Tehran, April 12, IRNA - UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Gary Lewis said here on Sunday that this year, the United Nation�s specific message focuses on empowering women across the globe.

Lewis made the remarks in a ceremony marking Iranian Women�s Day organized jointly by Sa�adabad Historical and Cultural Complex, UNESCO�s Tehran Cluster Office, and the office of the UN Resident Coordinator in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Congratulating Iranian�s Women�s Day which coincided with birthday anniversary of Hazrat-e Fatemeh Zahra, the beloved daughter of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he added her life and lifestyle are revered through and beyond the world of Islam.

'Like many other countries, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made significant progress in promoting women�s empowerment, particularly in education and health,' he said.

'This year we also commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995,' he added.

'The Beijing Declaration remains one of the world�s most powerful blueprints for empowering women,' Lewis said.

'Since that historic gathering in Beijing there has been increasing recognition that gender equality is not only women�s universal right and entitlement but it is also a precondition for global development, justice and peace,' the UN official noted.

'If women and girls are not able to fully realize their rights and aspirations in all spheres of life, all these things will be impeded,' he concluded.

By IRNA