to ensure that we build back more just and inclusive economies and societies.
Second, we welcome your candour and ambition this year on climate. As COP President, this takes on even greater importance for the UK as we encourage states to make key commitments on issues like adaptation and finance in advance of the COP26 conference in November.
As the world's largest security organisation, the OSCE is uniquely placed to give a security-based emphasis to climate challenges. A new commitment on climate could give the organisation greater scope to provide a platform for political dialogue on the security risks of climate change, going beyond viewing climate change through the lens of disaster risk reduction or water management.
It could allow the OSCE to move from an organisation that implements activities that raise awareness and assess security risks, to an organisation that shares related experience in addressing climate threats, and implements adaptation measures. We were encouraged by the discourse at yesterday's Economic and Environmental Committee and we look forward to working with other participating States this year in exploring these options.
Finally, I welcome your commitment to ensuring that the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) designs and implements activities that not only meet the needs of beneficiary countries, but have clear, tangible and measurable results and impacts. We continue to encourage all parts of the OSCE to think about how the real world outcomes and lasting impact of OSCE programmatic activities.
The OSCE can and does make a difference and there is space to strengthen further communication between the Office and the delegations to tell the success stories of OCEEA projects. We welcome the development of the Confluence Platform, and look forward to its eventual launch.
In closing, I would like to thank you, Ambassador Žugić for your service as Co-ordinator for Economic and Environmental Affairs, and congratulate you and your team for your contribution to making the Second Dimension an integral part of the OSCE's comprehensive approach to security.
Thank you.
