The 2025 Regional Forum on Sustainable Development fuels momentum for gender equality and women’s empowerment

56 UN member states, regional organizations, UN agencies, civil society leaders, and youth representatives met in Geneva on April 2-3 for the 2025 Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (RFSD) for the UNECE region - which comprises 56 countries of Europe, North America, and Central Asia - to reinforce commitments to the 2030 Agenda and drive action toward a sustainable and inclusive future.

This year’s RFSD, the UN’s central platform for policy debate, knowledge exchange, and peer learning on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), was held under the theme “Advancing Sustainable, Inclusive, Science- and Evidence-based Solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs in the ECE region, Leaving no one Behind”.

“Despite multiple crises and shifting priorities, UNECE remains committed to the 2030 Agenda. The Regional Forum is an important opportunity and critical platform to strengthen partnerships for SDGs and translate them into concrete actions at the regional, national, and local level,” affirmed Tatiana Molcean, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of UNECE.

A key highlight of the Forum was the in-depth review of progress on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). 

The UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia led discussions on gender equality (SDG 5), and, in collaboration with UNFPA, co-organized the peer learning round table “The time is now: Inclusive, evidence-based and transformative solutions for gender equality and women’s empowerment”. The event specifically focused on the role of data in policymaking and implementation; the most significant barriers to achieving gender equality; innovative approaches - whether policy-driven, social, institutional, or technological – and successful partnerships advancing gender equality; and how gender equality can serve as a catalyst for achieving other SDGs, particularly in addressing population and gender challenges and opportunities. 

Discussions were also informed by the newly released UNECE report on SDG progress. Concerning SDG 5, one target - women’s empowerment through universal mobile phone ownership - is on track to be met. However, progress on three other targets – eliminating discrimination against women and girls, addressing unpaid care and domestic work, and increasing women’s leadership – must accelerate to meet the 2030 deadline. In particular, the distribution of domestic tasks between women and men must improve significantly, even as women’s participation in political and economic life continues to increase across the region. 

Growth in the proportions of elected seats held by women - especially in local governments - has been notable, though disparities remain. 

Similarly, the event marked the launch of the latest UN Women Gender Snapshot for Europe and Central Asia which reveals the state of gender equality in 17 countries and Kosovo¹ across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Western Balkans and Türkiye. Released 30 years after the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action and with only five years remaining to achieve the SDGs, it shows that no country in the region is fully on track to achieve gender equality by 2030. Only three countries are close to meeting targets for at least half of the SDG 5 indicators, while several remain significantly behind. Structural barriers, discrimination, and deeply rooted gender inequalities continue to hinder women’s and girls’ full participation in social, economic, and political life. 

In this regard, the roundtable on gender equality and women’s empowerment underscored key actions and recommendations needed to achieve SDG 5: 

• Strengthen the collection, analysis, and reporting of gender-disaggregated data 
• Recognize that without high-quality, intersectional data, gender inequalities remain invisible and policy ineffective 
• Treat gender-disaggregated data as the foundation for sound policymaking
• Uphold the principle of “Leave No One Behind” to ensure the inclusion of marginalized communities
• Acknowledge care work as a critical investment with economic and social returns
• Recognize political commitment as the primary driver of reform
• Build partnerships with international organizations and promote inter-state cooperation to accelerate reforms

Belén Sanz Luque, UN Women Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, emphasized the urgency of the task: “With women holding just 27.1% of parliamentary seats, 3.9 million young women out of education, employment or training, and nearly one in four women experiencing intimate partner violence, the challenges are significant. We know what must be done and now is the time to do it.” 

Corina Adjer, Adviser on Employment and Social Protection, Government of the Republic of Moldova, mentioned that, “If we want sustainable growth, stronger families, and a thriving economy - we must start with gender equality. And we’ll get there faster if we walk this path together.” 

Helena Valas, from the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the Republic of Slovenia, reflected on the powerful themes raised during the roundtable: “I will share the words that stayed with me: unpaid care work, labor market, pay and pension gap, migration, financial exclusion, emergencies, climate emergency, war zones, violence, femicide, radicalization, the right to decide, lack of data. Let’s not wait for the data to start screaming again.” 

Sanz Luque concluded the event with a call: “Isolated wins aren’t enough – we need real, systemic change. Gender equality and broader sustainable development go hand in hand.” 

This call for systemic change was also echoed during a side event on “Fostering Resilient Partnerships for Inclusive Crisis Response,” organized by UN Women, which showcased the importance of building resilient, inclusive crisis response systems through innovative partnerships. “In a time of compounding crises and shrinking humanitarian space, UN Women’s efforts to convene, coordinate, and advocate for women’s leadership and protection are not only relevant – they are essential,” stated Sofia Calltorp, UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Action. 

The outcome of the RFSD will provide the official regional input to the global High-level Political Forum, the UN’s global platform for reviewing SDG progress, set to take place in New York from 14-23 July 2025.

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¹ References to Kosovo should be understood to be in the context of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).