CAIRO: The League of Arab States (LAS) affirmed on Wednesday the significance of women's participation in peacemaking and mediation processes. This was in a speech by the Assistant Secretary General and Head of the Social Affairs sector at the Arab League Ambassador Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, at the opening of the dialogue session on the institutionalization of the work of the Arab Women Mediators Network in Cairo. The Arab region is still suffering from conflict, occupation and instability, in which women pay the highest price for its consequences, she mentioned.
There are deliberations that require the active participation of women in mediation to resolve conflicts, achieve security and build peace, who are more familiar with conflict-related violence that befall them and the damages resulting from it, and more aware of the needs of children, she said. In this regard, she underlined that women's contribution enhances the opportunity to formulate balanced and sustainable solutions, leading to the prevention, protection, relief and recovery of all components of society.
Considering the conflicts in the Arab region, fair solutions for women and girls cannot be formulated without women's involvement, she stated, as she regrets to say that women are still largely excluded from partaking in mediation processes, and their capabilities in achieving security and building peace in the region are still untapped. She referred to LAS' positive attitude regarding the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda regionally, according to a comprehensive long-term vision, in collaboration with the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.
LAS seeks to regionally improve the field of women, security and peace by raising public awareness and supporting national government agencies to implement global agendas and develop national plans, Abu Ghazaleh stressed. The launch of the Arab Women Mediators Network is a serious initiative to decode and support the relentless and discreet efforts of women in mediation for peace at the national, regional and international levels, she stated.
LAS is keen on joining the Arab Women Mediators Network in the Global Alliance of Regional Women Mediator Networks, which consists of five regional networks in addition to the Arab Network, so that women can share their own experiences in conflict prevention and peaceful settlement, and learn from the lessons of women in the various regional networks, she pointed out.
LAS, in collaboration with the UN Women's Commission, has been working on providing three phases of the capacity-building program directed to members on gender and mediation, in cooperation with the Dutch Clingendael Foundation in the first phase, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy for the second phase, and the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding in the third stage, she added.
Representatives of regional and international organizations, representatives of Arab countries, members of regional networks, peace mediators and several experts specialized in the field of mediation, women, security and peace will partake in the two-day dialogue session. Kuwait will be represented before the session by Advisor for Human Rights Affairs at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sheikha Jawaher Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah, as she is a member of the Arab Women Mediators Network. - KUNA