Madame Chairperson, At the outset, on behalf of the delegation of Lithuania, I would like to congratulate you for your election as Chairperson of the Third Committee and to assure you of our support and co-operation. I also extend our warmest congratulations to the other members of the Bureau. While aligning fully with the statement of the Presidency of the European Union, I would like to inform about the most recent activities of Republic of Lithuania in the field of advancement of women and gender equality. One of the priority guidelines of Lithuania s state policy is to ensure equal opportunities for men and women.
Equality is treated as the main principle of democracy.
The principle of equality is based on equal rights, responsibilities and possibilities for men and women in all spheres of life. The success of state aiming to implement democracy, seeking for social and economic progress, protecting and promoting human rights, cultural and vocational improvement, is directly related to the level of participation of both men and women, in the development of these processes. Madame Chair, The assurance of equal opportunities for men and women is one of the priorities of the Lithuanian Government s policy. Upon adoption of basic laws on social security and labour, in particular the Law on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men of December 1998, the legal basis for the implementation of gender equality principle has been established. The Office of Equal Opportunities Ombudsmen, having a broad mandate, was introduced in order to monitor and implement this Law.