b'Soroptimist InternationalReport for the High-Level Political ForumIn this report, Soroptimist International will provideCOVID-19 recovery, will ensure that we will have a recommendationsonhowtoexpediteactiontomoresustainableandequalworldafterthe achievetheSustainableDevelopmentGoals,bypandemic.putting gender equality at the heart of all actions to progresssustainabledevelopmentandcombatCOVID-19mayhavesetusback,butduringthis COVID-19. The policy recommendations containeddecade of action, with ambition, increased political inthisreportwillbepresentedalongsidethewill,andfull,effective,equalandmeaningful projectscarriedoutbySoroptimistInternationalcollaboration with all stakeholders, it is still possible membersintheirowncommunitieswheretheyto achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by have the knowledge to best enact change. These2030. This will require creating new and necessary Soroptimistgrassrootsprojectsbuildcapacitiespoliciesandlawsatthenational,regionaland within communities, promote women and girls asinternational levels.leaders and agents of change, and in the context of "People who have been pushed behind, and rendered powerless, by generations of discrimination, have systematically unequal access to services and opportunitiesThey are placed at a structural disadvantage when it comes to any threat.Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights About Soroptimist InternationalSoroptimistInternational (SI) is a global womenshave been present and active during UN milestones, organisationthatactivelycontributestotheincludingtheBeijingDeclaration,theMillennium achievement of the Sustainable Development GoalsDevelopment Goals, UN Security Council Resolution throughempoweringwomenintheirlocal1325,theParisClimateAgreementandthe communitiestocreatetheirowntransformativeMigration Compact.change.Activeinover3,000communitiesacross 122countriesworldwide,SIcontributestotheToday,SIUNRepresentativesareactiveinNew achievement of gender equality through its aim toYork,Geneva,Vienna,Nairobi,Paris,Romeand Educate, Empower and Enable all women and girls.Bangkok.ThroughtheMajorGroupsandOther This year, we celebrate the 100 year anniversary ofStakeholders, SI joined other NGOs and civil society SoroptimistInternational.For100yearsorganisations in participating in the unprecedented Soroptimistshavecampaignedandworkedtoglobalconsultativeprocessesthatledtothe eradicate gender inequalitywe should not needcreation of the 2030Agenda and the Sustainable to work for 100 years more. Gender equality mustDevelopmentGoals.ThroughoutthatprocessSI and can be achieved by 2030. joined the call for there to be a standalone goal on gender equality which was crosscutting for all other The history of SI and its projects is intertwined withgoals.Havingachievedthisaim,Soroptimists the work of the UN. When the UN was first created,aroundtheworldarecontributingtothe Soroptimists were responding to the humanitarianachievementofalltheSustainableDevelopment impacts of war and in recognition of SIs community- Goals through their global policy work at the UN and based expertise SI has held consultative status withthrough the impact of their projects.theUNsincethe1950s.SIsUNRepresentatives 2'