TIRANA, June 15 /ATA/ Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhaçka, gave a news briefing before the open debate at the UN Security Council in New York.
The Security Council convenes on Wednesday to discuss the agenda on “Women, Peace and Security. The debate is entitled: “The role of regional organizations in implementing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the face of political unrest and the seizure of power.”
“Recent events in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Sudan, Myanmar or Mali, to name just a few, have had a profound effect on the prospects for women’s organizations and gender equality advocates in these countries. National commitments for women, peace and security have been abruptly interrupted and civic space has dramatically shrunk,” Xhaçka said at the beginning of her speech.
“The role of regional organizations in issues related to the Agenda for Women, Peace and Security has taken on special importance given the complexity of the challenges facing the international community today.”
In many ways, regional organizations have unique and complementary capacities that, when properly coordinated with the UN System, can produce good results, quickly and effectively, in maintaining or accelerating the implementation of the Agenda for Women, Peace and Security, “especially in the context of political unrest and the seizure of power.”
“Regional organizations are often the first to respond to the crisis, to engage with stakeholders to ensure the protection of civilians. They are uniquely positioned to build trust and promote dialogue between stakeholders, as well as to provide support in mediation and reconciliation; “They can be influential in advocating for the full, equal and meaningful participation of women, as well as in their security and participation in all aspects of peace and security,” Xhaçka said.
“This open debate will have a dual purpose: First, to shed light on the persistent shortcomings in the implementation of the normative framework for women, peace and security in contexts marred by recent military coups, or the seizure of power.
Second, to pool and share best practices and ideas on how the Security Council or regional organizations can advocate and further advance this agenda in such situations, including fostering the work of women peacebuilders, civil society organizations and how to put gender analysis at the center of our prevention and response strategies, ” said Minister Xhaçka.
“Only by working together with regional organizations can we bridge the huge gap between the normative framework and the implementation of the Agenda for Women, Peace and Security on the ground.
I strongly believe that today’s Open Debate will serve as a good opportunity to exchange views, share best practices and bring new insights and perspectives on how to accelerate the implementation of the Agenda for Women, Peace and Security, ” concluded Xhaçka.
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