Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has called for collective global action to empower women and eliminate poverty, stressing Pakistan’s firm commitment to gender equality and women’s rights.

Addressing the Fourth World Conference on Women during the UN General Assembly session in New York on Monday, Dar said Pakistan has taken concrete measures to ensure justice and welfare for women.

He noted that multiple programmes for women’s empowerment are underway, reflecting the country’s belief in gender equality.

“Women in Pakistan are contributing across all sectors,” Dar said, recalling the pledge made three decades ago at the Beijing Conference to build a society rooted in gender equality.

He highlighted that Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, had also envisioned women’s empowerment as integral to the nation’s progress.

Dar pointed out that Pakistani women are active in politics, the judiciary, armed forces, police, and bureaucracy. He reminded delegates that Pakistan proudly elected Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto as the Muslim world’s first woman prime minister, and more recently, Punjab has seen the election of its first female chief minister, Maryam Nawaz.

He further noted that women hold reserved seats in national, provincial, and local assemblies, while legal protections are in place against workplace and street harassment.

Initiatives such as the Benazir Income Support Programme continue to provide financial empowerment to women.

Dar said women are also being prioritised under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, with vocational training and skills development initiatives aimed at creating greater opportunities.

He urged increased investment to advance industrial equality and sustainable development.

Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting

Earlier, Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to the Commonwealth of Nations, pledging to strengthen its diverse family of countries and play an active role in fostering unity.

Dar was addressing the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting (CFAM), held at the United Nations headquarters on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA) session.

According to the Foreign Office, he welcomed the Commonwealth’s efforts to adapt to shifting global dynamics while ensuring tangible benefits for all its 56 members.

Citing successive global crises, the minister stressed that the Commonwealth must serve as a platform for dialogue, consensus and cooperation to promote peace and resolve conflicts.

He voiced strong support for the bloc’s climate action agenda, calling for sustained focus on building resilience among member states vulnerable to climate change.

Dar also praised the Commonwealth’s unique role in empowering youth, promoting digital transformation, and advancing trade and business.

He noted that Pakistan took pride in leading the Commonwealth Youth Agenda, enabling young generations to build a more peaceful and prosperous future.

He further underlined Pakistan’s commitment to the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda, pledging to back initiatives that strengthen digital, physical, regulatory and supply chain linkages across the member states.

Consultations with Muslim leaders in New York

Earlier, Dar joined consultations hosted by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

The meeting, held on the margins of the UNGA session, was also attended by the Deputy Prime Ministers of Jordan and the UAE, along with the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye.

The leaders discussed forging a unified stance on pressing international challenges.

Representing Pakistan, Dar highlighted the country’s enduring ties of friendship and cooperation with fellow Muslim nations.

He stressed that Pakistanis hold deep affection for their Middle Eastern brethren and will continue to support all constructive efforts aimed at fostering peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and beyond.

Palestinian question dominates UNGA session

The 80th UNGA session, themed “Better Together: 80 Years and Beyond for Peace, Development and Human Rights”, opened in New York against the backdrop of worsening violence in Gaza.

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli military operations have killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, while famine was officially declared in northern Gaza on August 22. On September 9, Israel struck Hamas leaders in Qatar, and settlement expansion in the West Bank has accelerated.

Despite the grim situation, momentum has grown behind the “two-state solution.”

On September 12, the General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted the “New York Declaration,” following a July conference hosted by France and Saudi Arabia.

The declaration insisted that lasting peace is only possible on the basis of international law and recognition of two states. It also urged Hamas to disarm and hand over authority in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority.

The United States and Israel, which had boycotted the July conference, voted against the resolution.

Diplomatic sources suggest the September 22 summit could mark further progress, with French President Emmanuel Macron expected to announce France’s recognition of Palestine as a state.

The United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium, and Australia are also reportedly considering similar moves.

Observers say the high-level week of the UNGA may breathe new life into a roadmap for peace centered on the two-state solution.