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sia-Pacific nations have expressed strong commitment to accelerating efforts to achieve gender equality and women'€™s empowerment across the region, a declaration says.

At the closing of the Asia Pacific Conference on Gender Equality and Women'€™s Empowerment:
Beijing+20 Review on Thursday, participants from 40 nations across the region adopted a ministerial declaration showing their willingness for better conditions for women.

The declaration underlined a stronger and united voice of leaders, reinforcing their efforts to eliminating gender discrimination and inequality for the development and prosperity of the region.

'€œWe stand together today as the guarantors of the rights and opportunities that vest in every woman and every girl-as equal, valuable and valued partners in shaping the future prosperity and destiny of our region,'€ said Shamshad Akbar, United Nations under secretary-general and ESCAP executive secretary, in her closing speech.

Akbar continued to say, '€œThis action-oriented document will help us consolidate our achievements, identify the gaps and priorities that remain and tackle these through stronger institutions and partnerships, with greater financing and accountability for gender equality and women'€™s empowerment in Asia and the Pacific.'€

The conference, jointly organized by UN Women and ESCAP, provided a forum for governments to review progresses, challenges and priorities in advancing gender equality.

'€œProgresses are around, but challenges remain with accelerated action needed for all women and girls to be able to fully and freely exercise their fundamental human rights, exercising choices and taking advantage of opportunities, '€œ Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga '€” chair of the ministerial segment of the conference '€” read out the declaration.

The reading out of the declaration was followed by a symbolic action '€” the touching of the Globe of Hope by Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, the queen mother of Bhutan, a global hope to eradicate all forms of violence against women and girls, along peace, democracy and sustainable development in the region and in the world.

Speaking to journalists after the conference, Roberta Clarke, regional director of UN Women Asia and the Pacific, highlighted the role of civil society organizations (CSO) during the meeting.

'€œCSO engagement signifies regional commitment. We have seen many achievements, such as national action plans that have been prepared and implemented. From UN Women'€™s perspectives, the conference has met with the objectives.'€

But Clarke reminded that it was vital that member states and civil society remain vigilant in this process, to maintain a far-reaching gender equality goal.

Cambodian Women'€™s Affairs Minister Kantha Phaving said that some challenges remained but the conference had pledged for strengthened commitment, networking and financing to overcome women'€™s inequality.

The minister underlined the importance of attracting women and girls to engage in science and technology, environment and climate change, which will be crucial in the years to come.

The conference was held in advance of the historic and global commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Actions, which will take place in March 2015 in New York.

Meanwhile, civil society organizations across the Asia-Pacific region expressed their disappointment over the regressive outcome documents agreed to by states at this intergovernmental meeting to review the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA).

'€œThe BPfA is an unfinished agenda, '€œsaid Abia Akram, who represented civil society organizations in the region.

'€œWe, therefore, regret the lack of progress on women'€™s rights and the rollbacks in commitments we have seen here in the last two days, despite the support of the majority of governments for advancement in gender equality and the realization of women'€™s rights.'€ Akram said.

CSO demanded that three critical areas receive greater attention, including the need for strong means of implementation to support the realization of women'€™s rights and gender equality, with a focus on the reform of all macroeconomic policies that undermine women'€™s livelihoods.