Iam honoured to join you today as the United Kingdom’s new Foreign Secretary.

And to be here too, alongside the UK’s trailblazing Special Envoy for Women and Girls, Baroness Harriet Harman, who gave me one of my first jobs in politics more than 30 years ago, including research on women’s equality, not long before the Beijing Declaration was adopted.

I remember at that time just how significant it felt to see countries coming together, from across the globe, committed to advancing women’s equality and women’s rights.

So it is particularly special to be here three decades on to discuss an issue that has been so close to my heart since, and to be clear that this will be a priority for me now, in this role.

Supporting women across the globe, on leadership, on representation, on access to e

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