The Icelandic government seeks to lead an action coalition of the Generation Equality Forum

The Icelandic government has welcomed UN Women’s Gender Equality Forum and expressed its interest to take on a leadership to support the initiative during the next five years.

2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action. To celebrate the anniversary UN Women has announced a project called The Generation Equality Forum which is a global gathering led by civil society and co-hosted by governments aiming at bringing global actors, especially young people, together to shape the future international agenda for gender equality.  One objective of the Generation Equality Forum is to establish six action coalitions on different themes and as global, innovative, multi-stakeholder partnerships that will mobilize governments, civil society, international organizations and the private sector to achieve tangible results on gender equality during the UN decade of Action 2020–2030.

Gender equality is a main pillar of Iceland's foreign policy and a cornerstone of its Development Cooperation Policy. The Government systematically uses every opportunity on the international level to promote women's human rights and gender equality. Iceland's experience demonstrates that gender equality and women's liberation does not come about of its own accord. It requires concrete government policies, a strong national and international legal framework and a robust civil society, all of which have been fundamental to Iceland's achievements on gender equality. The Icelandic government has a long- standing tradition of cooperation and consultation on gender equality, collaborating with other governments, international organizations, the women's movement and other civil society organizations, youth representatives and the private sector. Iceland's approach to the leadership of the Action Coalitions would be underpinned by this background.

Particularly, Iceland seeks to lead Action Coalition number one on Gender-Based Violence. Violence against women is both the cause and the consequence of wider gender inequalities. It remains frustrating that no country in the world has managed to eliminate gender-based violence and even the Nordic countries, frontrunners on gender equality, are still far from ensuring women and girls can live their lives free from the threat of such violence. We will be particularly honored to take on a leadership role along with a selected country from the South, sharing knowledge, tactics and understanding to eliminate violence against women and girls

Further information about the Generation Equality Forum and the Action Coalitions.