On the morning of October 13, President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the Global Leaders’Meeting on Women at the National Convention Center in Beijing and delivered the keynote address.

On this crisp autumn day, the flags of various countries and the United Nations formed a grand array.

President Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan cordially shook hands and took a group photo with the heads of delegations from participating countries and international organizations as well as their spouses.

Following warm applause, President Xi delivered a keynote address titled “Carrying Forward the Spirit of the Beijing World Conference on Women and Promoting the New and Accelerated Process for Women’s All-Round Development.”

President Xi noted that women play an important role in creating, promoting and carrying forward human civilization. The international community has a shared responsibility to advance the cause of women. Thirty years ago, the Fourth World Conference on Women set the lofty goal of “Action for Equality, Development and Peace,” and adopted the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Gender equality has been etched in the agenda of our times, galvanizing the whole world in its unwavering pursuit of this goal. Over the past 30 years, guided by the spirit of the Beijing World Conference on Women, the cause of women has been thriving around the world, adding brilliant splendor to the progress of human civilization. Equality between men and women is now a universal consensus of the international community. Prominent progress has been achieved in women’s empowerment. Their educational attainment has been steadily improving, and women are playing an ever more important role in economic, political, cultural, and social affairs. A great many outstanding women have stepped up to take the international stage, living their lives to the full and making contributions with their wisdom and strength.

President Xi noted that complex challenges still hamper women’s all-round development, and equality between men and women remains a lofty yet arduous task. Looking ahead, we should rededicate ourselves to the purpose of the Beijing World Conference on Women, build greater consensus, broaden the paths forward, and take more concrete actions to accelerate the new process of women’s all-round development. To this end, President Xi made four proposals.

First, we should jointly foster an enabling environment for women’s growth and development. We need to uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and must safeguard world peace. We need to enhance the protection of women and girls in regions struck by war, conflict, poverty or natural disaster, improve mechanisms against violence, and resolutely crack down on all forms of violence against women.

Second, we should jointly cultivate powerful momentum for the high-quality development of women’s cause. We should proactively address the imbalance and inadequacy of women’s development around the world, and enable all women to share the benefits of economic globalization. We need to empower women’s high-quality development through innovation, and strive to help them shine in life and realize their dreams in this era of global modernization.

Third, we should jointly develop governance frameworks to protect women’s rights and interests. We need to improve institutions and laws, channel more quality health and educational resources to all women, and strive to afford all women full and equal enjoyment of various rights. We must promote an inclusive and harmonious social environment, broaden the channels for women to participate in and deliberate on political affairs, support their extensive engagement in state and social governance, and morph gender equality into a common value and a code of conduct embraced by everyone in our society.

Fourth, we should jointly write a new chapter in promoting global cooperation on women. We must support women in assuming their historic responsibilities, enabling them to play a substantive role in global governance and share in its benefits. We should support the central role of the U.N., urging it to pay more attention to the needs of women in developing countries and create broad cooperation platforms for women from all countries, so as to help women across the world thrive and shine together.

President Xi pointed out that in China, the cause of women has always been an integral part of the epic Chinese modernization endeavors. We have secured historic achievements and seen historic changes in the cause of women in China. Today, women in China truly “hold up half the sky” in economic and social development. China, through its development, actively provides opportunities and support for global women’s cause, and promotes international exchanges and cooperation on women. In the next five years, China will donate another US$10 million to U.N. Women; earmark a quota of US$100 million in China’s Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund for implementing development cooperation projects for women and girls in collaboration with international organizations; launch 1,000 “small and beautiful” livelihood programs with Chinese assistance; invite 50,000 women to China for exchange and training programs; and establish a Global Center for Women’s Capacity Building, aiming at training more female talent in partnership with relevant countries and international organizations.

President Xi concluded his address by stressing that standing at a new historic starting point, China is ready to work with all sides to carry forward the spirit of the Beijing World Conference on Women, bear in mind the goal of a community with a shared future for humanity, accelerate the new process of women’s all-round development, and jointly create a better future for the human race.

Those who spoke at the opening ceremony also included President Halla Tómasdóttir of Iceland, President Sylvanie Burton of Dominica, President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana, Prime Minister Maria Benvinda Delfina Levi of Mozambique, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya of Sri Lanka, U.N. Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed, and U.N. Under Secretary General and U.N. Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous. They spoke highly of the important address delivered by President Xi, thanked China for hosting the meeting, and welcomed the initiatives and measures proposed by China. They underscored the significance of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted 30 years ago at the Fourth World Conference on Women, noting that these documents have been widely recognized by the international community and serve as a road map for advancing the cause of women. China has secured remarkable achievements in reducing poverty, promoting gender equality and protecting women’s rights and interests, accumulating rich experience in this process. While successfully advancing the women’s cause at home, China has also demonstrated a clear sense of responsibility and strong leadership and injected powerful momentum into the global cause of women. As women play an irreplaceable role in the progress of human civilization and society, gender equality and women’s development are crucial to the sustainable development of humanity. The international community should take this meeting as a new starting point, carry forward the spirit of the Beijing World Conference on Women, strengthen solidarity, deepen cooperation and mutual learning, advance the realization of the U.N.’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and work for new progress in the global cause of women.

At noon, President Xi and Madame Peng held a welcoming banquet for the distinguished international guests attending the meeting.

Cai Qi, Wang Yi, Yin Li, Tie Ning, and Shen Yueyue, among others, were present at the events.

Shen Yiqin presided over the opening ceremony.