UN Women welcomes the adoption of the Belém Gender Action Plan and urges its effective implementation – UN Women

Report on the Adoption of the Belém Gender Action Plan and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: A Framework for Gender-Responsive Climate Action

At the COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil, the Belém Gender Action Plan (GAP) was formally adopted. This plan establishes a nine-year blueprint designed to integrate gender equality into the core of the global climate agenda. The GAP’s adoption represents a significant advancement for SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), creating a framework to deliver tangible outcomes for women and girls disproportionately affected by the climate crisis.

Core Components and Linkages to the 2030 Agenda

The Belém GAP introduces several critical elements that directly correspond to multiple Sustainable Development Goals. These components ensure a holistic approach to climate justice and gender equality.

• Health and Safety: The plan includes provisions on health and mechanisms to combat violence against women and girls, directly supporting SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and Target 5.2 of SDG 5.
• Economic Empowerment and Just Transitions: By focusing on care work, decent work, quality jobs, and socially just transitions, the GAP promotes the objectives of SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 5.
• Justice and Institutional Support: The inclusion of protection mechanisms for women environmental defenders reinforces commitments under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Emphasis on Inclusivity and Reduced Inequalities

A central tenet of the GAP is its recognition of intersectionality, a principle fundamental to achieving SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). The plan explicitly acknowledges the unique vulnerabilities and realities of diverse groups of women, including:

• Women with disabilities
• Indigenous women
• Women from rural and remote communities
• Women and girls of African descent

Framework for Effective Implementation

The successful implementation of the Gender Action Plan is contingent upon a robust support structure anchored in international principles and partnerships. The required means of implementation are critical for translating the plan into effective action and align with several SDGs.

1. Human Rights Foundation: The GAP must be firmly anchored in human rights principles, a cornerstone of the entire 2030 Agenda and particularly relevant to SDG 16.
2. Resource Mobilization and Partnerships: Adequate provisions for finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building are essential. This requirement directly supports SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), calling for global cooperation to achieve sustainable development.

UN Women has affirmed its readiness to collaborate with all parties and stakeholders to ensure the GAP becomes an effective tool for inclusive and sustainable gender-responsive climate action, thereby accelerating progress across the interconnected Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality: This is the central theme of the article. The adoption of the “Belém Gender Action Plan (GAP)” is explicitly aimed at keeping “gender equality at the centre of the climate agenda” and delivering results for “all women and girls.”
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The article is set in the context of COP30, a climate conference. It discusses the GAP as a tool for “gender-responsive climate action” to address the “climate crisis.”
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The article mentions that the GAP decision includes important elements on “decent work and quality jobs, and socially just transitions.”
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The text explicitly states that the decision introduces “important elements on health” for women and girls in the context of climate change.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article highlights the “recognition of the intersectional factors” and focuses on marginalized groups, including “women with disabilities, Indigenous women, women from rural and remote communities, and women and girls of African descent.”
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The article addresses the need to tackle “violence against women and girls” and establish “protection mechanisms for women environmental defenders,” which aligns with promoting peaceful and just societies.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls. The article directly references the inclusion of measures against “violence against women and girls.”
2. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in decision-making. The GAP is described as a “tool for inclusive, effective and sustainable implementation for gender-responsive climate action,” which implies enhancing women’s participation.
3. Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality. The adoption of the “Belém Gender Action Plan (GAP)” itself is a clear example of this target in action at an international level.
4. Target 13.b: Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management… including focusing on women. The article stresses the need for “adequate and well-defined provisions for means of implementation, including finance, technology and capacity building” to support the GAP.
5. Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men. The article explicitly mentions the inclusion of “decent work and quality jobs” in the plan.
6. Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of sex, disability, race, etc. This is addressed through the “recognition of the intersectional factors that shape the realities of women with disabilities, Indigenous women, women from rural and remote communities, and women and girls of African descent.”
7. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence. This is linked to the focus on tackling “violence against women and girls.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Implied Indicator for Target 5.c: The adoption and implementation status of the Belém Gender Action Plan. The entire article is about the adoption of this plan, making its successful implementation a primary measure of progress.
• Implied Indicator for Target 13.b: The amount of financial resources, technology transfer, and capacity-building provided for gender-responsive climate action. The article explicitly states that the GAP’s success is critical on “finance, technology and capacity building.”
• Implied Indicator for Targets 5.2 and 16.1: The existence and effectiveness of policies and protection mechanisms addressing violence against women and girls, particularly environmental defenders. This is directly implied by the mention of “violence against women and girls and protection mechanisms for women environmental defenders.”
• Implied Indicator for Target 8.5: The number of policies and programs created to ensure “decent work and quality jobs” for women as part of “socially just transitions.”
• Implied Indicator for Target 10.2: The degree to which climate policies and actions incorporate and address the specific needs of women facing intersectional discrimination (e.g., women with disabilities, Indigenous women). This is implied by the “recognition of the intersectional factors.”

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nationaltribune.com.au