On February 7, 2022 I had the honor of being a guest speaker at the annual Regio Model United Nations conference at the University of Basel.

As I have represented civil society at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York as a delegate of the International Alliance of Women (IAW) in recent years, I was in a position to provide insights into how governments and civil society work together. In my speech I focused on SDG 5, Gender Equality and the importance of civil society for the United Nations.

I also introduced the IAW and its important goals: the promotion of women’s human rights, of equality and of the empowerment of women. I highlighted that the IAW has general consultative status at the UN Economic and Social Council and is accredited at many specialized UN agencies, including CSW.

Dr. Sibylle von Heydebrand, IAW Main Representative UN Geneva