Following the process for the final review defined at COP 28 (Decision 15/CP.28),  at COP 29 Parties concluded the review of the enhanced Lima work programme on gender and extended it for 10 years (Draft Decision -/CP.29).

The development of the new gender action plan will begin at SB 62 (June 2025), with a view to recommending a draft decision for consideration and adoption at COP 30 (November 2025). At SB 62, Parties and observers will come together to discuss the design, including the structure and content of the activities in the new gender action plan at an in-session workshop.

A call for submissions related to the workshop is open until 31 March 2025. More information is  available here

At COP 28 Parties requested the SBI to initiate the final review of the implementation of the five-year enhanced Lima work programme on gender and its gender action plan at its sixtieth session (June 2024), and to conclude the review at its sixty-first session (November 2024). Parties, United Nations entities, the UNFCCC constituted bodies and relevant organizations were invited to submit their inputs on progress, challenges, gaps and priorities and further work to be undertaken, and the secretariat was requested to prepare a synthesis report on these submissions, organize a workshop to discuss the synthesis report at SBI 60 and prepare a workshop summary report. (Decision 15/CP.28).

An informal document that contains the Gender Action Plan and amendments agreed at Decision 24/CP.27 and Decision 15/CP.28  is available here.

At COP 27 Parties concluded the intermediate review of the implementation of the gender action plan that started at SB 56 in June 2022. The review included amendments to some deliverables and three new activities in priority areas C and E (Decision 24/CP.27)

The outcome of the Commission’s consideration of the priority theme during its 66th session took the form of agreed conclusions, negotiated by all Member States. The Commission on the Status of Women adopted agreed conclusions on “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes” on 25 March 2022 (E/CN.6/2022/L.7).

At COP 26 Parties adopted the Decision 20/CP.26. The Decision includes, among other, aspects of the review of the Gender Action Plan implementation. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of in-person meetings under the UNFCCC until 2021, the secretariat offered virtual events in 2020.

Under the five-year enhanced Lima work programme on gender and its gender action plan (decision 3/CP.25), the secretariat organized a workshop series on:

• Gender integration into national climate policies, plans, strategies and actions (GAP Activity D.6).

• Role and the work of the NGCCFP (GAP Activity A.2.). This event will conclude with a in-person session in 2021.

During SBI 50 in Bonn, Parties continued their discussion under the Gender and Climate Change agenda item (SBI Agenda Item 16). The SBI assessed the work carried out under the Lima work programme on gender and the gender action plan, including progress made, areas that could be improved and prospective areas for future work. The assessment was based on submissions and reports provided on both. Parties, constituted bodies and observers were encouraged to continue consulting in 2019, including via meetings, with submissions expected by 30 August 2019. The SBI also recognised the efforts made by Parties and observers to the workshop on the short- and long-term impacts of its gender action plan held during this session.

The SBI proceeded with plans to continue its review of the Lima work programme on gender and the gender action plan at SBI 51 based on the relevant submissions received and reports produced. It also includes the informal note prepared by the co-facilitators of the informal consultations on gender and climate change, with the prospect of recommending a draft decision on the matter for consideration and adoption at COP 25.

At COP 25 Parties agreed on a 5-year enhanced Lima work programme on gender and its gender action plan (Decision 3/CP.25).

In accordance with decision 18/CP.20, the COP highlighted progress made in enhancing the representation of women in constituted bodies and urged Parties to accelerate the process for more representation of women in their delegations, including in senior positions, and in all bodies under the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol.

The COP also requested an assessment of the work carried out under the Lima work programme on gender and the gender action plan, including progress made, areas that could be improved and prospective areas for further work. The assessment would be based on submissions received and reports produced under both. The aim of the review is to provide recommendations for consideration and adoption at COP 25.

The COP encouraged Parties, constituted bodies and observers to consult in 2019, including via meetings, to move the gender action plan forward. Parties and observers are also able to draw from these consultations in their submissions for the synthesis report on the next steps of the Lima work programme on gender.

At COP23 in Bonn, decision 3/CP.23 established a gender action plan and also decided that the topic for the 2018 workshop would be based on activity E.1 of that action plan. According to this, the gender action plan invites Parties, observers and organizations to provide submissions topics such as:

• Information on the differentiated impacts of climate change on women and men, with special attention paid to local communities and indigenous peoples;
• Integration of gender considerations into adaptation, mitigation, capacity building, Action for Climate Empowerment, technology and finance policies, plans and actions;
• and Policies and plans for and progress made in enhancing gender balance in national climate delegations

These submissions are set out in activity E.1. and are available here.

At COP 22 and SBI 45 in Marrakech, Parties continued their consideration of issues under the Gender and Climate Change agenda item (SBI Agenda Item 16 / COP Agenda item 15). Documents that were considered included a Workshop Report the 2016 Gender Composition Report and a Miscellaneous / Add.1 document containing submissions from Parties and observer organizations on possible elements and guiding principles for continuing and enhancing the Lima work programme on gender.

In accordance with decision 23/CP.18 and decision 18/CP.20. Parties reviewed progress made towards the goals of gender balance and the implementation of gender-responsive climate policy and decided to continue and enhance the Lima work programme on gender for a period of 3 years (FCCC/SBI/2016/L.37). The decision 21/CP.22 was adopted by the COP.

A call for submissions on views on possible elements of the gender action plan to be developed under the Lima work programme on gender was open until 25 January 2017. Parties made their submissions directly to the submissions portal. Observers sent their submissions to secretariat@unfccc.int with the subject line clearly identifying the mandate the submission refers to e.g. SBI 46: Views on possible elements of the gender action plan.

In line with decision 21/CP.22 paragraph 20, an open call for submissions is available here on the views on challenges to the full and equal participation of women in climate-related processes and activities. Based on submissions and its own research the UNFCCC secretariat will prepare a technical paper on achieving the goal of gender balance as mandated by decisions 36/CP.7, 1/CP.16 and 23/CP.18 for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its twenty-third session.

In accordance with decision 18/CP.20, the report on the in-session workshop on gender-responsive climate policy with a focus on mitigation action and technology development and transfer was considered by the SBI at its forty-third session in Paris. In addition, in accordance with decision 23/CP.18, the Gender Composition Report for 2015 was also considered.

In decision 1/CP.21, which annexes the Paris agreement, Parties acknowledge that "climate change is a common concern of humankind, Parties should when taking action to address climate change, respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights, the right to health, the rights of indigenous peoples, local communities, migrants, children, persons with disabilities and people in vulnerable situations and the right to development, as well as gender equality, empowerment of women and intergenerational equity".

The present report is a summary of the Secretary- General’s report (E/CN.6/2015/3) on the 20-year review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly.

In Lima, SBI 41 continued to work under this item to further facilitate the ongoing implementation of decision 23/CP.18, drawing on submissions made by Parties and admitted observer organizations on options and ways to advance the gender balance goal, information provided at the in-session workshop on “Gender, Climate Change and the UNFCCC”, held on 12 November 2013 in Warsaw, Poland, and proposals contained in the annex to document FCCC/SBI/2013/L.16. SBI 41 also considered the report on gender composition contained in document FCCC/CP/2014/7.

The COP adopted decision 18/CP.20, which further facilitates the implementation of decision 23/CP18, drawing on submissions made by Parties and admitted observer organizations on options and ways to advance the gender balance goal, information provided at the in-session workshop on “Gender, Climate Change and the UNFCCC”, held on 12 November 2013 in Warsaw, Poland, and proposals contained in the annex to document FCCC/SBI/2013/L.16.

As per paragraphs 11 and 13 of decision 18/CP.20, the secretariat organized an in-session workshop on gender-responsive climate policy with a focus on mitigation action and technology development and transfer at the forty-second session of the SBI in June 2015, taking into account submissions from Parties and admitted observer organizations.

In Warsaw, SBI 39 adopted conclusions contained in document FCCC/SBI/2013/20 noting with appreciation the submissions made by Parties and admitted observer organizations on options and ways to advance the gender balance goal and welcoming the information provided at the in-session workshop on “Gender, Climate Change and the UNFCCC”, held on 12 November 2013. The SBI also welcomed the report by the secretariat on gender composition contained in document FCCC/CP/2013/4 and noted with concern that the majority of bodies under the Convention and its Kyoto Protocol have memberships where less than 30 per cent are women, with lows of 11–13 per cent in some cases. The SBI agreed to continue to work under this item at SBI 41.

At its eighteenth session, the COP adopted decision 23/CP.18 on promoting gender balance and improving the participation of women in UNFCCC negotiations and in the representation of Parties in bodies established pursuant to the Convention or the Kyoto Protocol. This decision marks an important step forward in advancing gender-sensitive climate policy by ensuring that women’s voices are represented in the global discussion on climate change. It does this, for example, by setting a goal of gender balance in the bodies of the Convention and the Protocol and by inviting Parties to strive for gender balance in their delegations.

The Commission on the Status of Women undertook a fifteen-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly.

Implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women and of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century".

The COP at its seventh session adopted decision 36/CP.7 on enhancing the participation of women at all levels of decision making related to climate change.

The twenty-third special session of the General Assembly on "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century" took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5 June to 9 June 2000 and adopted a Political Declaration and outcome document entitled "further actions and initiatives to implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action".

In 1996, ECOSOC in resolution 1996/6 expanded the Commission’s mandate and decided that it should take a leading role in monitoring and reviewing progress and problems in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and in mainstreaming a gender perspective in UN activities.

Adopts the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and recommends to the General Assembly of the United Nations at its fiftieth session that it endorse the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action as adopted by the Conference. more>>