I opened Women Deliver 2016 with the question; How does one open the largest global conference on the rights, health and wellbeing of girls and women?

And now standing before you this evening, 4 months after the conference, the question is; How does one explain what happened during the conference and what the outcomes of the conference were?

In short, a lot!  But, first things first.

It is wonderful to be here this evening and to see so many familiar faces from the Women Deliver conference, which Denmark had the honour of hosting in May.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Women Deliver Team, for putting together a conference that exceeded not only my own expectations but, the expectations of many. And those expectations were high. You succeeded in bringing the world together, mobilizing, energizing and delivering hope to the world’s girls and women.

I would also like to thank the Danish people who in large numbers  participated and supported what turned out to be almost a ‘festival’ for the health and rights of girls and women during the week of the conference and beyond.

Now back to answering the question posed and making the ‘in short’ a bit longer….

What a conference, it was! 

The possibilities that such a gathering presented were endless and it was clear from the outset that all participants were focused on collecting knowledge and experience and creating an open culture of knowledge sharing and looking to collaborate on our common goals across all sectors, societies, countries and regions.

This approach emerged from the common realization that only together, can we work out how to achieve meaningful change for girls and women, no matter who they are, where they live and what they have.

Women Deliver 2016 was educational, innovative and rewarding.  One of the things that made it so inspirational was that rather than focusing on the problems girls and women face – we know them well – it focused on solutions and on the huge potential and value girls and women possess.

My answer could get very long, as the conference was so comprehensive and extensive.  So I will limit myself to a couple of standouts, the importance of which were reinforced for me during the conference.

• The power of the youth – during the conference they challenged the status quo and the strategies of today. The youth participants were knowledgeable, insightful, committed, creative thinkers and problem-solvers and full hope for a better future. The gender gap must be closed, their involvement and leadership is integral to creating a vision for the future and the strategy for getting us there. 

AND

• New and innovative partnerships – across continents, regions and countries and between the public and private sectors.  Governments at all levels, the business community, civil society, international organizations and citizens all have a role to play. This was clearly the thinking that was embraced during the conference and it was my clear impression that new models for collaboration were a natural part of discussions and action plans. The presence of the private sector was also strong, as well as their increased commitment to; engage in new and untraditional partnerships, mobilize their resources and know-how and foster growth - all critical to ensuring sustainable development and finding new solutions.

The challenges ahead are daunting, but one thing is certain, rising to the challenge will require perseverance and joint effort – it will require collaboration, no one can do it alone.  We all have a role to play.

One way that I plan to fulfil my role is by lending my support to; Women Deliver and partners' recently launched Deliver for Good campaign, which applies a gender lens to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Deliver for Good will mobilize allies across sectors and issues and change the global narrative around girls and women. It breaks through the silo mentality that has dominated global development for decades, and champions’ collaborative approaches and innovative solutions.

Our task is to build on the momentum generated by Women Deliver 2016 and through action give meaning to the words of the new Agenda – that holds great promise for girls and women – meaning, in the lives of girls and women all around the world.

We know that when we invest in girls and women, they deliver for everybody. Now it is time for us and the rest of the world to deliver for them.

Thank you.