14 February 2012: In an address to the third Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on the Advancement of Women, UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro stressed that unleashing women’s potential is a necessary step in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and their empowerment is essential for the success of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).

Calling on countries to end discriminatory laws, Migiro also pointed to progress made by UN Women to advance women’s issues. The meeting adopted the Doha Declaration and Programme of Action, according to which participating countries commit themselves to take a series of actions to empower women. They renewed their commitment to ensure that the role of women is taken into account in achieving sustainable development; encouraged member States to ensure the effective participation of women in the upcoming Rio+20; and highlighted that the eradication of the feminization of poverty is an indispensable requirement for achieving sustainable development. The third Ministerial Meeting of the NAM took place from 12-14 February 2012, in Doha, Qatar. [UN Press Release][Migiro’s Closing Remarks] [Meeting Website]