Obaid Salem Al Zaabi, UAE Permanent Representative to the United Nations, UN, and other international organisations in Geneva, presented the UAE's gender equality model at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council, as part of an annual discussion on integrating gender perspectives.

"The creation of the UAE Gender Balance Council in 2016 was a true experiment in seeking to empower and support women, to improve and protect their rights," Al Zaabi said.

He added that the 2016 Gender Inequality Index, GII, which highlights gender-based inequalities in terms of reproductive health, empowerment and economic activity, has ranked the UAE among the world’s leading 50 nations.

He stressed that the UAE had contributed AED10 million to the NAMA International Women Fund, NAMA Fund, a programme to empower women globally. The NAMA Fund aims to mobilise the required financial and human resources, to elevate the status of women and support women’s economic and professional empowerment programmes while investing in initiatives that hone their community development skills, he added.

"Adopting the mechanism of the Universal Periodic Review, UPR, and the approval of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, 2030 Agenda, are the two critical moments in tackling the social challenges facing women, including the empowerment of women and girls, to exclusively protect women's rights and realise their potential," he stated.

"Recommendations were made through the UPR form, as the starting point for countries to plan their strategies to promote women's rights, share best practices and learn lessons from other communities," he noted.

The 36th session of the Human Rights Council is being held in Geneva between 11th and 29th September.