The meeting of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel (HLP) on Women’s Economic Empowerment will officially open on Monday, February 6th, at the Four Seasons Resort, Jumeirah, in Dubai.

The UAE Gender Balance Council will host the two-day event, which is taking place for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The High-Level Panel (HLP) was established to support and provide guidance on the implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to improve economic outcomes for women, and promote women’s leadership in driving sustainable, inclusive, gender-responsive and environmentally sensitive economic growth.

The Panel features representatives of government, business, and civil society and is co-chaired by His Excellency Luis Guillermo Solis, President of Costa Rica and Simona Scarpaleggia, CEO IKEA, Switzerland.

The line-up of speakers at the meeting includes, Luis Guillermo Solis, President of Costa Rica, who will deliver a keynote speech via video conference, and Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Cabinet Member and UAE Minister of State for Tolerance.

High-Level Panel member Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi said that she is honoured to participate in the meeting, and be involved in the discussion of these important topics, which represent a key component of the UAE’s development strategy. Her Excellency said the UAE’s women empowerment journey spans over five decades, highlighting that significant strides have been achieved across both the public and private sectors, which reflects the wise leadership’s continuous efforts to support and encourage female participation.

She stressed that the value of tolerance that characterises the spirit of the UAE, has made the country a destination of choice for expatriates from across the world.

"I am proud to take part in this important global dialogue and play a role in enhancing women’s economic empowerment throughout the world," Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi said.

"The UAE has established itself as a role model for the region in this field, opening the door for women to invest in business and establish their own enterprises. Today, we have thousands of businesswomen running investments worth billions of dirhams. We look forward to sharing our experience and insights with participants at this important global event," she added.

Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, Mona Al Marri said that the UAE Gender Balance Council has worked closely with the HLP in recent weeks to organise the event and ensure its success, as part of the Council’s vision to become a regional and international leader in women’s empowerment.

Al Marri said that the discussions held during the meeting would play a critical role in establishing the future framework of the HLP for the coming period, through a number of sessions focused on women’s economic empowerment.

She added that the meeting will feature discussions about the outputs of the HLP working groups. Panel members and their deputies will also review the outline of the second HLP report, which will be presented to the United Nations Secretary-General, during the sixtieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2017. Additionally, the HLP meeting will establish a road-map to achieve the objectives of the current strategy.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, said, "When we increase women’s effective representation and participation at all levels of the labour market, the global economy can yield inclusive growth that leaves no one behind. As we reach the end of the Panel’s work on the report to the Secretary-General, we must ensure that its findings and recommendations create lasting and transformative change for women and girls."

Other members of the HLP include Christine Lagarde Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank, Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization, Samia Suluhu Hassan, Vice-President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Saadia Zahidi, Head of Employment and Gender Initiatives at the World Economic Forum, Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, Justine Greening, UK Secretary of State for International Development, Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director at Oxfam International, in addition to a diverse range of leading gender equality advocates, including actors, economic experts, academics, trade union leaders, as well as business and government representatives from all over the world.